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.
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.
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.
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.
$1.8M
$23.9M
$3.6M
$3M
Most grants fall between $40K and $60K, with a median of $60K.
25th Percentile
$40K
Median
$60K
75th Percentile
$60K
About 10% of grants go to recipients in MA.
Katherine O Orrico
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Giving is national, with all recent grants going to U.S. recipients. The top state by grant count is North Carolina, while Illinois accounts for 10% of grants to recipients in the HQ state. Recent awards reached major academic centers in Atlanta, Charlotte, Chicago, Los Angeles, St Louis, San Francisco, Boston, Seattle, and Philadelphia. The recipient list also includes institutions in Salt Lake City, Louisville, Cleveland, and New York.
It supports neurosurgery research and education across several stages of training: medical student summer research, clinical fellowship training, early-career scholar support, residency-directed scholarships, and exchange programs. The active program list also includes support for basic science, clinical research, translational research, and subspecialty training.
Yes. The active program list marks several programs as accepting unsolicited applications, including NREF Research Grants (In-Training Neurosurgeons), Medical Student Summer Research Fellowships, Post-Residency Clinical Fellowship Grants, K12 Scholars Program, CV Traveling Fellowships, and the exchange programs.
The typical grant size is centered at $60,000. The provided distribution shows a p25 of $40,000, a median of $60,000, and a p75 of $60,000.
Most recent grants went to U.S. recipients, and the recipient country distribution shows 61 grants in the United States. Some active programs are also listed as international or U.S.-and-Europe exchange programs, including CV Traveling Fellowships, AANS/EANS Resident Education Exchange, AANS/NREF Global Exchange & AANS/EANS Resident Education Exchange, and AANS/NREF Global Exchange.
No. The foundation is marked as not funding individuals. Its grants are structured through programs and awards administered to institutions and training programs, including medical student research fellowships, clinical fellowship grants, and scholar awards.
2026
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2026.
Financiamiento actual y próximo de Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation al que tu organización sin fines de lucro podría postularse.
¿Quién puede postularse? Residents and trainees participating in exchange programs (see program pages).
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Miami - Miller School of Medicine | Coral Gables, FL | $143,500 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| University of California San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $130,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $130,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis | St Louis, MO | $130,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | $120,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia, PA | $82,500 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Duke University | Durham, NC | $80,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| University of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $70,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| North Shore University Hospital | Westbury, NY | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | New York, NY | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Medical College of Wisconsin Inc | Milwaukee, WI | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| University At Buffalo Neurosurgery | Buffalo, NY | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Rhode Island Hospital | Providence, RI | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center | Beachwood, OH | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Cleveland Clinic Florida | Weston, FL | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| University of Miami - Jackson Health System | Miami, FL | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| University of Pittsburgh Physicians | Pittsburgh, PA | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Cleveland Clinic Foundation | Independence, OH | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| University of Louisville Research Foundation Inc | Louisville, KY | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | West Hollywood, CA | $60,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| Washington University in St Louis | St Louis, MO | $50,000 | 2026 | FELLOWSHIP GRANT |
| Semmes Murphey Foundation | Memphis, TN | $27,000 | 2026 | Fellowship Grant |
| University of Miami | Atlanta, GA | $180,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Rush University Medical Center | Chicago, IL | $135,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| University of California San Francisco | San Francisco, CA | $135,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| University of Utah | Salt Lake City, UT | $125,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Dignity Health-St Joseph's AZ | Los Angeles, CA | $90,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA | $85,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| John Hopkins University | Chicago, IL | $67,500 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| University of Pittsburgh Physicians | Pittsburgh, PA | $67,500 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Duke University | Charlotte, NC | $62,500 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| The Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation | Independence, OH | $60,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| The Cleveland Clinic Foundation | Independence, OH | $60,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Memorial Sloan - Kettering | New York, NY | $60,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Cedars-Sinai Medical Center | Los Angeles, CA | $60,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Rhode Island Hospital | Providence, RI | $60,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Medical College of Wisconsin | Milwaukee, WI | $60,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| University of Washington | Seattle, WA | $60,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Payment Solutions and Compliance | Los Angeles, CA | $50,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | Dallas, TX | $50,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Thomas Jefferson University | Philadelphia, PA | $45,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| University of Cincinnati | Cincinnati, OH | $45,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Washington University - St Louis | St Louis, MO | $40,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Mayo Clinic Research | Rochester, MN | $40,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Mayo Clinic Research Finance-Arizona | Scottsdale, AZ | $40,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Northwestern University | Evanson, IL | $30,000 | 2025 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| University of Miami | Atlanta, GA | $170,000 | 2024 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
| Duke University | Charlotte, NC | $137,500 | 2024 | Medical Student Summer Research grants |
University of California San Francisco
$130,000Fellowship Grant
University of Washington
$120,000Fellowship Grant
Thomas Jefferson University
Fellowship Grant
University of Cincinnati
$70,000Fellowship Grant
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
$60,000Fellowship Grant
University At Buffalo Neurosurgery
$60,000Fellowship Grant
The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
$60,000Fellowship Grant
Semmes Murphey Foundation
$27,000Fellowship Grant
University of California San Francisco
$135,000Medical Student Summer Research grants
University of Utah
$125,000Medical Student Summer Research grants
The Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia
$85,000Medical Student Summer Research grants
University of Pittsburgh Physicians
$67,500Medical Student Summer Research grants
The Cleveland Clinic Educational Foundation
$60,000Medical Student Summer Research grants
Memorial Sloan - Kettering
$60,000Medical Student Summer Research grants
University of Washington
$60,000Medical Student Summer Research grants
Payment Solutions and Compliance
$50,000Medical Student Summer Research grants
University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
$50,000Medical Student Summer Research grants
University of Cincinnati
$45,000Medical Student Summer Research grants
Mayo Clinic Research Finance-Arizona
$40,000Medical Student Summer Research grants