Research

CRUS Research Scholarship

The mission of the Canadian Rheumatology Ultrasound Society (CRUS) is to promote the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound research among early career Canadian rheumatologists.

It is our aim to foster research in the area of musculoskeletal ultrasound in order to provide an evidence-based framework for the clinical use of this technology. There is limited research in the field of musculoskeletal ultrasound in Canada. Limited accessibility to ultrasound and the lack of mentorship are some of the barriers preventing young rheumatologists from engaging in research in the field. To address these barriers, CRUS is offering a research scholarship designed to promote research projects using musculoskeletal ultrasound among rheumatologists in early stages of their career.

Scholarship Details

Canadian rheumatology residents, research fellows or rheumatologists within 5 years of the completion of their residency can submit applications for this scholarship. Preference will be given to applicants who are currently enrolled in or have completed the CRUS basic ultrasound course. The applicants are required to identify a mentor and a research project. The research project must be relevant to the use of musculoskeletal ultrasound for the management of rheumatic conditions. The mentor is required to have expertise in musculoskeletal ultrasound, experience in supervising trainees.

Scholarship Amount:  $10,000 for a research project to be finalized within one academic year.

Application Deadline: All applications must be submitted online by the October 31st at midnight EST.

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

Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must be adult or pediatric rheumatology residents, research fellows in rheumatology or rheumatologists within 5 years of the completion of their training. Priority is given to applicants who are currently enrolled in or have completed the CRUS basic ultrasound training course The mentor must have a record of research in the field of musculoskeletal ultrasound. Mentors are responsible for approving the research plan. Research area must be relevant to the use of ultrasound for the diagnosis or management of rheumatic conditions.

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

2024- 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

Application Form

The application is now open.