Education Research Grant

AAN Definition of Education Research: The AAN defines “education research” as the qualitative and quantitative study of hypothesis-driven observations or interventions on the acquisition of knowledge or training. (Definition reviewed/approved by AAN Board of Directors in February 2006.)

Background Information:

Education research grants may be developed to:

  1. Study the effectiveness of neurologic educational programs to insure they are meeting the life-long needs of their constituents (i.e., medical students, residents, fellows, and practicing neurologists)
  2. Strengthen the educational programs of the AAN for quality improvement and credentialing purposes (i.e., ACCME accreditation)
  3. Train neurologic educators to perform and publish education research as one component of career development for academic educators

Eligibility Requirements:

· The principal investigator must be an Associate or Active member of the AAN.

· Medical Students, Residents, and Fellows (Student and Junior Member categories) are not eligible.

· Proposals that have been previously submitted will be accepted; however, a complete description on how this proposal is different (i.e. how you responded to critiques) than the previous submission should be included with the new proposal on Title Page.

Applications must be no longer than 12 single-spaced pages (3/4 in margin and 12 pt font minimum) and must include the following: title page, research abstract, research proposal, references, IRB status, and budget. An NIH biosketch (2-4 pages) and letter(s) of endorsement are also required, but are not included in the 12-page limit. Below is additional information on each of the requirements:

  1. Title Page: Include project title, principal investigator’s name, title, institutional affiliation, address, phone number, fax number, and email address, as well as the names, titles, and institutional affiliations of the other investigators.
  2. Research Abstract: Include a summary (up to 250 words) of your proposal for future publications.
  3. Research Proposal: Include a well-defined research problem, relevance of the project to the discipline of neurologic medical education, hypotheses and aims, methodology including well-defined design, subject population, data analysis, assessment tools, and a timeline.
  4. References: Please use the Neurology (journal) reference style.
  5. IRB Status/Restrictions on Eligibility: Include the status of the IRB’s review of the proposal, contact information for the IRB, and if there are any restrictions on your eligibility.
  6. Budget: The submitted budget must be intrinsic to the methodology (i.e., collecting data) in executing the study. The budget should list a breakdown of costs (by line item) with description and justification of each item. If travel funds to an AAN meeting to present study results is requested, the maximum amount is $500). A maximum of 10% of the total grant budget may be designated for all indirect costs. Applications with the intent to obtain matching funds from another source will be considered, and should include details as appropriate. The detailed budget submitted to the other funding source should be included.
  7. NIH Biosketch: An NIH Biosketch for the principal investigator and other investigators must be submitted with the proposal.
  8. Letter(s) of Endorsement: The proposal must be accompanied by a letter of endorsement from the principal investigator’s institution (e.g., department chair or designated institutional officer). If more than one letter of endorsement is included, combine into one pdf document.

Previously Funded Projects

The following topics have received previous funding from the Education Research Grant program:

1. Use of a Mentored Peer Review Program to Enhance Neurology Resident Education on the Basic Concepts of Biostatistics, Research Methodology, and Peer Review (2012)

2. Assessing the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) for Use in Selecting Applicants to a Neurology Residency Program (2012)

3. Assessing Efficiency of Learning the Neurologic Exam With a Visual Tracking Device (2012)

4. Medical simulation of sentinel events from the Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU): Validation of a team training curriculum (2011)

5. Can Neurology Residents Empathy be Enhanced? (2011)

6. Evaluating the use of video games in the teaching of localization in neurology: a pilot study (2011)

7. Evaluating the Impact of an On-Line Mini Sleep Course on Neurology and Medicine Trainees—Sleep Medicine Clinical Practices and Knowledge (2010)

8. Do Deep Learning Techniques Combined with Repeated Testing Prevent Long-Term Forgetting? Investigation of a Novel Combination of Cognitive and Educational Psychology Concepts in Neurological Education (2010)

9. Effects of Repeated Testing by Simulation and Written Tests on Long-Term Retention of Neurological Information: A Randomized, Controlled Trial (2009)

10. Complaint-Focused Neurologic History & Physical (2009)

11. Improving Ethical, Relational, and Communication Skills for Neurology Residents (2008)

12. Evaluating the Effectiveness of Continuum as a Teaching Tool for Medical Students (2008)

13. The Script Concordance Test: A New Tool for Assessing Clinical Judgment in Neurology (2007)

14. Study of Inter-rater Reliability, Variability and Concurrent Validity of the Neurology Examination Exercise (2007)

Review Process:

Applications will be reviewed, judged, and selected by the Education Research Subcommittee (ERS) based on the following AAN judging/selection criteria:

· The extent to which the proposed research is innovative or will advance assess­ment in medical education or practice

· The adequacy of the research design or methodology

· The qualifications of the principal investigator and primary project staff

· The relevance and significance of the proposal to the purpose and goals of AAN Education Research

· The adequacy of the budget, timetable, and other key project resources

If a member of the ERS has a conflict of interest relevant to a proposal, that member will abstain from the judging and selection process, and a member(s) of the AAN Education Committee will be asked to serve on the ERS judging/selection panel if the excluded member(s) results in a lack of a quorum for the selection process. Notification of acceptance or rejection of a proposal will be sent in November 2012.

Upon Acceptance:

The principal investigator must:

  • Submit a letter indicating IRB approval prior to the release of funds
  • Submit progress reports and a year-end (final) report to the AAN
    • Final report to be a maximum of 2 pages including the following sections:
      • When the project was started
      • When the project was completed
      • Did you accomplish what was proposed? If no, why not?
      • Has the work been presented at a scientific meeting and/or published?
      • Will the data collected serve as pilot data for future projects?
      • Budget allocations/residual funds.

The application deadline has passed. Grant recipients will be notified by December 2012.

For additional questions, please contact: Nancy Poechmann, Program Manager, Education, at

npoechmann@aan.com or (612) 928-6103.