SNMMI Medical & Science Student Research Grants

Overview

This grant is intended to introduce high-achieving students to molecular imaging and targeted radiotherapy as a potential career path by supporting their participation in a molecular imaging/therapy research project. 

Discussion

Nuclear medicine (NM), molecular imaging (MI), and targeted radionuclide therapy (TRT) technology is rapidly expanding. There is a need for highly trained physicians and scientists, critical for realizing the full potential of recent advances. However, many students are not introduced to nuclear medicine until late in their medical school education or graduate training, after many may have already selected a different specialty. This grant affords high-achieving students the opportunity to participate in a molecular imaging/therapy research project of their choosing. 

About

This grant allows medical/scientist students the opportunity to gain research experience in NM, MI, and TRT before they select a residency program or during their first two years of graduate school. Recipients will define objectives and develop research skills to be used in their career.  This experience will afford students the opportunity to consider NM/MI as a future career option.

Nature of Projects

Any area of research in the molecular medical/science imaging sciences is eligible for funding.  Projects may include:

• Clinical investigation
  
• Drug or device development
  
• Comparative effectiveness
  
• Basic research
  
• Quality improvement
  
• Artificial intelligence
  
• Imaging informatics
  

Award Amount

Recipients will receive $5,000 per student for the 10-week research project. This is a stipend for the medical/science student. Funds are intended to secure time for the recipient and may not be used for other purposes.

REQUIREMENTS

Eligibility

To apply, your scientific advisor or your co-investigator must be a dues paying SNMMI member.  You must also meet the following criteria:

• You must be a full-time student at an accredited North American school.
  
• You must complete the 10-week research period prior to submitting your match rank list or during your first two years of graduate school.
  
• You must commit to work full-time for at least 10 weeks on your research project.
  
• Your research project must take place in a department of molecular imaging or nuclear medicine in a North American medical institution, but this does not have to be the same institution where you are enrolled as a student.
  
• You must identify at least one mentor in the field of molecular imaging for this research experience. The mentor(s) for this program must be willing and able to provide an energetic and engaging experience for the grantee.
  
• You cannot have been a principal investigator on a grant or contract totaling more than US$60,000 in a single year. If applicable, this includes single and combined grants and contracts from government, private and commercial sources.
  
• Funding from other grant sources must be approved by SNMMI grant reviewers if it was not described in the original research plan.
  
• You and your principal investigators cannot be employed by any for-profit, commercial company in the radiologic or nuclear medicine sciences.
  
• You cannot submit more than one grant application to the SNMMI per year and cannot have a concurrent SNMMI grant.
  
  

Determination of Award

SNMMI’s Grants and Awards Committee makes the determination on the awardee(s).  Domain 2 Research and Discovery will provide an outline of selection criteria.  The institutions are notified by March 1st of the project year. The funds are awarded directly to the student(s). Preference will be given to applicants who have no prior experience in nuclear medicine, molecular imaging and/or therapy research.

• The recipient must provide an evaluation of the internship within two weeks of completing the program.
  Prior to starting the internship, the grant recipient must provide the following information:
  
• Contact information, including Scientific advisor’s information
  
• Current photo and release form for publication purposes
  
  

Past Recipients

• 2024
  • Fardeen Ahmed
    
  • Uttkarsh Chaurasia
    
  • Narjes Hajimollaheydar
    
  • Anuja Konda
    
  • Suya Li
    
  • Aditya Misra
    
  • Vishnu Murthy
    
  • Luke Polson
    
  • Bella Salerno
    
• 2023
  • Vibha Balaji
    
  • Abhijit Bhattaru
    
  • Kweku S. Enninful
    
  • Grayson Gimblet
    
  • Maliha Imami
    
  • Kelly Trinh
    
  • Huitian Xia
    
• 2022
  • Shirley Chen
    
  • Junyu Chen
    
  • Yuchen Dai
    
  • Roberto Fedrigo
    
  • Yan Liu
    
  • Noah Nigh
    
  • Ali Fele Paranj
    
  • Divya Ramakrishnan 
    
• 2021
  • Shadab Ahamed
    
  • Temitope Agabalogun
    
  • AbhijitBhattaru
    
  • Kevin Cheng
    
  • Yesh Datar
    
  • Bryan Fraser
    
  • David Gao
    
  • Kevin Leung
    
  • Vishnu Murthy
    
  • Nathan Wright
    
• 2020
  • Philip Mannes
    
  • Catherine Meyer
    
  • Peng Lu
    
  • Zekun Li
    
  • Amy Zhang
    
    

Applications open in October 2025

Click here to Apply!