R&E Foundation Medical Student Research Grant

The R&E Foundation Medical Student Research Grant gives medical students the opportunity to gain research experience in medical imaging while they're still in school. Recipients will define objectives, develop research skills and test hypotheses, all before choosing a residency program. Ultimately, this experience gives students a chance to consider academic radiology as a future career option. In order to attract the brightest young researchers to radiology, the R&E Foundation will award up to 10 additional grants for medical students who identify as minorities underrepresented in medicine (UIM). Application cycle closed The 2026-27 application cycle for the Medical Student Research Grant is closed. The next application cycle will open in October 2026. Award amount Grant recipients receive $3,000, which is matched by the sponsoring department, equaling $6,000 total. It is to be used as a stipend for the medical student. Funds are intended to secure time for the recipient and may not be used for non-personal research expenses. Nature of projects and focus areas Beginning with the 2026 grant cycle, the R&E Foundation is excited to introduce a new priority focus areas funding initiative, designed to support transformative research in cutting-edge, underfunded and high-impact disciplines as identified by the Board of Trustees. These areas represent opportunities for innovation and advancement in radiology and are a strategic focus for the Foundation moving forward. 2026 approved priority areas include: Precision medicine: Theranostics Imaging in vulnerable populations Efficiencies in radiology and opportunities for improvement Personalized care in pediatric imaging Cybersecurity in radiology departments Increasing access and efficiency: Doing more with less While these priority areas are encouraged, the Foundation remains committed to supporting early-career radiologist and will continue to accept investigator-initiated proposals across the full spectrum of radiologic science. Projects that advance imaging science, develop or evaluate medical imaging technologies, or apply imaging in innovative ways to address important biological or clinical questions are always welcome. Learn more Eligibility You must be an RSNA member to apply for the Medical Student Research Grant. If you're a non-dues-paying member, your scientific advisor or your co-investigator must be a dues-paying member. You must also meet the following criteria: All applicants You must be a full-time medical student at an accredited North American medical school. You must commit to working full-time for at least 10 weeks on your research project. Your research project must take place in a department of radiology, radiation oncology or nuclear medicine in a North American medical institution, but this doesn't have to be the same institution where you're enrolled as a student. You cannot have been a principal investigator on a grant or contract totaling more than $60,000 in a single year. This includes single and combined grants and contracts from government, private and commercial sources. You and your principal investigators cannot be employed by any for-profit, commercial company in the radiologic sciences. You cannot submit more than one grant application to the RSNA R&E Foundation a year, and cannot have a concurrent RSNA grant. Funding from other grant sources must be approved by Foundation staff if it wasn't described in the original research plan. UIM applicants The Association of American Medical Colleges defines UIM using the following criteria: Racial and ethnic populations who are underrepresented in the medical profession relative to their numbers in the general population The R&E Foundation further defines UIM as: Those who self-identify as a member of a racial or ethnic group historically underrepresented in medicine, such as: African-American/Black Hispanic/Latino American Indian/Alaska Native Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander