Mentee Eligibility Criteria:

• Junior member or member of ESGAR in good standing
• Resident or early-career radiologist (≤5 years after completion of residency training) 
• Limited prior research experience (no or ≤3 peer-reviewed publications as first author) 
• Pre-defined potential research topic or project idea suitable for development within the mentorship programme
   

Early-career researchers (mentees) apply via the ESGAR Research Mentorship 2026-2027 application form to be paired with a mentor, based on research interests and, where possible, geographical proximity, to facilitate feasibility of on-site visits. 

Applicants may:

1. Select one mentor from the ESGAR the pre-approved ESGAR mentor database, or

2. Apply jointly with a mentor from another institution with whom a mentorship agreement has already been established independently

Note: Mentor and mentee cannot be from the same institution. 

Approved mentor–mentee pairs may apply (optional) to be considered for a seed grant of up to €2.500.

The seed grant is intended as support funding, not as a full project grant, and may cover:

• Project-related expenses
• Travel for short visits to the mentor’s institution or to arrange meetings at conferences (e.g. ECR, ESGAR)
• Travel, accommodation and registration for the ESGAR annual meeting

Seed Grant - Eligibility Criteria:

• Approved mentor-mentee pairing 

• Mentor-approved project plan, including research question, milestones, timeline, and deliverables 

• Institutional support: confirmation from head of department or residency programme that applicant can dedicate sufficient time

Seed Grant – Application and Project Guidelines:

Under the guidance of the mentor, the mentee prepares the seed grant application, consisting of a detailed project plan for a small-scale project that can be completed within approximately one year. 

Eligible projects include: 

1. Scientific research projects 

2. Educational projects, provided the topic is novel and/or addresses an unmet educational need, and is potentially publishable as a full length educational or pictorial review

The project topic and outline needs to be mutually agreed upon by the mentor and mentee and needs to fit the overall ESGAR scope (i.e. focus on abdominal/GI imaging). 

The mentee is responsible for defining, leading and carrying out the project. The mentee retains primary ownership of the work and should qualify for first authorship of the submitted abstract and, where applicable, any subsequent full-length publication.

Mentors are expected, at a minimum, to provide ongoing guidance and feedback on project planning and execution. More active involvement in project delivery is not part of the core mentoring role but may be agreed upon where it is likely to improve the project’s chances of success. This could include, for example, proposing a project idea or providing access to data.

The online application form will be shared with approved mentor–mentee pairs in early October 2026.

Seed Grant funding will be released in stages. An initial payment will be provided at the start of the project, with the remaining funds disbursed following successful completion of the midterm and final evaluations.

A project evaluation and reimbursement form will be provided.

Mentor–mentee pairs presenting an oral abstract may also apply for the Junior Research Prize during the abstract submission period in early 2028. A maximum of 5 abstracts will receive a prize worth € 600 each, which will be granted in the form of ‘ESGAR credit’ to be spent on registration for a future ESGAR annual meeting or ESGAR workshop of choice.

Eligibility criteria:

• Abstract results from a project conducted as part of the mentorship programme
• Abstract has been approved by the mentor before submission
• Applicant (mentee) is first author and primary project lead of the submitted work
• Priority is given to first-time abstract submitters 

In addition to the general abstract review, applications will be reviewed by designated members of the ESGAR research committee and the Young ESGAR coordinating team based on abstract quality and the accompanying application. 

Note: Abstracts submitted as part of the mentorship programme and considered for the Junior Research Prize will not be eligible for the ESGAR Top 20 Abstract competition.

Encouraged full paper submissions

Prize winners are furthermore encouraged to develop their work into a full-length manuscript for submission to European Radiology-Abdomen. Mentors may continue to provide guidance and/or act as co-authors by mutual agreement.