AHS Investigator-Initiated Research Awards

Empowering Innovation in Headache Research

The American Headache Society (AHS) Investigator-Initiated Research Awards support AHS members conducting pre-clinical and clinical research in headache and migraine. With a focus on early-career investigators, the program funds investigator-driven projects that advance scientific understanding and improve patient care.

Projects should contribute to the core goal of the AHS – improving the lives of people impacted by migraine and other headache disorders. Priority is given to early-stage investigators, fundamental research, and collaborative projects that bring established researchers from other disciplines into headache medicine, fostering innovation and new approaches in the field.

Award Details

Two grants of up to $50,000 each will be awarded.

Funding may be used for:
- Investigator effort (limited to 25% of the budget for PI salary support).
- Experimental costs, data collection, supplies, and statistical analysis.
- Other research-related expenses as appropriately justified.
Funding may not be used for:
- Equipment purchases.
- Indirect costs.
Project duration: 12 months.

Key Dates

Proposal Application Deadline: December 15, 2025 (11:59 pm ET)
Award Notification: mid-April 2026
Project Start Date: May 2026

Expected Research Outcomes

Grant recipients are expected to produce meaningful contributions to the field, including:

Abstract presentation at an AHS Annual Scientific Meeting.
Manuscript submission to Headache or another peer-reviewed journal.
Foundation for future research, pursuing subsequent funding through other external competitive grants.

For scientific inquiries, applicants are encouraged to reach out to the AHS Research Committee Co-Chairs.

Eligibility & Application Requirements

Principal Investigators (PIs) must hold an MD, PhD, or equivalent degree.
Postdoctoral fellows and faculty of all ranks are encouraged to apply.
Research projects must align with one or more of the Headache Research Priorities (Schwedt et al., 2024).
Applicants must be current AHS members in good standing at the time of proposal submission. If awarded, the awardee must maintain AHS membership throughout the course of the award. This requirement also extends to postdoctoral fellow applicants and their mentor.
Projects may be pre-clinical or clinical in nature.
A complete electronic application, along with all supporting materials, must be submitted by the set deadline.

Submit Your Proposal

Applications are now being accepted!

Apply Here

2024

Hormonal Factors and Changes in Migraine Burden After Hysterectomy for Endometriosis
- Primary Investigator:
  - Hadas Nahman-Averbuch, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
- Co-Investigators:
  - Whitney Ross, MD, Washington University in St. Louis
  - Rachel Darken, MD, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
  - Thomas Baranski, MD PhD, Washington University in St. Louis
  - Arbi Ben Abdallah, DES, PhD, Washington University in St. Louis

2023

Childhood anxiety and depression and the development of migraine in adolescence: a longitudinal Canadian cohort study
- Primary Investigator:
  - Serena Orr, MD, MSc, FRCPC, FAHS, University of Calgary
- Co-Investigators:
  - Melanie Noel, PhD, University of Calgary
  - Suzanne Tough, PhD, University of Calgary
  - Sheila McDonald, PhD, University of Calgary
  - Sheri Madigan, PhD, University of Calgary
  - Kathryn Birnie, PhD, University of Calgary
  - Prachi Khanna, MSc candidate
  - Paul Ronksley, PhD, University of Calgary
Pathophysiological Evaluation of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension using Glymphatic and Connectomic Imaging
- Primary Investigator:
  - Hsiangkuo Yuan, Thomas Jefferson University
- Co-Investigators:
  - Feroze Mohamed, PhD, Thomas Jefferson University
  - Michael Reid Gooch, MD, Thomas Jefferson University
  - Scott Faro, MD, Thomas Jefferson University
  - Mark Moster, MD, Thomas Jefferson University

Reach out to our AHS Research Committee.

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