Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
The Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation (NREF) is the philanthropic arm of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons (AANS). Based in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, NREF is a 501(c)(3) public charity dedicated to advancing neurosurgical care through funding research and educational initiatives. The organization serves neurosurgeons at all career stages, from medical students and residents to established practitioners, as well as the broader neurosurgical community.
Key facts about Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
In short: Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation gave $1.8M across 24 grants in 2025 (avg $75K), top state Florida. 38% of 2025 grantees were new. Source: 2025 IRS Form 990.
- EIN
- 46-2905743
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $1,803,000
- Grants made (2025)
- 24
- Average grant
- $75,125
- Median grant
- $60,000
- New grantees (estimate)
- 38% first-time grantees (9 of 24, 2025)
- Total assets
- $23,929,224
- Primary geography
- Florida (15% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Quick answers 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 $72K 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. Together they received 22% of its itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Is Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation open to new grantees?
38%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 9 of 24 grantees (38%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $72K; repeat grants $77K. How we count
Medians: $60K first-time, $60K repeat.
- 54% 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.
Next steps with Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990 · View filing
Total Assets
$23.9M
+19.6% YoY
Annual Giving
$1.8M
+5.6% YoY
Grant Count
24
+0.0% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$75K
+5.6% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
Mission: Enhance lives by advancing neurosurgical care through the funding of research and education.
NREF's primary program areas include:
- Providing a private, non-governmental source of funding for research training in the neurosciences related to neurological surgery
- Ensuring the continued viability and expansion of the field of neurological surgery through fundamental research in basic sciences and clinical enterprises pertinent to neurosurgery
- Augmenting support for research endeavors by the neurosurgical community
- Stimulating learning by neurosurgeons and enhancing educational opportunities throughout their careers
The foundation's focus areas encompass education, science, and healthcare, with particular emphasis on medical specialty research and neurology/neuroscience research.
Grantmaking
NREF offers multiple grant and fellowship programs targeting different career stages:
Grant Range
s:** Typical awards range from $7,500 to $180,000.
Grant Types
Ready to take the next step with Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NREF's grant-making activities primarily focus on California, Ohio, and Illinois.
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 24 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets: $20,013,856 (as of most recent 2024 filing); $34,381,230 (as of 2023 filing)
Annual Giving: $1,795,882 (2024)
Total Revenues: $1,991,819 (2023)
Total Expenses: $3,098,338 (2023)
Organization Type: Public charity with 501(c)(3) status; contributions are tax-deductible
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $23,929,224 | $20,013,856 | $34,381,230 |
| Revenue | $3,551,071 | $1,260,828 | $1,991,819 |
| Expenses | $2,981,195 | $3,031,774 | $3,098,338 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $1,363 | $-1,141,411 | $-233,852 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
- IRS filings on file for fiscal years 2019–2024
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
132 grants across all recorded years
Open Grants
8 open opportunities from Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
Clinical Fellowship Grants
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
CV Traveling Fellowships
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Honor Your Mentor Funds (Multiple Named Funds)
Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation
Amount
Varies
Deadline
Rolling / Open
Giving History
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 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Key Staff:
- Katie Orrico, Principal Officer
- Courtney C. Shupryt, Senior Director of Development
- Joanne M. Bonaminio, Director of Foundation Services
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.
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
NREF announced it will award $2.2 million in grants and fellowships for the 2025–26 academic year, demonstrating continued commitment to supporting the next generation of neurosurgeons and advancing neurosurgical research.
NREF to Award $2.2 Million in Grants and Fellowships for 2025\u201326 Academic\The foundation actively recruits support from multiple constituencies, including individual neurosurgeons, in-training neurosurgeons, the general public, and industry partners. Donors can make unrestricted donations, contribute to mentor funds, or make donations in honor of colleagues and loved ones.
Contact Information
Address: 5550 Meadowbrook Industrial Court, Rolling Meadows, Illinois 60008-3852
Email: info@nref.org
Phone: 847.378.0550
Subject Areas
Focus areas based on grantmaking activity
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation fund?
**Mission:** Enhance lives by advancing neurosurgical care through the funding of research and education. NREF's primary program areas include: • Providing a private, non-governmental source of funding for research training in the neurosciences related to neurological surgery • Ensuring the continued viability and expansion of the field of neurological surgery through fundamental research in basic sciences and clinical enterprises pertinent to neurosurgery • Augmenting support for research ende…
How do I apply for a grant from Neurosurgery Research and Education Foundation?
NREF offers multiple grant and fellowship programs targeting different career stages: **Grant Types:** • Research Fellowship Grants (up to $50,000 for one year, open to residents preparing for academic careers as clinician investigators) • Young Clinician Investigator Awards • Clinical Fellowship Grants • Medical Student Summer Research Grants **Grant Sizes:** Typical awards range from $7,500 to $180,000. **Recent Grant Activity:** • University of Miami received $170,000 for Medical Student Sum…
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.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990 filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.