MDS-PAS Visiting Trainee Grant Program

The International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society-Pan American Section (MDS-PAS) Visiting Trainee Grant offers three types of Visiting Trainee Grants: Clinical program, Research program, and Health Professional program:

• The Clinical Visiting Trainee Grant focuses on applicants who wish to increase their knowledge in movement disorders, advance their recognition of patterns of movement disorders, improve their diagnoses and management of movement disorders patients, and with the goal to bring these clinical skills back to their home country. 
• The Research Visiting Trainee Grant focuses on applicants who wish to develop a research program, work on an existing research project, and interact with other researchers and with the goal to continue research upon return to their home country.
• Health Professional Trainee Grant (NEW): focuses on applicants who wish to increase their knowledge in the care of patients with movement disorders and bring these skills back to their home country.

The grant will allow a six-week, (Note: six-week not available for research grant), six-month or a one-year program which promotes education, training and experience in movement disorders for young neurologists. The program focuses particularly on MDS-PAS members who do not have many opportunities for Visiting Trainee Grant training in their area and also serves to establish clinical and research links between institutions and members throughout the MDS-PAS region.
 

Eligibility

Training start must begin with the year for which the grant is awarded. Applications are open to residents, fellows and those trained in a recognized neurology training program, or recent graduates from such a program who have returned to practice in their home site within five years of completing training. Status must be certified in writing by the applicant's employer or past supervisor.

Applicants must reside in an MDS-Pan American country and be a member of the MDS.  
View a list of MDS-PAS member countries »
Learn more about MDS membership »

The MDS-PAS Visiting Trainee Grant Program concentrates on applicants from Latin America who do not have access to such grants and training in their own countries. Further, in the spirit of integration of all MDS-PAS regions, the program will also be offered to North Americans who would like to train in other parts of the MDS-PAS region.
 

Application Requirements

Please note that applicants who have been awarded a Visiting Trainee Grant in the past are ineligible.

• General neurology training in a recognized training center or master's degree, graduate or other training (PhD) in research in movement disorders of basal ganglia
• Letter of recommendation from current supervisor or department chair
• Detailed outline with aims of the proposed study in host institution 
• Letter of acceptance from host institution/sponsor
• Submission of the online application, within specified dates
• Applicants must plan to participate in a training program outside of their residing country and within the Pan American Section of MDS. Pan America includes, USA, Canada, México, South America, Central America and the Caribbean.
• Applicants from the United States or Canada may not apply for a grant in the United States or Canada.
• The application and all supporting documents must be submitted in English.

Please note that fellows will be responsible for providing their own medical insurance.
 

Selection Process

Only complete applications received by the application deadline will be considered. Applications will be reviewed by both the MDS-PAS Education Committee and the MDS-PAS Executive Committee within four weeks after the application deadline. Preference will be given to candidates with the strongest qualifications and need in accordance with the guidelines outlined above. The number of Visiting Trainee Grants awarded will depend on the available budget for a given year.
 

Terms and Awards

Applicants can apply for an MDS-PAS Visiting Trainee Grant of six weeks, six months or one year duration according to their individual goals, the host program, and available funding. The award amounts for each visiting training grant  are approximately $4,645, $9,280, and $18,575 USD respectively. Please note that a six-week duration is not available for the research grant. The Visiting Trainee Grant training must begin within six months of acceptance notification.

MDS has compiled a list of host sites in the region that are interested in hosting trainees. Please note, this list is not comprehensive and applicants may apply to programs outside of this list.

View host sites »