Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
The Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation (NREF) is a public charity based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois. Created in 1980 by the American Association of Neurological Surgeons, it supports neurosurgical research and lifelong education to foster improved outcomes for people with neurosurgical diseases.
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation at a glance
In short: Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation gave $1.8M across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $75K), top state Florida. 33% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,803,000
- +5.6% vs 2024
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- +0.0% vs 2024
- Average grant
- $75,125
- +5.6% vs 2024
- Median grant
- $60,000
- Total assets
- $23,929,224
- +19.6% vs 2024
- New grantees (estimate)
- 33% first-time grantees (8 of 24, 2025; small sample)
- Primary geography
- Florida (15% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025 View filing
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
How to apply to Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
- Review Cycle
- The calendar lists November 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. for the 2027–28 Research Fellowship Grants and Young Clinician Investigator Awards, Clinical Fellowship Grants, Medical Student Summer Research Fellowship, and Cerebrovascular Section Traveling Fellowship. The 2027–28 SNS Neurosurgeon-Scientist Training Program deadline is December 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
- Deadline
- The calendar lists November 8, 2026, at 11:59 p.m.
- Contact
Mailing address: 5550 Meadowbrook Industrial Court, Rolling Meadows, IL 60008
Phone: (847) 378-0500
Website: https://nref.org
Application details from Grantable's research on the foundation's public materials; confirm on its website before applying.
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
Clinical Fellowship Grants
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
CV Traveling Fellowships
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Honor Your Mentor Funds (Multiple Named Funds)
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Deadline not published
Who Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation funds
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
The largest 2025 recipient was University of Miami - Miller School of Medicine ($144K). Together the top 10 received $1.0M.
Organizations only. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($60,000), which are not listed by name.
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
The most common grant size was in the $50–100K range: 70 grants of 132 (53%).
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NREF is based in Illinois. Its 2025 grant dollars went to recipients in multiple states; the largest listed shares were Florida (15%), Illinois (11%), Ohio (11%), California (11%), and Missouri (10%). Its research-funding program describes North American investigators as its target population.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of 2025 grant dollars across all 24 itemized grants.
States
Cities
Is Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation open to new grantees?
33%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 8 of 24 grantees (33%) were first-time recipients. With only 24 grantees, that is a small sample: one grantee more or less moves the share by about 4 points. First grants averaged $74K; repeat grants $76K. How we count
Medians: $60K first-time, $60K repeat.
- 58% of 2025 grantees were also funded in 2024. Method
- Giving held roughly steady from 2022 to 2025 (−4%). Method
Estimate from itemized grant lists in IRS Form 990 filings (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Giving History
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
From 2019 to 2025, annual grant giving ranged from $1.2M (2019) to $1.9M (2022). In 2025 it made 24 grants totaling $1.8M.
Grants by year
Grant recipients and amounts by year
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| University of Miami - Miller School of Medicine Coral Gables, FL | Fellowship Grant | $143,500 |
| University of California San Francisco San Francisco, CA | Fellowship Grant | $130,000 |
| Rush University Medical Center Chicago, IL | Fellowship Grant | $130,000 |
| Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis St. Louis, MO | Fellowship Grant | $130,000 |
| University of Washington Seattle, WA | Fellowship Grant | $120,000 |
| Thomas Jefferson University Philadelphia, PA | Fellowship Grant | $82,500 |
| Duke University Durham, NC | Fellowship Grant | $80,000 |
| University of Cincinnati Cincinnati, OH | Fellowship Grant | $70,000 |
| Northwestern University Evanston, IL | Fellowship Grant | $60,000 |
| University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center Beachwood, OH | Fellowship Grant | $60,000 |
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Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
| Filing year | Total Assets | Revenue | Expenses | Grants paid | Grants | Net Investment Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $23,929,224 | $3,551,071 | $2,981,195 | $1,803,000 | 24 | $1,363 |
| 2024 | $20,013,856 | $1,260,828 | $3,031,774 | $1,707,500 | 24 | $-1,141,411 |
| 2023 | $34,381,230 | $1,991,819 | $3,098,338 | $1,870,000 | 30 | $-233,852 |
| 2022 | $17,113,606 | $2,938,037 | $3,190,399 | $1,878,500 | 31 | $309,795 |
| 2021 | $17,360,321 | $3,758,109 | $3,028,571 | $1,634,250 | 23 | $528,031 |
| 2020 | $13,869,571 | $3,635,284 | $2,936,761 | $1,541,750 | 23 | $332,838 |
| 2019 | $12,390,596 | $4,194,244 | $3,000,555 | $1,235,000 | 16 | $254,016 |
Research compiled by Grantable AI from public sources. Last updated September 2026.
Mission & Focus Areas
NREF’s mission is to support basic science and clinical research, as well as lifelong education, to foster improved outcomes for patients with neurosurgical diseases. Its stated goals include funding research training in neurosciences related to neurological surgery, augmenting research by the neurosurgical community, and expanding educational opportunities for neurosurgeons throughout their careers.
Its funding supports research and training in neurosurgery, clinical investigation, and neurosurgical education. For example, Rush University Medical Center, a 2025 grantee, describes its mission as improving health through patient care, education, research, and community partnerships. Thomas Jefferson University describes its work as spanning professional education, research, and discovery.
Grantmaking
In filing year 2025, NREF reported 24 grants totaling $1,803,000. Individual grants ranged from $27,000 to $143,500, with a median of $60,000. The listed largest awards were primarily identified as fellowship grants. They included $143,500 to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, $130,000 each to the University of California San Francisco, Rush University Medical Center, and Washington University School of Medicine in an individual recipient, and $120,000 to the University of Washington.
NREF’s programs include Research Fellowship Grants, Young Clinician Investigator Awards, Clinical Fellowship Grants, Medical Student Summer Research Fellowships, and the K12 Scholars Program. The website describes Research Fellowship Grants and Young Clinician Investigator Awards as one-year awards of up to $50,000. Research Fellowship Grants are for residents preparing for academic careers as clinician investigators; Young Clinician Investigator Awards support junior faculty pursuing clinical-investigator careers. The website states that awards may be lower depending on available support and that NREF does not pay indirect costs.
For the 2026–27 Research Fellowship Grants and Young Clinician Investigator Awards, the application instructions specify an online application. They also state that fellowship funding through that program cannot be duplicated by another outside funding source. Eligibility and research-effort requirements differ by award: the instructions specify that residents must devote 80% of their effort to research, while Young Clinician Investigator applicants should devote 50%. NREF’s program page describes the Research Fellowship Grant effort requirement as 100%; applicants should consult the applicable cycle’s instructions.
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
The 2025 filing lists Adam S. Arthur as Chair; Gregory J. Zipfel as Secretary; Joseph S. Cheng as Treasurer; and Michael Y. Wang as Vice-Chair. It also lists Sander E. Connolly as AANS President and Daniel M. Sciubba, Flagg J. Flanagan, Frederick G. Barker, Kevin T. Foley, and Luis M. Tumialan as directors.
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation is led by Katherine O Orrico, CEO on every filing since 2024; none of the 18 officers listed in 2025 report compensation.
Officers on the 2025 filing
Katherine O Orrico
CEO
On filings since 2024
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Sander E Connolly
Aans President
New on the 2025 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Adam S Arthur
Chair
Director → Chair, 2023
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Flagg J Flanagan
Director
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Frederick G Barker II
Director
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mohamad Bydon
Director
On filings since 2023
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Daniel M Sciubba
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kevin T Foley
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Luis M Tumialan
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Mark Bain
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Praveen V Mummaneni
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Richard Byrne
Director
New on the 2025 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Gregory J Zipfel
Secretary
Director → Secretary, 2020
On filings since 2019
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Kathleen T. Craig
Former CEO
Executive Director → CEO, 2020
CEO → Former CEO, 2025
On filings since 2019
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael Y Wang
Vice Chair
Director → Vice Chair, 2025
On filings since 2020
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Michael A Chabraja
Legal Counsel
On filings since 2021
3.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Carol Jones
CFO
On filings since 2023
5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Joseph S Cheng
Treasurer
New on the 2025 filing
2.5 hrs/week
No compensation reported
Former officers (22)
- Former: Anthony L Asher (2019–2024) — Aans President
- Former: Charles L Branch Jr. (2019–2024) — Vice Chair
- Former: E Antonio Chiocca (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: James T Rutka (2019–2024) — Director
- Former: J Flagg Flanagan (2020–2024) — Director
- Former: Jon H Robertson (2021–2024) — Director
- Former: Sepideh Amin-Hanjani (2022–2024) — Treasurer
- Former: Stacey Wolfe (2022–2024) — Director
- Former: John Joseph Knightly (2019–2023) — Director
- Former: Michael W Groff (2019–2023) — Chair
- Former: Aviva Abosch (2021–2023) — Director
- Former: Kathryn A Dattomo (2021–2023) — CDO
- Former: Dennis J Rizzo (2019–2022) — CFO
- Former: Regis W Haid Jr. (2019–2022) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Linda M Liau (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Russell R Lonser (2020–2022) — Director
- Former: Angela Richardson (2021–2022) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Ann R Stroink (2021–2022) — Ex-Officio
- Former: Ann Parr (2019) — Director
- Former: John A Wilson (2019) — Director
- Former: Peter B Kuhn (2019) — CFO
- Former: Robert F Heary (2019) — Secretary
Data from IRS Form 990 filings, 2019–2025. "On filings since" is the earliest filing we hold that lists the person; hours are average hours per week as reported.
Frequently asked questions about Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
How much does Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation give each year?
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation gave $1.8M across 24 grants in 2025, according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. In 2024 it gave $1.7M across 24 grants.
What is Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's typical grant size?
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's median grant in 2025 was $60,000, and its average grant was $75,125, across 24 grants on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Organizations receiving their first grant from Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation that year got $74K on average.
Where does Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation give grants?
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's top state is Florida, with 15% of the grant dollars itemized on its 2025 IRS Form 990. The next largest states were Illinois (11%) and Ohio (11%). The most frequent recipient cities were St. Louis, MO (2 grants).
Does Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation give general operating support?
Not in 2025: none of the 24 grants with a stated purpose on Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's 2025 IRS Form 990 were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Fellowship Grant" (24 grants).
Who are Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's largest grantees?
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's largest 2025 grantees include University of Miami - Miller School of Medicine ($143,500), University of California San Francisco ($130,000) and Rush University Medical Center ($130,000), according to its 2025 IRS Form 990. It also paid 1 grant to individuals ($60,000), which are not listed by name. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
How large is Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation?
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation reported $23.9M in total assets on its 2025 IRS Form 990. Its revenue that year was $3.6M.
What does Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation fund?
NREF’s mission is to support basic science and clinical research, as well as lifelong education, to foster improved outcomes for patients with neurosurgical diseases. See mission & focus areas ↑
How do I apply for a grant from Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation?
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation has no public application process in the sources Grantable reviewed. Check nref.org for current guidelines, or contact the foundation directly before submitting a request.
What is Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's EIN?
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 46-2905743. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.
Data update history
(8)
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS June 29, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 16, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 15, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 15, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Live grants for the work Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation funds
Medical Research Open opportunities, soonest deadline first.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Cite this profile
Grantable. (2026). Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation funder profile. GrantGraph. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://grantable.co/funders/neurosurgery-research-and-education-foundation-morg_a93c11aba45a4a6caa6b6713def4fc43
BibTeX
@misc{grantable_462905743_2026,
author = {{Grantable}},
title = {{Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation funder profile}},
howpublished = {GrantGraph},
year = {2026},
url = {https://grantable.co/funders/neurosurgery-research-and-education-foundation-morg_a93c11aba45a4a6caa6b6713def4fc43},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-18. Data licensed CC BY 4.0}
}The figures on this page are open data under CC BY 4.0: reuse them with credit to Grantable and a link. Download the data.
Figures come from Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation's IRS filings (methodology). AI-written summaries, news items and logos are not covered by the open licence. Spot an error? Email hello@grantable.co.
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