The Hanafee grant is named in honor of Dr. William Hanafee, who, after a successful career as Chairman of Radiology at UCLA, began a second career as a head and neck radiologist. Sitting side-by-side with the Chief Resident in Otolaryngology, Dr. Hanafee used the detailed clinical information he obtained to enhance film interpretation. Dr. Hanafee was a founding member of the ASHNR and worked tirelessly to elevate the quality of clinical care for patients with head and neck disorders. This award is designed to continue this tradition and is awarded to MD, MD-PhD, DO, DMD/DDS, and/or PhD applicants for projects in head and neck imaging research.
The Hanafee grant is a mentored award intended to help radiology trainees and faculty begin or advance a career in head and neck imaging research. The committee is most interested in projects that have the potential for clinical impact and that can provide pilot data for subsequent federal grant applications. High risk projects with minimal preliminary data are welcome. Each grantee will be mentored by the ASHNR Research Mentorship Council, which is made up of federally funded research faculty, who will provide feedback on project design, advice on project challenges that arise, and counseling on career development.
Targeted Projects:
Any clinical research, translational research, health services research, or quality improvement initiative related to imaging of the human head and neck.
2025 Application Dates:
- April 4, 2025 – Statement of Intent due
- Use the Hanafee Grant SOI Template/Instructions
- Submit to Theresa Espinosa (tespinosa@asnr.org) with the following email subject: ASHNR Hanafee Grant Statement of Intent Submission
- July 18, 2025 – Full application due
- Use the Application Template/Instructions
- Instructions will be provided if a full application is invited based on the statement of intent
Grant Amount:
Up to $30,000 for a 1-year project or up to $60,000 for a 2-year project, either paid in two installments.
Complimentary meeting registration and post-meeting reimbursement for up to $1,500 for travel expenses to attend the ASHNR Annual Meeting at which the awardee presents their research (2 years after the award is announced).
Funding Period:
October 1 to September 30
Faculty Applicant Eligibility:
- ASHNR Member at the time of application through the project.
- Faculty position in a department of radiology or nuclear medicine within an educational institution in the United States or Canada.
- Board certified or board eligible by the American Board of Radiology or the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
- Applicant/co-investigator(s) must not be agents of any for-profit, commercial company in the imaging sciences.
Trainee Applicant Eligibility:
- ASHNR In-Training Member at the time of application.
- Scientific Advisor must meet all Faculty Applicant Eligibility criteria listed above.
- Trainee in a department of radiology or nuclear medicine within an educational institution in the United States or Canada.
- Applicant/co-principal investigator(s) must not be agents of any for-profit, commercial company in the radiologic sciences.
Application/Award Timeline:
- First Friday in April – Statement of Intent due
- Third Friday in July – Full application due
- Second Friday in August – Award recipient(s) notified
- September – Award recipient(s) announced at ASHNR
- October – Award period begins
- Next Year March 31 – Progress report #1 due
- Next Year September 30 – Progress report #2 due
- Two Years September – Awardee(s) present findings at ASHNR27
- Two Years December – Final report due
Selection Criteria/Review Process:
The members of the ASHNR Research Committee will review and score the Hanafee Research Grant applications based on the NIH scoring system. The recommendation of the ASHNR Research Committee is subject to approval by the ASHNR Executive Committee.
We assess for:
- Significance, relevance, and innovation of the proposed project to head and neck imaging in clinical care and the advancement of associated knowledge.
- Appropriate design of experiments to test the hypothesis with appropriate analytical methodology.
- Feasibility of project completion within the grant period with a realistic budget.
- Existing and past experience of the applicant and the advisor related to the proposed research.
- Plan for local mentorship throughout the period of the proposed project.
- Supportive research environment including facilities and commitment of the institution, the department, and individual research labs.
Grant Terms and Conditions:
- Indirect Costs: Indirect costs are not covered.
- Direct Cost Restrictions: Funds may not be used for faculty salaries, meeting expenses, or supplemental to other funding already secured. Acceptance of an award from another source for the same project or a component of the project in the same year is prohibited unless the source provides only salary support. The ASHNR Executive Committee must be informed of and should approve any such support.
- IRB/IACUC Approval: Funds will not be released without documentation of IRB approval for human subjects research or IACUC approval for animal research.
- No Cost Extension: Unexpended funds must be returned to the ASHNR at the conclusion of the funding period unless a no cost extension is formally requested and approved. A no cost extension of the terms of the grant may be requested to extend the final budget period up to 12 months beyond the original ending date. Approval of an extension does not include the awarding of additional funds and does not defer the expectation of presentation of results at the ASHNR Annual Meeting. A request for an extension must be made in writing to the Chair of the ASHNR Research Committee. The request must state the reason(s) for the extension, length of extension requested, and review the progress in the original grant period. Requests must be co-signed by the department chair and research advisor and submitted to the Research Committee at least 60 days prior to the original ending date.
- Progress Reports: Awardees must submit progress reports 6 months and 1 year after the start of the project and a final report within 3 months of completion of the project. For 2-year awards, the 1-year progress report is required for disbursing funds for year 2.
- Scientific Abstracts: Abstracts must be submitted for consideration for presentation at the ASHNR Annual Meeting. Abstracts not accepted for the ASHNR Annual Meeting may be submitted to meetings of the authors’ choosing.
- Scientific Manuscripts: Manuscripts must include the disclosure: “Funded by the American Society of Head and Neck Radiology through the William N. Hanafee Research Grant.” Manuscripts must be submitted to the American Journal of Neuroradiology (AJNR). Manuscripts that are not accepted for publication in AJNR may then be submitted to journals of the authors’ choosing. A pdf of each resulting publication must be submitted to the ASHNR.
- Termination of Support: The ASHNR Executive Committee reserves the right to modify or terminate the amount of any funds granted under the terms of the Research Grant program. If such a modification is deemed necessary, the grant recipient will be notified in writing within 90 days prior to termination. The awardee will have the option to modify the research plan or terminate the grant.