Awards, Fellowships & Scholarships | Scoliosis Research Society
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Awards, Fellowships & Scholarships

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A Guide to Scholarship and Fellowship Awards

In general, scholarships are awards to help the winner attend an annual meeting (IMAST or Annual Meeting - see each award for details). Traveling fellowships award funds to practicing surgeons to visit spinal deformity centers. Criteria for qualification are listed below each award description.

Emerging Technologies Fellowship - Vertebral Body Tethering

This fellowship is for a surgeon to spend 2 - 3 weeks participating in a spine traveling fellowship visiting SRS members currently practicing vertebral body tethering. Visiting surgeon must visit 1-2 SRS members who regularly performs vertebral body tethering using any vertebral body tethering technology approved in the host surgeon’s locale.

The recipient will visit an institution(s) and during the visiting surgeon’s visit, a minimum of 2 vertebral body tethering cases must be performed per week in which the surgeon is visiting (on average). The successful candidate may help select the site(s). Recipients will be reimbursed up to $12,000 for travel and lodging.

Who Is Eligible:

  • Candidates must practice in a country in which vertebral body tethering is an approved technique by their national regulatory body
  • Candidates DO NOT have to be SRS members, but are required to provide a recommendation letter from an SRS member.
  • Applicants currently in their fellowship year preferred.

Documentation Required for Application:

"Overall, the SRS Emerging Technologies Fellowship has been an incredibly transforming experience, both from a professional and personal point of view. Beyond improving my knowledge around VBT, I was able to get to know many other spine surgeons and fellows at my host Institutions, both of which also organized social/networking events during my visit. I strongly believe that travelling fellowships are invaluable not only to share and improve knowledge and technical skills, but also to foster exchange among surgeons and people coming from different cultural backgrounds."
-Alice Baroncini, MD PhD

Apply Now

Applications Close March 15, 2024


Edgar Dawson Traveling Fellowship

This clinical fellowship provides up to $2,000 to visit a designated spine deformity center in North America for 2-3 days to enhance education and skills. The host site must include an Active Member of the SRS. The recipient will help select the site to be visited.

View Past Edgar G. Dawson Winners

Who is Eligible:

  • Applicant must be a Candidate or Active member of the SRS, under the age of 45 and reside in North America.

 

 

 

Documentation Required for Application:

Apply Now

Applications Close March 15, 2024


Eduardo R. Luque Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship is a designated stipend of $2,500 to be used to attend the SRS Annual Meeting, IMAST or participate in a two-week fellowship. The recipient may help decide which option to use the stipend towards.

View Past Award Winners

Who is Eligible:

  • Applicant must reside in Mexico, Central or South America, or the Iberian Peninsula.
  • Applicant must be 45 years old or younger at the time of application.
  • Must have completed a residency in orthopedics or neurosurgery
  • Additional consideration given to applicants who have completed a fellowship pertaining to spinal deformities.

 

 

Documentation Required for Application:

Apply Now

Applications Close March 15, 2024


Robert B. Winter Global Outreach Fellowship

This 4-6 week spine fellowship is for highly-motivated spine surgeons who are currently in clinical practice in any financially-challenged under-served area worldwide, and who are in a position which will enable them to disseminate knowledge acquired during the fellowship to others in their home country upon their return. The candidate will have the choice to indicate his/her preference for the host site from a provided list of approved centers. It is imperative that the fellow be from a site that has the ability to perform complex spine surgery after completion of the fellowship. The SRS host may also visit the Winter fellow's home site to follow-up on skills and knowledge learned.

  • Four-to-six-week fellowship at a recognized global spine center which is staffed with SRS Active fellows.
  • Financial assistance approximating $12,000 to fund travel and lodging expenses.
  • Final report of the learning experience to be sent to the Scholarship and Awards Committee within two months of finishing the visiting fellowship.

View Past Award Winners

Who Is Eligible:

  • An active spine surgeon in a developing country or in a financially-challenged under-served area who has completed all local required training.
  • Ability to implement learned modern spinal deformity surgery in country of origin
  • Have a substantial need for financial assistance in order to attend.
  • Candidates DO NOT have to be SRS members, but are required to provide a recommendation letter from an SRS member.

Documentation Required for Application:

"I think this Fellowship Program was very useful for me personally, but for our team and my country also. Now at my work I feel more trained, more competent, more confident as a physician and surgeon. That was excellent experience for me and I believe that knowledge gained through these period will influence on my work on patients and colleagues in my hospital and have helped to improve the delivery of health care in my country."
-Evgeni Vlaev

Apply Now

Applications Close March 15, 2024


Global Outreach Program (GOP) Educational Scholarship

This scholarship is for individuals from a developing nation to attend either IMAST or the SRS Annual Meeting & Course. Recipients will be reimbursed up to $2,500 for travel and lodging. The meeting registration fee will be waived.

View Past Award Winners

Who is Eligible:

  • Candidates under 45 years old from developing countries.
  • The recipient must be a qualified Orthopaedic or Neurosurgeon involved in spinal surgery.
  • Candidates DO NOT have to be SRS members.
  • Candidates who have attended a previous IMAST or SRS Annual Meeting are NOT eligible for this scholarship.

Documentation Required for Application:

Apply Now

Applications Close March 15, 2024


Lori A. Karol, MD Women in Spine Award

Dr. Karol was the first female elected to the SRS Presidential Line in 2020. Shortly before taking on the role of Vice President of the Society, she was diagnosed with a Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). While able to serve the Society for several months, ultimately, she resigned from her role as Vice President, and passed away in February 2022.

This $8,500 award is to be used by the recipient to cover the various costs to attend the SRS Annual Meeting ($2,500) and to complete a 2-3 week visiting fellowship with an SRS member ($6,000).

Winners of this award will be invited to participate in the SRS Leadership Dinner (Tuesday) and SRS President’s Reception (Friday) at the SRS Annual Meeting to help honor the mentorship Dr. Karol provided, and her dedication to being a leader within the SRS. These events offer a unique opportunity for the recipient to interact with current Society leadership and stakeholders in order to further develop their participation within the Society.

 

 

Requirements:

  • Applicants must be female identifying
  • No age minimum or maximum
  • Orthopaedic & Neurosurgeons are encouraged to apply
  • SRS Members & Non-Members are both welcome to apply
    • Non-Member winners are highly encouraged to apply for membership

Apply Now

Applications Close March 15, 2024


SRS Traveling Fellowship

This annual traveling fellowship sponsors three SRS fellows to visit spinal deformity centers in different regions. The award alternates between North American fellows (US, Canada, and Mexico) which visit centers in Europe/Asia and international fellows which visit centers in North America. Both trips last 2-3 weeks and conclude at the Annual Meeting, if possible. Free Annual Meeting Registration is included in the award.

International Fellows: Application due in late fall of even years for travel in odd years.
North American Fellows: Application due in late fall of odd years for travel in even years.

View Past Traveling Fellows

 

 

Who is Eligible:

  • SRS Active and Candidate Members in good standing
  • Must be 45 and younger at the time of application (October 15, 2023)
  • Members residing in North America are encouraged to apply this year

Documentation Required for Application:

This application is now closed.