Newswise — The NREF has reached an agreement with DePuy Spine, Inc. to provide funding to the NREF in support of the Foundation’s new post-residency fellowship grant program. As a result of this agreement, DePuy Spine will provide funding for post-residency clinical fellowships with a focus on spine, for the 2010-2011 funding cycle. Every year, an estimated 160 neurosurgeons graduate from the 99 approved neurosurgical residency training programs in North America, and many of them pursue an additional one-year fellowship before entering academic or private practice.
“Through this funding, DePuy Spine demonstrates its continuing commitment to furthering clinical spine education. The training provided will enable neurosurgeons completing their residency to continue their learning and practice of innovative, state-of-the-art techniques in spinal reconstruction. This additional education will enhance their ability to successfully treat millions of patients with debilitating spine conditions,” stated Griffith R. Harsh IV, MD, FACS, NREF chair.
The NREF will be responsible for all aspects of the fellowship grant program, including review and approval of grant applications. The NREF will award grants based upon established fellowship program criteria and the needs of the requesting hospital and/or academic institution. A new NREF Educational Grants Committee (EGC), comprised of neurosurgeons who do not receive financial or other support from the medical device industry, will review and approve fellowship grant applications in an independent, unbiased manner. Individuals serving on the Educational Grants Committee are volunteers and do not receive compensation from the NREF for their efforts.
“The NREF appreciates the long record DePuy Spine has in supporting neurosurgical research and education in the area of spine, and this outstanding new opportunity to provide neurosurgeons with stellar post-residency spine-related clinical education,” said AANS President Troy M. Tippett, MD, FACS.
The new NREF Educational Grants Committee is currently finalizing all aspects of the program; the timeline for application, criteria for fellowship funding, and other important information about the program will be available at http://www.AANS.org/Research in the weeks ahead.
About the NREFThe Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) of the American Association of Neurosurgeons was established in 1981 in direct response to the reduction in federal and private funding for medical research. The mission of the NREF is to provide a private, non-governmental source of funding for research training in the neurosciences. Since its inception, the NREF has awarded 145 grants totaling over $6 million. As a result, significant advances have been made in the diagnosis and treatment of aneurysms, brain tumors, strokes, and spinal disorders, as well as an increased understanding and interest in pain therapy, stem cell research, biomaterials and pediatric epilepsy. Many of NREF’s awardees have received additional funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to continue their research.
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