Susan S. Spencer, MD Clinical Research Training Fellowship in Epilepsy Grant

The Susan S. Spencer, MD Clinical Research Training Fellowship in Epilepsy, established in memory of the esteemed neurologist, aims to support clinical research training in epilepsy for early-career clinicians. This two-year fellowship provides $65,000 annually, alongside a $10,000 stipend for education and research costs, totaling $150,000. Eligible candidates include AAN members with an MD or equivalent doctoral degree, who have completed residency within five years and are committed to patient-oriented research in neurology.

The Clinical Research Training Fellowship in Epilepsy was established in memory of Susan S. Spencer, MD, a past president of the American Epilepsy Society who was professor of neurology at the Yale University School of Medicine and medical director of the epilepsy program at Yale New Haven Hospital. Following her untimely death in the Spring of 2009, this fellowship was created to foster the development of investigators interested in pursuing careers in patient-oriented research.
The award will consist of a commitment of $65,000 per year for two years, plus a $10,000 per year stipend to support education and research-related costs for a total of $150,000. Supplementation of the award with other grants is permissible, but to be eligible to apply for this award, the other grant source(s) cannot exceed $75,000 annually.

Eligibility

For the purpose of this scholarship, research is defined as “patient-oriented research conducted with human subjects, or translational research specifically designed to develop treatments or enhance diagnosis of neurological disease. These areas of research include epidemiologic or behavioral studies, clinical trials, studies of disease mechanisms, the development of new technologies, and health services and outcomes research.” Disease-related studies not directly involving humans or human tissue are also encouraged if the primary goal is the development of therapies, diagnostic tests, or other tools to prevent or mitigate neurological diseases.Recipient must be an AAN member interested in an academic career in neurological research with an MD, PhD, or equivalent doctoral-level clinical degree who has completed clinical residency or PhD no more than 5 years prior to the beginning of this award (July 1, 2026). If you have completed both residency and a PhD, your eligibility is based on when you completed residency. If you completed a fellowship of any kind after residency, your eligibility is still based on the date you finished residency.At the time of application, applicants can be epilepsy fellows, postdoctoral fellows, or newly appointed junior faculty members (first two years of appointment). During the award period, it is acceptable for the candidate to be pursuing formal graduate coursework (e.g., MPH) as part of the 70 percent protected time for research.Applicants at accredited US and international institutions are eligible.