Through the generosity of the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation, this award was created in September 2022.  Just prior to the announcement of the award at the annual conference in Kansas City, the President of the of the ASCIP Governing Board, David Gater M.D., died unexpectedly.

David was beloved by co-workers and colleagues, and was known for his enthusiasm, optimism, and willingness to consider new ideas to address the needs and desires of the ASCIP members.  In collaboration with the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation Board of Directors and David’s family, the ASCIP Board named this award in honor of both Craig H. Neilsen for his commitment to spinal cord injury quality of life and research, and David Gater for his many contributions to the field of spinal cord injury.

The purpose of the award is to encourage professionals from our diverse membership (physicians, nurses, therapists, psychologists, and social workers) who are not currently involved in research or program design to broaden their professional experience and contribute to the field of spinal cord injury in new ways.  Our criteria will assure that awardees are properly mentored by fellow professionals with experience in research and/or program development so that the potential for personal growth is maximized.  This award will help develop the next generation of spinal cord injury researchers and leaders in program development.

The selection committee will oversee a user-friendly application process which will reward creativity and encourage applications by members who do not have experience in grant writing, but whose ideas are worth exploration.  While we expect most applicants will be individuals, we will allow multidisciplinary applications to be considered, consistent with our history of encouraging collaboration within the field.

ASCIP is honored to partner with the Craig H. Neilsen Foundation in offering this exciting opportunity to our members.  We remain extremely grateful for all the Foundation does to support ASCIP in a variety of ways and for its efforts to improve the quality of life of all those affected by spinal cord injury.