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ARRS Melvin M. Figley Fellowship in Radiology Journalism

American Roentgen Ray Society

ARRS offers an annual Figley Fellowship in radiology journalism for radiologists practicing in the U.S. and Canada to work closely with the American Journal of Roentgenology (AJR) Editor in Chief, the R3 Editor in Chief, and staff to learn the fundamentals of medical publishing. The purpose of this award is:

To stimulate bright, promising radiologists to continue with an academic career, enhance their credentials, and stimulate interest in good radiology journalism.
To improve the quality of radiology journals by teaching the fundamentals of medical journalism, train manuscript reviewers and future editors, and provide core teachers of medical journalism in radiology departments around the country.

The Figley Fellowship is named for Melvin M. Figley, MD, former Editor in Chief of the AJR, and is funded by The Roentgen Fund®.

For radiologists practicing outside the U.S. and Canada, please refer to the Rogers Fellowship.

Curriculum

Fellows are taught the fundamentals of medical writing, manuscript preparation and editing, peer review, the ethics of scientific journalism, and journal publication, through personal apprenticeship with the AJR Editor in Chief and additional sessions with the R3 Editor in Chief and publications and marketing staff.

The Fellow will:

Meet and work with the AJR Editor in Chief, R3 Editor in Chief, and publications and marketing staff. These sessions provide practical experience in the editor role and are typically conducted over the course of a week.
Attend the ARRS Annual Meeting, where the Fellow will present the AJR Year in Review course with the Rogers Fellow.
Attend the annual Editor’s Forum.

At the start of the term, the Fellow, in conjunction with the AJR Editor in Chief and Director of Publications, will form a schedule for completion of the Fellowship activities, which may include in-person and/or virtual formats. All Fellowship activities must be conducted between January 1 and December 31 of the fellowship year.

Stipend

The Fellow is awarded a maximum of $10,000 to cover travel expenses related to the Fellowship. The funding is awarded at the end of the Fellowship after the Fellow has submitted proper expense reports and receipts.

Application Process

The application deadline for the 2026 ARRS Figley Fellowship has passed. Thank you to all who applied. Applicants will be notified by early November.

A call for applications and deadline for the 2027 ARRS Figley Fellowship will be announced in 2026.

Application components:

A letter outlining goals during the Fellowship
Curriculum vitae
Letters of recommendation from the department chair and one other senior person

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Candidate competence in radiology research (highest predictor)

ARRS explicitly evaluates the candidate’s competence in radiology research, education, or administration. A competitive applicant should demonstrate:

Relevant research experience
Strong radiology expertise
Scholarly productivity
Ability to complete the proposed work
Evidence of increasing research responsibility

For resident/fellow awards, the applicant is expected to have performed the majority of the work and normally be the first author when the project has multiple authors.

2. Scientific merit and strong project design (very high predictor)

Project merit and design are formal ARRS selection criteria.

Strong applications generally have:

A clearly defined research problem
Focused objectives or hypotheses
Rigorous methodology
Appropriate analysis
A realistic work plan
A scope suited to the award period

For trainee awards, ARRS explicitly evaluates the scientific merit of the submitted research or manuscript.

3. Potential to change how radiology is practiced (very high predictor)

This is one of the most distinctive ARRS criteria.

For the Research Scholarship, ARRS formally evaluates a project's potential impact to change the way radiology is practiced. Therefore, a proposal becomes particularly competitive when it can plausibly:

Improve diagnostic accuracy
Change imaging workflows
Improve treatment decisions
Introduce useful imaging technologies
Improve patient safety or outcomes
Advance precision imaging
Influence clinical radiology practice

This predictor should be stated explicitly rather than left for reviewers to infer.

4. Leadership promise and future career potential (very high predictor)

ARRS is not simply funding a project; its major scholarship is intended to develop future leaders.

The Society explicitly evaluates the applicant's leadership promise in radiology research, education, or administration. Strong indicators include:

Emerging research independence
Leadership in collaborative projects
A coherent academic career trajectory
Potential to influence the field
Clear professional-development goals

The Research Scholarship itself includes leadership-building and career-development capacity.

5. Strong institutional environment and professional-development support (very high predictor)

ARRS formally considers whether the applicant will work in an environment conducive to well-rounded professional development.

A competitive application should demonstrate:

Appropriate research infrastructure
Access to imaging technology and data
Relevant collaborators
Mentorship or senior guidance
Institutional commitment
Opportunities for career and leadership development

This is a formal selection criterion rather than merely a background consideration.

6. Protected research time and strong department-chair commitment (high predictor)

For the Research Scholarship, institutional commitment is especially important.

ARRS requires support from the department chair and a commitment of additional protected time to complete the proposed two-year program. This makes protected effort a major practical predictor of competitiveness.

Strong applications demonstrate that the candidate will genuinely have:

Time to conduct the research
Departmental support
Appropriate resources
Protection from excessive competing clinical duties

7. Clear clinical relevance to radiology and imaging (high predictor)

ARRS supports broad radiologic sciences research, including:

Hypothesis-driven research
Clinical investigations
Drug, device, and therapy development
Imaging-related ethics
Medico-legal research
Patient accountability

For Resident/Fellow Awards, submitted work must concern the clinical application of radiology and radiological science. Projects with a strong connection to real imaging practice therefore have particularly good alignment.

8. Scientific originality and meaningful impact (high predictor)

Recent ARRS award descriptions confirm that trainee awards are based on both:

Scientific merit
Potential impact

Recent winning projects have addressed clinically important questions involving low-field MRI, malignancy prediction after nondiagnostic lung biopsy, and imaging-based assessment of acute ischemic stroke outcomes. This suggests that successful work often combines a focused imaging question with a clear clinical consequence.

9. Early-career trajectory and readiness for development (high predictor)

The flagship ARRS Research Scholarship is designed for early-career faculty and aims to advance scholars professionally while preparing them for leadership.

Competitive applicants are therefore likely to demonstrate:

Strong accomplishments relative to career stage
A clear need for the scholarship
Readiness to benefit from protected research time
Potential to develop into independent academic radiology leaders

The strongest candidate is neither too inexperienced to execute the work nor already beyond the developmental purpose of the program.

10. Strong research ownership and communication (program-specific but important)

For Resident/Fellow Awards, research ownership is particularly important. ARRS expects the applicant to have performed the majority of the work, and winning research must be presented at the ARRS Annual Meeting.

This favors applicants who can demonstrate:

Intellectual ownership
Strong manuscript preparation
Clear interpretation of findings
Ability to communicate the research effectively

Specialties

Radiology

Eligibility Requirements

Candidates must meet the following requirements:

ARRS member at the time the application is submitted and for the duration of the Fellowship
Earned MD or DO (or equivalent) from an accredited institution
Completion of all required residency and fellowship training
Practicing radiology in the U.S. or Canada
Ability to complete the Fellowship within a year

Eligible Countries:

Canada

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Roentgen Ray Society

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 44211 Slatestone Court Leesburg, VA 20176-5109

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