International scholars

International Scholarship program

Program guidelines

APPLICATION DEADLINE AND HOW TO APPLY

Please review the guidelines below if you are interested in applying for the 2025 Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN, USA.

Application deadline for 2025 Annual Meeting is Sept. 30, 2024. The submission period has closed. Thank you to those who applied.

Program description

The SIR International Scholarship Program enables physicians within 10 years of completion of training, who are practicing outside North America, an opportunity to attend the SIR Annual Scientific Meeting. Offering physicians from other nations a chance to train and learn from their peers means that they can return to their countries to teach and enhance patient care. The program fosters professional networking through meeting participation, focused programming and optional observerships before or after annual meeting. For those who wish to build key relationships as future international IR leaders, educate the U.S. membership on new technologies from outside North America, strengthen the developing international IR movement and build the leadership base among partnered international societies, participation in the SIR International Scholarship Program is a wise choice.

Funding

The International Scholarship Program is funded through generous unrestricted educational grants from our corporate partners as part of SIR’s Corporate Ambassador Program. For information about how to support this program, please contact Jonas Nash, SIR Director, Corporate Relations.

Goals

The program’s goal is to be able to fund up to 15 international scholars at $2,000 each; however, the actual number of scholarships awarded annually is based on merit and available funds. Each grant is intended to defray, but not fully cover, direct expenses incurred. It is expected that the applicant and or their local/national IR community and society also invest in the opportunity.

Annual Scientific Meeting attendance

The purpose of the grant is to help partially defray the direct costs of Annual Scientific Meeting attendance, such as registration, hands-on course fees, special programming, airfare and hotel expenses. International scholars must secure funding to cover a portion of their expenses. SIR will provide a list of suggestions for local travel agencies but will not directly support or engage in travel planning.

During the SIR Annual Scientific Meeting, the international scholars will receive a chance to meet the SIR president and other SIR leaders. Attendance is mandatory at the International Scholars Educational Event during the Annual Scientific Meeting, where scholarship certificates will be presented. Additionally, scholars will be recognized on the SIR website, on signage at the meeting and via other communication vehicles. A short essay about their meeting experience is required from each scholar after the meeting. SIR will remit scholarship payments upon receipt of final essays.

SIR’s goal is to provide an optimal educational experience with programming that includes scholar groups hosted by affiliated international society members and leaders. Each scholar will receive a one-year complimentary SIR membership, which includes a subscription to the Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology.

Observerships

Given the distances many of our awardees will travel and the investment meeting attendance represents, there may be interest in enhancing the educational experience through observational opportunities before or after the meeting. Observerships offer a unique opportunity to learn about the practice of interventional radiology in the United States. Observers should be able to attend conferences and lectures and observe clinics, patient care, research and rounds. Resources, medical staff policy and federal and state regulations will likely exclude any direct patient contact.

While it is not the intention of the SIR International Scholarship Program to cover expenses associated with a clinical observership, we believe that such a “value-added” opportunity can be facilitated through this program if there is interest. To this end, through local angio clubs and direct correspondence, SIR will endeavor to identify regional programs proximate to the Annual Scientific Meeting site interested in hosting scholars. Direct costs associated with such ancillary programs will be borne by the awardees’ or observership sponsor. Scholarship recipients are requested to provide SIR with an invitation letter from the program where the observership will take place. Arrangements should be finalized before arriving at the meeting.

If you are interested in offering an observership at your hospital, contact Shaun Singletary.

How to apply

The applicant must complete the official online application form.

Eligibility Criteria

Member of a recognized national radiology society outside of North America
Within 10 years of training
In active IR practice or interest in same
Has not attended SIR in the past three years
Interest or plans to develop IR educational, informational or collaborative programs
Adequate English language skills to derive benefit from meeting attendance

Eligibility Exclusions

Annual Scientific Meeting faculty/scientific program presenters* (*Authors or applicants awaiting notification on submitted abstracts may apply but cannot accept the award if they are presenting)
Past recipients of the SIR International Scholarship

Required documents

International Scholarship Program application form
Essay (questions to be determined on application)
Curriculum vitae
Letters of recommendation: One from your professor or chairperson or supervising physician and one from your national IR or radiology society

Post-meeting report requirement

Upon returning home, international scholars must submit a final report of one to two pages about their experience, which may be published in part or in its entirety in society publications or on the SIR website. In your report, please describe your experiences at the SIR Annual Scientific Meeting, the objectives you achieved during your stay and how the scholarship affected your career goals. In addition, we invite you to critique the program and offer suggestions for modification and improvement. Once the final essay is received, International Scholarship Program grant recipients will receive their grant payment via wire transfer.

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