International Outreach Travel Scholarship
The ANA established the International Outreach Scholarship (IOTS) in recognition of the shared goal among neurologists worldwide to reduce the burden of neurological disease through research, education, clinical care, and advocacy. The IOTS is awarded to two (2) ANA members biennially and provides the recipients with the opportunity to work in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) during the upcoming academic year.
The IOTS provides reimbursement of up to $5,000 for roundtrip airfare, country entry, medical evacuation, and repatriation insurance (if institutional insurance is unavailable), visas, medical licenses, accommodations, local transportation during an abroad rotation, and/or vaccinations and travel-related medications.
This scholarship is offered biennially alongside the Grant to Activate Global Engagement (GAGE).
The GAGE will be offered this year for ANA2025
Eligible Applicants
Eligible applicants include ANA members who are neurology residents, fellows or junior faculty who are within the first three years from the start date of their first faculty appointment at the time of application. Applicants must provide:
- A letter of recommendation from an ANA mentor with at least an Assistant Professor level appointment.
- A letter of support from the host institution in a low or middle-income country.
- A letter of support from their Chair, Residency Director, or Division Chief clearly indicating their support for the planned travel (four (4) weeks for trainees and fellows; six (6) weeks minimum for junior faculty) and for the applicant to attend the ANA Annual Meeting in their year following their travel.
- Current CV
- A proposal which includes:
- Educational opportunity for the applicant
- Benefit for the neurological care of patients at the receiving institution
- Educational opportunity for trainees of the receiving institution
- Collaborative research opportunity between the US and receiving institution
Eligible applicants must confirm or agree to the following:
- Be a current member in good standing in the ANA.
- Be in good standing with their respective training/employment programs.
- Complete the United Nations Department of Safety & Security (UNDSS) BSAFE online security awareness training program at least 30-days prior to travel.
- Agree to submit a formal report to the ANA Executive and Global Engagement Committees within 90-days of return.
- Agree to allow ANA to post a summary of their final report on the ANA website.
- Agree to work in the host country for four (4) weeks if a trainee or fellow; or a minimum of six (6) weeks if junior faculty and travel within the academic year following the scholarship, unless there are special circumstances that are approved by the Global Engagement Committee and ANA Board of Directors.
- Agree to submit an abstract in the Global Neurology category during the ANA Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts submission period in the year following their scholarship. Abstract submissions should be based on research and/or activities conducted at the LMIC host institution.
- Agree that anything above the maximum scholarship amount of $5,000 is the responsibility of the recipient.
2024 Recipients
Karen Villarroel Gomez, MD – University of Iowa, Stead Family Children’s Hospital
Active Project: Evaluate Child Neurology Patients and Provide Community and Healthcare Provider Education
Location: Ecuador
Namita Patel, MD – University of Rochester Medical Center
Active Project: Conduct a Research Study to Characterize the Neurocognitive and Behavioral Phenotypes of Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy in Zambian Children
Location: Zambia
2022 Recipient*
Juliana Coleman, MD – University of Alabama at Birmingham
Completed Project: The Effects of a Hypothesis Driven Exam on Neurologic Education in Resource Limited Setting
Location: Cameroon, Central Africa
*Due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, only one recipient for the travel scholarship was selected in 2022.
2021 Recipient*
*Due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, no travel scholarships were awarded in 2021, and the Grant to Activate Global Engagement (GAGE) award was awarded again. This grant was awarded to three organizations from low to lower-middle income countries to assist in participating in the ANA2021 Virtual Annual Meeting.
2020 Recipient*
Jennifer Adrissi, MD – University of California, Los Angeles
Completed Project: Understanding the Impact of Parkinson’s Disease in Zambia: An Assessment of Patient and Caregiver Needs
Location: Zambia, East Africa
*Due to impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, only one recipient for the travel scholarship was selected in 2020, and the Grant to Activate Global Engagement (GAGE) award was created. This grant was awarded to three organizations from low to lower-middle income countries to assist in participating in the ANA2020 Virtual Annual Meeting.
2018 Recipients
Jori Fleisher, MD, MSCE – Rush University
Completed Project: ZEPHyR: Zambian Epidemiology of Parkinson’s disease and Healthcare Registry
Location: Zambia, East Africa
Rajarshi Mazumder, MD, MPH – University of California, Los Angeles
Completed Project: Nodding Syndrome and the Practice of Neurology in Northern Uganda
Location: Uganda, East Africa
2017 Recipients
Melissa A. Elafros, MD, PhD – Johns Hopkins University
Completed Project: The Impact of LP Completion on Medical Decision Making, Patient Outcomes, and the Cost of Care
Location: Zambia, East Africa
Cleopatra Mwansa-Thurman, DO – Michigan State University
Completed Project: Improving Neuromuscular Disease Clinical Care and Research in Zambia
Location: Zambia, East Africa
Allison P. Navis, MD – Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Completed Project: Diagnosing Central Nervous System Immune Reconstitution Inflammatory Syndrome (CNS IRIS) in Resource Limited Settings
Location: Zambia, East Africa