The Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) Research and Education (R&E) Foundation Board of Trustees approved more than $4 million in radiology research and education grants this year, achieving a funding rate of 28% of grant applications.

“We are deeply grateful for the ongoing and generous support of our individual, practice group and corporate donors who make supporting these researchers and educators possible,” says Thomas M. Grist, MD, chair of the R&E Foundation Board of Trustees. “Because of the generosity of our donors, the RSNA R&E Foundation is able to support research and education efforts that elevate our specialty and place radiology at the forefront of innovation in medicine.”

Over the past 36 years, the R&E Foundation has recognized the importance of providing funding to researchers throughout different stages in their careers, which is especially true during this unprecedented time in our healthcare environment.

In 2020, the R&E Foundation Board of Trustees launched a new initiative to fund additional grants to medical students who self-identify as members of racial or ethnic groups historically underrepresented in medicine (UIM). Three students’ grants were funded through the UIM initiative, with their areas of research ranging from optimizing immune responses for liver cancer and skin cancer patients to investigating how artificial intelligence can be utilized to classify bone lesions.

In total, the foundation will support 93 recipients from 47 different institutions across North America, including 49 new grant recipients, 26 new medical student grants and 18 continuing grants.

“The R&E Foundation is proud of our collaborative partnership with academic departments in supporting innovation and discovery that will ultimately translate into improved outcomes and patient care,” Grist says.

For more information about the RSNA R&E Foundation and the funded 2020 projects, visit RSNA.org/Foundation.