
MDS-AS Visiting Trainee Grant Program
Enabling young neurologists, scientists, and health professionals to receive movement disorders training outside their home country.
Applications open for training in 2026
Deadline: January 7, 2026
This will be the only application period for 2026.
Grant notifications will be sent in early March 2026.
The MDS-AS Visiting Trainee Grant Program provides grants to support up to 6 months of educational training experience in movement disorders and establish clinical and research networks across the African continent.
The program offers three different types of grants, Clinical program, Research program, and Health Professional program:
- The Clinical Visiting Trainee Grant focuses on applicants who wish to increase their knowledge in movement disorders, advance their recognition of patterns of movement disorders, improve their diagnoses and management of movement disorders’ patients, and with the goal to bring these clinical skills back to their home country.
- The Research Visiting Trainee Grant focuses on applicants who wish to develop a research program on a movement disorders topic, working on an existing research project, interact with other researchers and with the goal to continue movement disorders research upon return to their home country.
- Health Professional Trainee Grant (NEW): focuses on applicants who wish to increase their knowledge in the care of patients with movement disorders and bring these skills back to their home country.
Eligibility
- Applications are open to residents, fellows, and those trained in a neurology training program, or recent graduates of a program who have returned to practice in their home site within five-years of completing training. Status must be certified in writing by the applicant’s employer or past supervisor.
- Applicants must be current MDS members. Individuals in the African Section are eligible for free No-Fee Membership and must complete membership registration before submitting an application. Apply for MDS membership »
- Applicants must live in an African Section (MDS-AS) country, as indicated in their MDS Membership Profile. Applications will be cross-referenced with the profile address. Applicants not residing in the African Section will not be considered.
Application Requirements
To complete this application you will be asked to upload the below items. Please note, only complete applications received by the application deadline will be considered.
- Personal statement outlining aims of training at host center
- CV in English (2-3 pages)
- Letter of recommendation from current supervisor or department chair
- Letter of Host Approval from host center indicating acceptance into training program
Grant Award Conditions
The award amounts for each trainee grant may vary respectively depending on the training and needs of the person. The Visiting Trainee Grant program must begin within 6 months of acceptance and take place within the year the grant is awarded.
Host Center Directory
MDS has compiled a list of institutions that will support a Visiting Trainee Grant applicant. If you have already been accepted into a training program for 2022, you can still apply to receive funds.
This list is not comprehensive, and applicants may apply to programs outside of this list.
For more information or questions about the MDS Visiting Trainee Grant program, please contact Tamsyn Reed at treed@movementdisorders.org.




