Research

CRUS Research Scholarship

The Canadian Rheumatology Ultrasound Society (CRUS) is dedicated to advancing musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound in rheumatology through research and education, with a focus on supporting early-career Canadian rheumatologists.

Research in MSK ultrasound remains limited in Canada, in part due to barriers such as restricted access to ultrasound and lack of mentorship. To help address these challenges, CRUS is offering two distinct research scholarships, each valued at $10,000 and to be completed within one academic year:

  1. CRUS Research Project Scholarship

  • Supports investigator-initiated research projects that use MSK ultrasound to answer a clinical or scientific question relevant to rheumatology.
  • Scope may include, but is not limited to: diagnosis, monitoring, outcome assessment, or mechanistic studies using ultrasound.
  • Goal: to foster high-quality, evidence-based research that expands the knowledge and application of MSK ultrasound in rheumatology.

  1. CRUS Ultrasound Implementation Scholarship

  • Supports projects that increase the use and integration of MSK ultrasound in Canadian rheumatology practice.
  • Scope may include initiatives to improve MSK ultrasound training in rheumatology programs, develop best practice models, or evaluate implementation strategies in real-world settings.
  • Goal: to enhance accessibility, utilization, and education around MSK ultrasound in routine clinical care.

Eligibility

  • Both scholarships are open to rheumatology residents, research fellows, or rheumatologists within 5 years of completing residency.
  • Both the applicant and the supervisor must be practicing at a Canadian institution.
  • Preference will be given to applicants who are currently enrolled in, or have completed, the CRUS Basic Ultrasound Course.
  • Applicants must identify a research project and a mentor with recognized expertise in MSK ultrasound and experience in supervising trainees.

Application Deadline: 

All applications must be submitted online by the deadline (October 31, 2025).

For questions regarding the award or the submission process, contact Alyssa at along@crus-surc.ca 

Review Criteria

Adjudication is by a selection committee and will be competitive. Each application will be reviewed on the following criteria:

  • Scientific merit and relevance to musculoskeletal ultrasound research
  • Mentor’s credentials as related to the project and experience in musculoskeletal ultrasound and research
  • Quality of the mentorship environment provided by the mentor
  • Appropriateness and feasibility of the awardee’s role in the project 

Award Terms

The applicant will commit to their awarded research project, either as an elective research term, or carried out over the course of one academic year. The proposed start date and end date should be specified by the applicant. The awardee will be required to submit a summary report within 4 weeks of the termination of their project. The awardee will also be encouraged to submit a poster or oral presentation on their work at the subsequent annual Canadian Rheumatology Association meeting. The awardee should acknowledge CRUS (including CRUS logo) in any abstract or publication related to the research project. 

Award Winners

2017– Dr. Stephanie Tom (Toronto) – Seeing is Believing: Development of an Ultrasonographic Enthesitis Score for Psoriatic Arthritis Patients

2018 – Dr. Sarah Cribby (Calgary) – Validation of the Physical Examination for Knee Effusion Using Ultrasonography.

2019 – Dr. Alaa Dekis (Toronto) – Ultrasonographic Phenotyping of Early Undifferentiated Inflammatory Arthritis

2020– Dr. Kristen Noges (Ottawa) – Pain Mechanisms in Psoriatic Arthritis: Differentiating Enthesitis Related Pain from Fibromyalgia Using Ultrasound, In Comparison to Functional MRI

2023- Dr Thomas Hahn (British Columbia) – Impact of age and cardiovascular risk on intima-media thickness of temporal, facial and axillary arteries as assessed by colour duplex ultrasound

2024- Dr Nam Nguyen (Toronto) – Validation of an enthesitis ultrasound scoring system for psoriatic arthritis diagnosis

2025- CRUS Ultrasound Implementation Scholarship Dr Alan Zhou (Toronto) – Effect of Rater Training on Improving Reliability and Accuracy of Musculoskeletal Ultrasound Image Assessments

Application Form

The application for 2025 is now open accepting submissions until October 31, 2025.  Click here to submit.