About
The objective of the Solomon Carter Fuller Award is to promote greater diversity in the field of behavioral neurology and to increase the field’s emphasis on health equity. The award is named after Dr. Solomon Carter Fuller, a Black neurologist, psychiatrist, and neuropathologist in the late 19th and early 20th century who was a pioneer in the early study of Alzheimer’s disease. Awardees will be selected who have been champions for diversity, equity, and inclusion in behavioral neurology or related fields, either by virtue of their commitment to diversifying their field’s professional workforce or by advocating for health equity for persons with neurological disorders of cognition.
Benefit
Certificate of recognition and $1,000 prize. The $1,000 prize can be used to support the applicant’s career advancement, including defraying costs at academic meetings related to behavioral neurology and related fields.
Eligibility
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Have completed or are currently enrolled in a fellowship or equivalent advanced training program in cognitive/behavioral neurology, neuropsychiatry, neuropsychology, or other fields deemed to be closely related to behavioral neurology
- No higher academic rank than assistant professor
Applicants who are more than 10 years from completion of their most recent training program are strongly encouraged to explain any extenuating circumstances that may have affected the pace of their career development.
Applicants who identify as members of underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, who have disabilities that limit major life activities, or who identify as women or non-binary gender are strongly encouraged to apply. Eligibility is not limited by race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, religion, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age.
Positive Factors for Selection
Positive factors for selection are not eligibility criteria. Rather, the following positive factors are qualities of the applicants that reviewers are asked to consider in a holistic manner when scoring applications:
- Research in disorders of cognition that is highly relevant to underserved populations, including Black, Latinx/a/o, and Indigenous communities;
- A diversity of lived experiences allowing the individual to serve as a role model and to broaden the perspectives of cognitive and behavioral neurology;
- Sustained personal engagement with underserved, marginalized, and/or underrepresented communities;
- A member of a racial or ethnic group whose underrepresentation in sciences or medicine in the U.S. has been severe and longstanding. (Data on representation can be found on websites maintained by the National Institutes of Health);
- Success in becoming a behavioral neurologist or related specialist with a physical disability that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
Application Process
The application includes three documents:
- the applicant’s CV;
- a brief description of the applicant’s contributions to behavioral neurology or related fields along with a personal statement describing the applicant’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in their field in one document; and
- and one letter of recommendation.
Contact SBCN Administrator Nancy Grund, info@the-sbcn.net
