Apply for an Award or Grant

January 18-21, 2024 | Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

Celebrating the NANS Community

The NANS Annual Meeting is an opportunity to learn, connect and celebrate. The NANS awards program achieves two goals: recognizes outstanding achievement in neuromodulation and supports the next generation of neuromodulators. You can view previous award recipients here.

Read on for the award and grant programs available for the 2024 Annual Meeting and how you can apply or nominate a colleague, mentor or mentee.

Please note that eligible applicants are welcome to apply to more for than one award or grant program.

Awards Presented During the Opening Plenary

Submissions are now closed!

The NANS Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes those who have made significant and lasting contributions to the field of neuromodulation over the course of their career.

The NANS Distinguished Service Award recognizes outstanding and dedicated service to the North American Neuromodulation Society, advancing NANS mission in a significant and lasting way.

The NANS Clinical and Basic Science/Engineering Innovator Award recognizes an individual whose contributions in implementation, mechanisms, and technology have profoundly impacted the field of neuromodulation and driven new science and therapy creation.

Early Career and Trainee Awards

The NANS Rising Star Resident and Fellow Awards recognize those who demonstrate dedication to and growth in the field of neuromodulation. These individuals are considered leaders among their peers and show exceptional promise as neuromodulators.

The NANS Rising Star Early Career Award recognizes two individuals who already have a track record of contributions and success in the field of neuromodulation and are within five years of completing their training. These future leaders are ones to watch.

Make a Rising Star Nomination

The Diversity and Outreach Committee (DOC) DOC Pipeline Fellowship Grants supports both early career professionals and those in training from underserved communities. Applicants submit a CV and personal statement reflecting what they would do to improve access to neuromodulation and how this grant would benefit them. Grant recipients receive complimentary general meeting registration and two-night hotel accommodations. The grant recipients must agree to ongoing engagement with DOC and participate in one webinar after the NANS Annual Meeting. Recipients must be NANS members.

Apply for DOC Pipeline fellowship grant

The Early Career Travel Fellowship Grants provide financial support to NANS members who are in training or early in their career, to enable their attendance at Annual Meeting. Applicants submit a 500-word statement on their background, what they feel they bring to NANS, and why this award would be of benefit to them. Abstract submission is not mandatory for consideration but is strongly recommended.

Apply for travel FEllowship grant

Named Awards

The Kumar New Investigator Award honors the legacy of Krishna Kumar, MBBS, MS FRCSC (1931-2014), a pioneer of neuromodulation and a world-recognized leader in the neurosurgical treatment of pain. Dr. Kumar led seminal studies in deep brain stimulation for chronic pain and established the safety, efficacy, and cost-effectiveness of spinal cord stimulation. For five decades, he led a vibrant and highly recognized pain program in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Dr. Kumar served as a NANS board member and was a frequent lecturer at NANS Annual Meetings. NANS established the Kumar New Investigator Award to encourage scientific work in neuromodulation. The awardee presents their winning manuscript during one of the plenary sessions at the Annual Meeting.

Apply for KUMAR Award

The Lisa Stearns Award is named after Lisa Stearns, MD (1958-2020), one of the world’s experts in interventional therapy for cancer pain, and the foremost one on intrathecal drug delivery systems for cancer pain. The North American Neuromodulation Society and the Women in Neuromodulation (WIN) established the Lisa Stearns Award to encourage clinical and scientific work in cancer pain interventional therapies and neuromodulation. The award is given to honor the legacy of Dr. Lisa Stearns and the awardee presents their research on interventional cancer pain management at the Annual Meeting.