Inaugural 2024 Neuro-EM Scholars Program Retreat: A Resounding Success
The inaugural Neuro-EM Retreat took place in Ann Arbor, MI in December 2024. The event hosted more than fifty participants from nearly thirty institutions across the United States. The retreat hosted nearly twenty-five early career emergency medicine residents, fellows, and first- and second-year faculty, including both K12 scholar applicants and Neuro-EM Pipeline Program participants. Attendees also included the Neuro-EM Co-Directors and National Advisory Committee, which comprises nearly twenty senior leaders in emergency medicine and other neuro specialties. Additional attendees included NIH representatives and invited speakers. The retreat provided numerous networking opportunities, allowing early career attendees to make connections with both peers and leaders in the field, as well as receive individual mentoring and career development advice.
The keynote address was provided by NINDS Director, Dr. Walter Koroshetz, who spoke on the past and present state of research on neurologic emergencies. Throughout the four-day event, nearly twenty other presentations and panels covered a range of topics related to emergency medicine research, grant writing, and career development. Sessions focused on topics such as grit and resilience in research careers, practical grant writing strategies, writing specific sections of NIH grants, using AI effectively to enhance research, research rigor and transparency, and informed consent in emergency medicine clinical research. The Neuro-EM leaders also presented a mock study section for K (career development) grants. Several of the sessions were recorded and will be posted to the Neuro-EM Program website later this year.
In addition, K12 scholar applicants participated in interviews with program leaders, where they discussed their research and career development proposals. All K12 scholars also received written feedback on their grant proposals after the retreat to help further enhance their future grant proposals and research projects.
The next Neuro-EM Retreat will take place from December 2-5, 2025, and will have similar career development and networking opportunities. Early career emergency medicine physicians (senior residents, fellows, or first- or second-year faculty members) interested in attending should plan to apply for the Neuro-EM Pipeline Program or the K12 Scholar Program. The next round of Pipeline nominations and K12 grant applications will be due in Fall 2025 (September / October).