The Sleep Research Society (SRS) and the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) Foundation are pleased to announce the recipients of the SRS and AASM Foundation Dependent Care and Accessibility Grant for SLEEP 2026.
This joint initiative reflects a shared commitment to improving equity in access to professional development opportunities within sleep and circadian medicine and science. The grant was established to support SRS and AASM members who face barriers to conference participation due to caregiving responsibilities or accessibility needs, including care for children, family members with illness or disability, or personal disabilities that require additional support when traveling.
Through this program, recipients are awarded funding of up to $1,000 to offset eligible expenses associated with attending the SLEEP 2026 annual meeting. These investments are designed to reduce logistical and financial barriers, enabling broader participation, strengthening the pipeline of sleep researchers and clinicians, and advancing inclusion across the field.
The SRS and AASM Foundation are proud to recognize this year’s recipients:
- Priscilla Amofa-Ho, PhD
- Tony Cunningham, PhD
- Innessa Donskoy, MD
- Nana Jiao, PhD
- Misol Kwon, PhD, RN
- Haoqi Sun, PhD
- Elle Wernette, PhD
Recipients shared how this support will enable their participation in SLEEP 2026:
“I am deeply grateful to receive this award from the SRS and AASM Foundation. As a woman in medicine, specifically in a clinical and academic Pediatric Sleep practice, one of the greatest privileges of this work is caring for families and helping them thrive. At the same time, the reality of this path often means feeling pulled between professional responsibilities and the needs of our own families and loved ones. At times, it can feel as though one’s heart is split between these commitments. The AASM Foundation’s support in enabling me to attend and present at SLEEP 2026, while also ensuring my family is cared for at home, is immeasurable. It has allowed me to fully engage in advancing my field without sacrificing the well-being of those I love at home. Instead of feeling divided, I feel held in both spaces, and my heart is not only NOT split, but very, very full.”
— Innessa Donskoy, MD
“I’m deeply grateful to the SRS and AASM Foundation for offering this important member benefit and for recognizing that the ability to participate fully in professional meetings can be shaped by very real caregiving and accessibility barriers. As a parent raising two young children in Boston, where childcare costs continue to rise, attending a major conference like SLEEP can require substantial additional planning and expense, especially with no additional family in the area. This grant will meaningfully offset those dependent care costs and allow me to more fully engage in the scientific, professional development, and networking opportunities that make the SLEEP meeting so valuable. At this stage of my career, that support makes a real difference, and I truly appreciate that SRS is taking concrete steps to make participation more feasible for its members.”
— Tony Cunningham, PhD
We extend our congratulations to these individuals and look forward to their participation at SLEEP 2026. Their engagement will enrich the scientific dialogue, foster collaboration, and contribute to continued progress in sleep health.
