NANS Awards & Grants

Recognized annually at the NANS Annual Meeting

Celebrating Excellence and Innovation in Neuromodulation!

*NOTE: Applications and nominations for NANS 2027 will open later in 2026.

The NANS Annual Meeting offers dynamic opportunities to learn, connect and celebrate the field of neuromodulation. Through awards and grants, NANS achieves two goals: recognizing outstanding achievement in neuromodulation and supports the next generation of neuromodulators.

Questions? Contact NANS at [email protected].

2026 Awardees

AWARD HISTORY

Recognition Awards

The NANS APP Excellence Award recognizes one APP member’s outstanding achievements and leadership in the field of neuromodulation and pain management. The awardee will receive recognition at the NANS Annual Meeting, along with a monetary award and complimentary meeting registration. APP's interested in applying must be full-time clinicians in clinical practice, a NANS member in good standing, and have attended a previous Annual Meeting.

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 recipients of these awards receive an award and a monetary grant

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. The recipients of these awards receive an award and a monetary grant.

The NANS Innovator Award recognizes mid-career professionals (5–15 years post-training) who have advanced neuromodulation through creativity, originality, and measurable impact in areas such as clinical practice, technology development, education, advocacy, research, or access to care (singular breakthrough or sustained body of work). Eligible nominees may come from all disciplines and backgrounds; any part of the neuromodulation ecosystem, including, but not limited to, physicians, scientists, engineers, and advanced practice providers.

Recipient receives complimentary meeting registration, hotel accommodation and award recognition at the NANS Annual Meeting.

The NANS Distinguished Achievement in Science and Technology Award recognizes exceptional contributions to the scientific and technological foundations of neuromodulation and celebrates the scientists and engineers whose work has fundamentally advanced understanding, tools, and capabilities in the rapidly evolving field. Areas of impact may include (but are not limited to) cellular mechanisms of neuromodulation, bioelectronic medicine, brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), electrode design, imaging and sensing, signal processing, hardware systems, and algorithmic or software advances that enable new clinical or scientific capabilities.

The award is open to contributors at any career stage and from any discipline or geographic region. This award affirms NANS’s commitment to recognizing the bold ideas and technical breakthroughs that push the field forward. The recipient of this award receives complimentary meeting registration, hotel accommodation and recognition at the NANS Annual Meeting.

Next Generation Grants

The Diversity and Outreach Committee (DOC) Pipeline Fellowship Grants supports both early career professionals and those in training from underrepresented backgrounds. Grant recipients receive complimentary meeting registration, monetary grant and hotel accommodations. The grant recipients must agree to ongoing engagement with the DOC after the Annual Meeting. Applicants must be a NANS member in good standing.

Applicants submit a CV and a personal statement reflecting what they would do to improve access to neuromodulation and how this grant would benefit them.

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. Abstract submission is not mandatory for consideration but is strongly recommended. Applicants must be a NANS member in good standing.

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.

Principal Awards

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 recipient of this award receives complimentary meeting registration, an award, travel and hotel accommodations.

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 recipient of this award receives complimentary meeting registration, an award, travel and hotel accommodations.

Named Legacy Awards

The Kumar New Investigator Award honors the legacy of Krishna Kumar MBBS, MS FRCSC, a pioneer of neuromodulation and a world-recognized leader in the neurosurgical treatment of pain. NANS established the Kumar Award to encourage scientific work in neuromodulation.

The awardee will be recognized and share an overview of their manuscript during the Saturday afternoon plenary session at the Annual Meeting. Candidates interested in applying must submit either a previously published manuscript on the topic of neuromodulation, or a neuromodulation-related research manuscript, of which they were first author. The awardee will also receive complimentary meeting registration, a monetary grant, travel and hotel accommodations.

The Lisa Stearns Award, established by NANS and the Women in Neuromodulation (WIN), honors the legacy of Lisa Stearns, MD, a global leader in interventional cancer pain therapy and intrathecal drug delivery. The award aims to encourage clinical or scientific work in cancer pain neuromodulation.

Applicants must have 5+ years working in the field. The recipient will be recognized and share an overview of their research on interventional cancer pain management at the Saturday afternoon plenary session of the Annual Meeting. They will also receive complimentary meeting registration, a monetary grant, travel and hotel accommodations.