Advancing Anesthesia through Research & Grants

At IARS, we believe cutting-edge research is essential to improving patient care, shaping clinical practice and empowering the next generation of anesthesia leaders. We don’t just fund studies, we cultivate innovation, mentorship and scientific excellence around the globe.

Why Research Matters

Tackle critical questions.

We support projects that explore new frontiers in perioperative medicine, critical care, pain management, and beyond, enabling discoveries that drive innovation and address critical, unanswered questions.
Bridge basic science and clinical care.

Our investments help translate findings in the lab into safer, more effective patient care.
Build capacity and leadership.

We are committed to helping early-career researchers grow, providing educational support, funding, recognition and platforms to advance the science and practice of anesthesiology globally.

IARS Mentored Research Award: Creating Future Research Leaders

The IARS Mentored Research Awards (IMRA) have impacted the careers of 48 promising investigators in the specialty of anesthesiology and beyond, creating future leaders. From 2013 to the present, new researchers continue to benefit from this opportunity each year, receiving a maximum award of $175,000 each. View this video to hear some of their stories. Learn more.

IARS Mentored Research Award: Creating Future Research Leaders

Our Research & Grant Initiatives

Here are IARS’s key programs that make it all possible:

Grant / Program

What It Offers

Ideal For…

IARS Mentored Research Award (IMRA)

Offered annually it provides up to $250,000 to support promising researchers launching independent work.

Early-career investigators who are ready to lead substantial research and are within 10 years of completion of clinical training or a PhD.

Global Scholars Award

Funding and support aimed at researchers in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) who believe in the power of academic research to drive medical advances and patient care.

Early career/young investigator/junior faculty researchers with passion, in resource-limited settings, who need support to realize ideas.

International Outreach Travel Grant

Support for researchers in low-, lower-middle-, and upper-middle-income countries to attend IARS Annual Meeting, present abstracts, connect with peers, and gain global exposure.

Researchers located in LMIC or UMIC, especially early career or international, seeking to network and share work.

Kosaka Best Abstracts Awards

Recognition & prizes for top abstracts in Clinical Research, Basic Science, and Scholars categories. Finalists present at the Annual Meeting.

Authors of outstanding abstracts gain visibility and prestige.

Anesthesia Research Council (ARC)

A multi-year, collaborative program that sets research focus areas, enables working groups to define questions, and produces authoritative reviews and recommendations.

Those interested in policy, practice guidelines and collaborative multi-center efforts.

Grant / Program

What It Offers

Ideal For…

IARS Mentored Research Award (IMRA)

Offered annually it provides up to $250,000 to support promising researchers launching independent work.

Early-career investigators who are ready to lead substantial research and are within 10 years of completion of clinical training or a PhD.

Global Scholars Award

Funding and support aimed at researchers in low- and lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) who believe in the power of academic research to drive medical advances and patient care.

Early career/young investigator/ junior faculty researchers with passion, in resource-limited settings, who need support to realize ideas.

International Outreach Travel Grant

Support for researchers in low-, lower-middle-, and upper-middle-income countries to attend IARS Annual Meeting, present abstracts, connect with peers, and gain global exposure.

Researchers located in LMIC or UMIC, especially early career or international, seeking to network and share work.

Kosaka Best Abstracts Awards

Recognition & prizes for top abstracts in Clinical Research, Basic Science, and Scholars categories. Finalists present at the Annual Meeting.

Authors of outstanding abstracts gain visibility and prestige.

Anesthesia Research Council (ARC)

A multi-year, collaborative program that sets research focus areas, enables working groups to define questions, and produces authoritative reviews and recommenda-tions.

Those interested in policy, practice guidelines and collaborative multi-center efforts.

How You Can Apply

Explore Current Grant & Award Opportunities

Check the latest calls for applications, notices, and deadlines. IARS may release new offerings each year.
Prepare a Strong Application
- Frame a clear research question.
- Demonstrate feasibility & impact.
- If applicable, include plans for collaboration or global relevance.
Submit Your Abstracts

For opportunities like the Kosaka Best Abstracts, ensure your abstract meets the criteria and deadlines for submission to the Annual Meeting.
Leverage ORCID

Use your ORCID iD in applications to ensure your work is properly attributed and visible.
Support Future Researchers

Consider donating, partnering, or mentoring. Your contributions help seed new ideas and sustain the research pipeline.

Stories of Impact

“This award [IMRA] absolutely affected my professional trajectory, it offered me reassurance that my research was on the right track and the much-needed financial support to start my own research program. The award gave me the greatest privilege – protected time to focus on my research, to plan experiments and build relationships with other research teams. I felt incredibly lucky to be able to build a research career at the same time as being a clinician and an educator, which would have been impossible without this award.”
— 2013 IARS Mentored Research Award Recipient Sinziana Avramescu, MD, PhD, FRCPC

“This award [IMRA] will increase opportunities for collaborative and innovative research endeavors that may lead to a paradigm shift in managing hemostasis with the safest and most effective strategies in reducing bleeding and blood transfusions in pediatric cardiac patients.”
– 2021 IARS Mentored Research Award Recipient Laura Downey, MD

“The IMRA helped to not only develop and propel me through my translational research platform through creation of a biospecimen repository associated with a single center clinical trial that I designed and led, but also it helped me to acquire formal training in clinical research, epidemiology, and research operations that now is helpful in directing the CRU and in conducting broader, programmatic, multicenter investigations.”– 2020 IARS Mentored Research Award Recipient Kamrouz Ghadimi, MD, MHSc, FAHA