NANOS Awards, Grants & Recognitions

I. GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Pilot Research Grant Program

NANOS recognizes the need to stimulate investigator-initiated research programs in Neuro-Ophthalmology. The NANOS Pilot Research Grant Program provides a one-year, non-renewable source of funding to help principal investigators generate preliminary data that will lead to additional funding from other national agencies or foundations. Priority is given towards research that will provide preliminary data for future substantial grant applications. In this spirit, new or innovative projects will be supported but should have a sound medical/scientific justification. A scientific panel will review the applications, and the final award will be subject to approval by the NANOS Board.

AWARD

  • $25,000 non-renewable grant 

2024 Recipients
Nitza Goldenberg-Cohen - Non-Invasive Identification of Alzheimer's Disease Through Ocular Analysis Utilizing Raman Spectroscopy

2023 Recipients
Melinda Chang, MD - Assessing lateral cortical inhibition in children with cortical visual impairment using visual evoked potentials

Sidney Gospe III, MD, PhD - Reducing neuro-inflammation in a mouse model of mitochondrial optic neuropathy

Click here to view past Pilot Research Grant Recipients

Applicant Category

  • By application only 
  • NANOS members in good standing (Active/International Active member or Fellow/International Fellow member) 
  • LEARN MORE HERE

Application Timeline

Applications will open in the fall. 

GRANT APPLICATION

Dr. Ivy Dreizin Leadership Development Grant

NANOS recognizes the need to stimulate leadership development in diverse members of its community. The Dr. Ivy Dreizin Leadership Development Grant provides a one-time, non-renewable source of funding to support leadership development for a NANOS member. Priority will be given to those who have been actively involved in the Women in Neuro-Ophthalmology Committee and NANOS. Nominees and alternates will be proposed by the Women in Neuro-Ophthalmology Steering Committee, subject to approval by the NANOS Board of Directors. Click here for specific award details.

AWARD

  • $3,000 non-renewable grant 

2024 Recipient
Nurhan Torun, MD, FRCS(C)

2023 Recipient
Amanda Henderson, MD

Click here to view past Dr. Ivy Dreizin Leadership Development Grant Recipients

Applicant Category

  • By application only
  • NANOS members in good standing (Active/International Active member or Fellow/International Fellow member) 
  • LEARN MORE HERE

Application Timeline

Applications will open in the fall. 

GRANT APPLICATION

II. SCIENTIFIC Research Awards

The Thomas and Susan Carlow Young Investigator Award

This award was established to encourage and recognize basic or clinical research in neuro-ophthalmology by a NANOS candidate or active member. The originality, scientific merit and neuro-ophthalmic interest of a developing investigator’s total body of work combined with a representative new research manuscript will be considered as criteria to determine the award recipient. The award is selected by the Research Committee during the Annual Meeting and need not be given annually. It is not open to NANOS Fellows.

AWARD

  • $1,000 stipend and NANOS meeting registration

2024 Recipient
Benson Chen, MBChB, MSc, FRACP - "Vision-Related Quality of Life in LHON Patients Treated with Lenadogene Nolparvovec Gene Therapy: Analysis of the VFQ-25 using Rasch Measurement Theory"

2021 Recipient
Eric Gaier, MD, PhD - “Digital Therapeutic Improves Visual Acuity and Encourages High Adherence in Amblyopic Children

Click here to view past The Thomas and Susan Carlow Young Investigator Award Recipients

Applicant Category

  • By application only 
  • NANOS Candidate members (fellows-in-training members and resident members) or
  • NANOS Active members, in good standing, within the first five years after completion of a Neuro-Ophthalmology fellowship, at the time of submission of a manuscript and list of published works
  • NANOS Fellow members are not eligible
  • LEARN MORE HERE 

Application Timeline

Applications will open in the fall after the NANOS annual meeting abstract portal is launched.  

AWARD APPLICATION

Best Abstract Awards 

James A. Sharpe Best Abstract Award by a Fellow

This award recognizes the best poster or platform presentation by a fellow. The awardee receives a certificate and a stipend. In 2004 this program was expanded to recognize medical students, residents and fellows with separate awards.

AWARD

  • $1,000 stipend and a certificate

2024 Recipient
Maximilian Friedrich, MD - Curiouser and Curiouser: A Distributed Brain Network Underlying Alice in Wonderland Syndrome

2023 Recipient
Jenny Hepschke, BSc(Med), MBBS, DM - Resting state functional connectivity analysis using Magnetoencephalography (MEG) differs between Visual Snow patients and controls

Click here to view past Best Abstract Award Recipients

Eligibility

  • All fellows-in-training who have submitted an abstract for the NANOS Annual Meeting

Application Timeline

N/A

Best Abstract by a Resident Award

This award recognizes the best poster or platform presentation by a resident. The awardee receives a certificate and a stipend. 

AWARD

  • $1,000 stipend and a certificate

2024 Recipient
Amy (Mung Yan) Lin - Emergency Department (ED) Non-Mydriatic Fundus Photography Expediates Care for Patients Referred For “Papilledema"

2023 Recipient
Kevin Zhang, BS, MS, MD, PhD - Elevated Intracranial Pressures And Papilledema In A Mouse Model Of Glucocorticoid Induced Adrenal Insufficiency

Click here to view past Best Abstract Award Recipients

Eligibility

All residents who have submitted an abstract for the NANOS Annual Meeting

Application Timeline

N/A

Best Abstract by a Medical Student 

This award recognizes the best poster or platform presentation by a resident. The awardee receives a certificate and a stipend. 

AWARD

  • $750 stipend and a certificate

2024 Recipient
Olivia Grech - Raised Intracranial Pressure Alters Cranial Nociception Which Can Be Rescued by Glucagon Like Peptide 1 Receptor Agonism and CGRP Antagonism In Vivo

2023 Recipient
Timothy Kim, JD, BA - In Vivo Application of Electric Fields Collaborate with rRHEB to Direct Optic Nerve Regeneration

Click here to view past Best Abstract Award Recipients

Eligibility

All medical students who have submitted an abstract for the NANOS Annual Meeting

Application Timeline

N/A 

Best Frank B. Walsh Session Paper Presentation by a Fellow Award

This award recognizes the best Walsh Session Paper Presentation by a fellow. 

AWARD

  • $1,000 stipend and a certificate

2024 Recipient
Amalie Chen, MD - Headache and Visual Deficits: Ironing Out the Details

2023 Recipient
Carolyne Riehle, DO - NMO or NOT NMO, that is the question

Click here to view past Best Frank B. Walsh Session Paper Presentation by a Fellow Recipients

Eligibility 

  • All fellows-in-training who have presented a Walsh abstract at the NANOS Annual Meeting

Application Timeline

N/A

J. Lawton Smith Award

This award is named due to Dr. Smith's unique and seminal contributions as a clinical neuro-ophthalmologist and as the founding editor of the journal.

 AWARD

  • $1,000 stipend

2024 Recipient
Francisco Sanchez, M.D. - "Transient Bilateral Central Scotoma on Awakening: A distinct phenomenon”

Click here to view past J. Lawton Smith Award Recipients

Eligibility

  • Best annual original contribution published in the JNO

Timeline

All publications from the calendar year preceding the NANOS Annual Meeting will automatically be considered. 

III. Service Awards

Thomas Carlow Distinguished Service Award

This award is NANOS's highest honor. The award is given at the discretion of the Executive Board to those who have provided a sustained and substantial service to the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. It is named after, and honors, the NANOS Founder, Thomas Carlow, who contributed an immeasurable amount of his time and energy founding and then nurturing NANOS.

2023 Recipient
Nancy Lombardo, MLS

2022 Recipient
Edmond J. FitzGibbon, MD

Click here to view past Thomas Carlow Distinguished Service Award Recipients

Eligibility 

NANOS Members and NANOS Volunteers with a track record of sustained exemplary service to NANOS

Application Timeline

N/A

Merit Award

The NANOS Merit Award recognizes NANOS members who have made extraordinary contributions of time, energy, and resources to NANOS for the betterment of the organization.

NOMINATE A VOLUNTEER

2024 Recipients
Steven R. Hamilton, M.D.
Devin D. Mackay, M.D.
Clare L. Fraser, M.D.
Courtney E. Francis, M.D.

Click here to view past NANOS Merit Award Recipients

Eligibility

  • NANOS Members and Volunteers who have provide exceptional service to NANOS
  • By member nominations
  • LEARN MORE HERE 

Timeline

2024 Merit Award nominations will be available soon. 

Daniel M. Jacobson Memorial Lecture Award

The Jacobson Lecture honors the memory and legacy of our colleague Daniel M. Jacobson, MD (1956-2003).  Dan was an outstanding teacher and brilliant clinician with an inquiring mind.  

2024 Recipient
Valerie Purvin, MD - Moving from Not Knowing to Knowing

Click here to view past Daniel M. Jacobson Memorial Lecture Award Recipients

Eligibility 

  • A NANOS Fellow member or International Fellow member in good standing
  • LEARN MORE HERE

Timeline

The Jacobson Lecture Selection subcommittee makes a recommendation to the NANOS Executive Board for approval by January of calendar year preceding the lecture. 

William F. Hoyt Lecture at the AAO Annual Meeting

Launched in 2001, the William F. Hoyt Lecture, the only named lecture in neuro-ophthalmology at the AAO Annual Meeting, takes place during the symposia co-sponsored by the North-American Neuro-Ophthalmological Society (NANOS) at the Academy's Annual Meeting (AAO).

2023 Recipient
Steven Galetta, MD - Optic Neuritis and MS: Friend or Foe?

Click here to view past William F. Hoyt Lecture at the AAO Annual Meeting Recipients

AAO reference link

Applicant Category

A Fellow or International Fellow of NANOS in good standing

Application Timeline

The Hoyt Lecture Selection subcommittee makes a recommendation to the NANOS Executive Board for approval by January of calendar year preceding the lecture. 

NEW! Neuro-Ophthalmology Champion Award

The Neuro-Ophthalmology Champion Award recognizes non-Neuro-Ophthalmologists who have contributed to the mission of NANOS and go above and beyond to advance the field of Neuro-Ophthalmology via research, clinical, patient advocacy or other work that have benefited NANOS and its members.

2022 Recipient
Lissa Poincenot, MBA

Click here to view all Neuro-Ophthalmology Champion Award recipients. 

Eligibility 

Non-Neuro-Ophthalmologists who have contributed to the mission of NANOS. 

Timeline

N/A

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NANOS IN THE NEWS

Attention future neuro-ophthalmologists! Applications for 2024-25 neuro-ophthalmology fellowship positions will be coordinated through the SF-Match Ophthalmology Fellowship match.