NFOSD MICHAEL DONOVAN ADVOCACY AWARD 

This award is open to any individual impacted by or serving those with a swallowing disorder, including but not limited to: healthcare providers, persons with dysphagia, and their families. It is specifically targeted to swallowing disorder advocacy, activism, and volunteerism within a clinical or community setting.  Applicants do not need to be presenting at or attending the DRS Annual Meeting in order to receive the award.

DRS NEW INVESTIGATOR AWARD

The Dysphagia Research Society (DRS) New Investigator Awards will be given to two eligible participants in recognition of their contributions and potential. Applicants may reside in any country and represent any profession. Each participant must have submitted a scientific abstract and been accepted for an oral presentation as part of the DRS Annual Meeting. Once the participants receive notification that their presentations have been accepted, they will be notified by the review committee to submit a two-page, double-spaced summary including data, a   biosketch, and 2 letters of recommendation (one from a current DRS member). Two papers will be selected for oral presentation during the New Investigators Forum.

SUMIKO OKADA SCHOLARSHIP

The Sumiko Okada International Fellowship Fund is a research grant honoring Sumiko Okada, a Japanese speech pathologist, who contributed to the field of dysphagia with her publications and yearly presentations and posters at DRS Annual Meetings.

The fund was jointly established by the Japanese Society of Dysphagia Rehabilitation (JSDR) and the DRS to subsidize international expenses for young researchers in the field of dysphagia. 

Award recipients will present their research findings in an oral presentation (in English) during the meeting of the Japanese Society of Dysphagia Rehabilitation. Awardees will attend the entire three days of the conference.

NFOSD MICHAEL DONOVAN INNOVATION AWARD 

This award is open to all disciplines and is specifically targeted to revolutionary translational research with the greatest likelihood of directly benefiting the patient/caregiver.

The sponsored awards listed below will not require any additional application materials this year.
All eligible candidates will be identified during the abstract submission process based on author response
to the candidacy questions. Awardees will then be determined primarily by on-site presentation scores.

CLARENCE T. SASAKI, M.D. AWARD

Clarence T. Sasaki MD, The Charles W. Ohse Professor of Surgery at the Yale School of Medicine, had a long-standing interest and experience in physiological research of the larynx serving as Director of The Yale Larynx Laboratory since 1973. The Sasaki award is given to an M.D. or M.D. candidate who presents a scientific paper or poster at the Dysphagia Research Society Annual Meeting on topics related to swallow function and disorders.

THE HEAD AND NECK CANCER ALLIANCE AWARD 

This award is open to all disciplines and is specifically targeted for swallowing research in patients with head and neck cancer. An award will be presented to BOTH an oral presenter and poster presenter.

JUSTINE J. SHEPPARD DYSPHAGIA IN IDD AWARD 

Dr. Justine Joan Sheppard was an internationally renowned clinician, academic, and clinical researcher who devoted her life to working with and for individuals with intellectual and developmental disability and cerebral palsy.  This award honors her career and memory by seeking applications from investigators (at all levels) who are conducting research to further advance our understanding of dysphagia in individuals with intellectual and developmental disability (IDD) across the age span.