Resident/Fellow Research Grant

The Resident/Fellow Research Grant gives young radiologists the chance to gain insight and experience in scientific investigation while they’re still in training. Our funding supports them as they learn research techniques and methods early, setting recipients up for careers in academic radiologic science.

Application cycle open

We are currently accepting applications for the 2026–27 Resident/Fellow Research Grant!

Application deadline: Jan. 23, 2026

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Award amount

Resident grant recipients receive up to $50,000 for research projects. Fellow grant recipients receive up to $75,000 for research projects. Funds may be used for salary support or non-personal research expenses.

Nature of projects and focus areas

Beginning with the 2026 grant cycle, the R&E Foundation is excited to introduce a new priority focus areas funding initiative, designed to support transformative research in cutting-edge, underfunded and high-impact disciplines as identified by the Board of Trustees. These areas represent opportunities for innovation and advancement in radiology and are a strategic focus for the Foundation moving forward.

2026 approved priority areas include:

• Precision medicine: Theranostics
• Imaging in vulnerable populations
• Efficiencies in radiology and opportunities for improvement
• Personalized care in pediatric imaging
• Cybersecurity in radiology departments
• Increasing access and efficiency: Doing more with less

While these priority areas are encouraged, the Foundation remains committed to supporting early-career radiologist and will continue to accept investigator-initiated proposals across the full spectrum of radiologic science. Projects that advance imaging science, develop or evaluate medical imaging technologies, or apply imaging in innovative ways to address important biological or clinical questions are always welcome.

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Eligibility

Any resident or fellow may apply for this grant, as long as you are an RSNA member. If you’re a non-dues-paying member, your scientific advisor or your co-investigator must be a dues-paying member. You must also meet the following criteria:

All applicants

• You cannot have ever held a faculty position in the radiologic sciences at or above an assistant professor, or equivalent position.
• You cannot have been a principal investigator on a grant or contract totaling more than $60,000 in a single year. This includes single and combined grants and contracts from government, private and commercial sources.
• You and your principal investigators cannot be employed by any for-profit, commercial company in the radiologic sciences.
• You cannot submit more than one grant application to the RSNA R&E Foundation a year, and cannot have a concurrent RSNA grant.
• Funding from other grant sources must be approved by foundation staff if it wasn’t described in the original research plan.

North American applicants

• You must be a resident or fellow in a department of radiology, radiation oncology, nuclear medicine or medical physics.
• Resident grant: If you’re a radiology, radiation oncology or nuclear medicine resident, you must complete your internship year and at least six months of specialty training in radiologic sciences. If you’re a medical physics resident, you must have completed at least six months of residency training.
• Fellow grant: You must be in the last year of, or have completed, residency training and you must be in a fellowship position while you’re being funded.
• You must be certified by the American Board of Radiology (ABR) or The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, or on track for certification.
• Note: If you’re in an integrated or independent interventional radiology (IR) residency program, you may apply for this grant. Funding can only be used during your IR-specific residency years: years five and six for integrated IR residents; years six and seven for independent IR residents.

International applicants

• You must already be accepted into a one- or two-year fellowship position at a North American education institution at the time of application.
• You must be in the last year of, or have completed, residency training.
• You must be certified by the radiology board in your home country, or on track for certification.
• Your research project must be completed while you’re at a North American institution.

Additional information and instructions

For more detailed information, including application instructions, please review this grant's policies and procedures (PDF).

Applicant resources

We’re here to help you succeed. Check out our grant writing workshops, research and development guides and application process FAQs.

Current recipients

To view additional recipients from prior years, please use our online grant and award recipient search tool.