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AANS/NREF Global Exchange & AANS/EANS Resident Education Exchange Program
International exchangeResident educationTraining exchanges
Who can apply: Residents and trainees participating in exchange programs (see program pages).
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
ActiveMedical Research
About Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
The Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation (NREF) is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization created in 1980 by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). The NREF supports basic science and clinical research, as well as life-long education, to foster improved outcomes for patients with neurosurgical diseases.
Focus Areas
NeurosurgeryClinical researchBasic science researchFellowships and trainingResident and medical student research
Who They Fund
medical studentssurgical residents (neurosurgery)early-career clinician-investigatorssubspecialty neurosurgery trainees (pediatric, tumor-focused)
Funding Style
training and workforce development
About Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
Created in 1980 by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, the Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation centers its giving on neurosurgery training and research rather than broad operating support. Its grantmaking reaches medical students, neurosurgical residents, early-career clinician-investigators, and subspecialty trainees, with a pattern that links research development to clinical education. Recent awards show that the foundation uses named programs for that work, including Medical Student Summer Research Fellowships, clinical fellowship support, and scholar awards for early-career researchers. One of the larger recent awards went to the University of Miami for Medical Student Summer Research grants, signaling continued support for student-led neurosurgery research. Another major award supported Duke University through the same program in both 2023 and 2024, showing repeated investment in the same type of training pipeline. The foundation also funds clinical fellowship training, exchange programs, and structured scholar development, indicating a model built around progressive career stages in neurosurgery.
What Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation Funds
Medical student research training is a clear priority. The foundation gave $135,000 in 2024 to Rush University Medical Center for Medical Student Summer Research grants, and $60,000 in 2024 to The Regents of the University of California San Francisco for the same program. Clinical fellowship support is another distinct thread: Thomas Jefferson University received $60,000 in 2023 for NREF Clinical Fellowship Grant - DePuy Synthesis. Early-career investigator development appears through named scholar awards as well, including a 2023 grant to University of Miami for the 2022-23 NREF & Andrew T. Parsa Young Clinician Investigator Award. The grant list also shows support for residency-directed scholarship and exchange-oriented training, which fits the foundation’s emphasis on building neurosurgical expertise across stages of training.
How Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation Gives
Typical grants cluster tightly around $60,000, with a p25 of $40,000, a median of $60,000, and a p75 of $60,000. The recent list shows repeated support to the same institutions across multiple years, including Duke University, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Rush University Medical Center, and University of Miami, which points to ongoing relationships rather than one-time awards only. The foundation is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) and does not fund individuals. It also does not make program-related investments. Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including research grants, medical student fellowships, clinical fellowship grants, and scholar programs.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.8M
Total Assets
$23.9M
Total Revenue
$3.6M
Total Expenses
$3M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $40K and $60K, with a median of $60K.
25th Percentile
$40K
Median
$60K
75th Percentile
$60K
Geographic Reach
National20 states funded
About 10% of grants go to recipients in MA.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Katherine O Orrico
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