Bryan Robinson Endowment

Important Dates

Midnight, April 12, 2024 – All applications must be received by midnight, April 12 to be considered.

History

The Bryan W. Robinson Endowment

In 1968 Dr. Bryan W. Robinson and Dr. Frank Davis, agreed to share coverage, providing the first neurologic services to Tallahassee and North Florida. They went on to form the Tallahassee Neurological Clinic. Dr. Robinson was born in Thomasville, Georgia in 1929. He was educated at Davidson College, received his M.D. at Emory University and did his postgraduate training at Strong Hospital in New York and Stanford University in California."

He was involved with neurologic research at the NIH and Emory and at the Yerkes Primate Center before going into private practice in Tallahassee in 1968.

Frank Davis was born in Montgomery, Alabama in 1935, raised in Atlanta and received his M.D. and neurosurgical training at Tulane University, before entering private practice in Tallahassee in 1968.The Tallahassee Neurological Clinic expanded over the next few years to include a second neurosurgeon, Dr. Geissinger in 1971, a second neurologist, Dr. Slade in 1972 and a third neurologist, Dr.Vroom in 1973.

In 1971 the Computerized Axial Tomogram (known today as a “CATscan or CT scan”) was being developed in England. Dr. Robinson recognized the value of the scanner as a tremendous advancement for neurologic diagnosis and was determined to bring a CT scanner to Tallahassee at a time when there were only two such scanners in the US, one at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota and a second at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston. In 1974 the 10th CT scanner in the United States installed in the Tallahassee Memorial Hospital (TMH).

Bryan formed the non-profit Tallahassee Neurologic Foundation in December 1972 for the purpose of supporting education and research in neurology and neurosurgery. The original board included Bryan Robinson, M.D., Frank Davis M.D., Homer Brinkley (realtor), Harry Mullikin (accountant) and Mark Rodman (attorney) and in 1973 was expanded to include diverse group of Tallahassee leaders: Bill Cartee (real estate developer), George Langford (businessman), Fred McCord (banker & President of Barnett Bank), Palmer Proctor (attorney with the Ausley Law Firm) and Orson Smith M.D. (internist with Southern Medical Associates). A finance committee was formed and included Eleo Mettler (philanthropist), W. E. Woodward, Payne Midyette, Jr. (insurance), Robert Camp and Jack Mowell of the Mowell Financial Group.

With an initial goal of purchasing the CT scanner, one hundred people contributed $1,000 each, totaling $100,000. The Board of Directors of the Foundation and the Tallahassee Neurological Clinic physicians signed a $250,000 note. The CT scanner was purchased for $347,000 and installed in TMH in 1974. The CT scanner was a big success paying off the note and returning the $100,000 for education and research. Those funds were invested with the assistance of Jack Mowell. The CT scan was given to TMH. The first research grant was funded in 1975.

Following Dr. Robinson’s untimely death in 1979 the foundation was renamed the Bryan W. Robinson Neurologic Foundation and in 1998the Foundation merged with TMH Foundation as the Bryan W. Robinson Endowment so this work would continue in perpetuity. Dr.Davis was president from 1979 to 1995 and Dr. Vroom from 1995 to date.

100% of contributions have gone to education & research; none have gone to Bryan Robinson, his family or to the Board. From 1972 through 2023, there has been an astonishing list of accomplishments:

• Purchase of CT scanner
• Formation of a dedicated Neurosurgical Operating Room
• Purchase of a Surgical Microscope for the operating room
• Purchase of a Surgical Laser

Support for:

• Epilepsy
• Headache
• Parkinsonism
• Alzheimer’s Disease
• Narcolepsy
• Think First program to reduce the risk of brain and spinal cord injuries to the young people in Tallahassee & Leon County
• Clinical Trials in Stroke
• Computerized Neurological Library
• Grant to the Ronald McDonald House for a place for parents of seriously sick children
• Approximately, $500,000 has gone to Tallahassee Memorial Hospital, the Neuroscience Center and 116 nurses receiving funds to further the education
• 300+ PhD candidates or Physicians in Training have received over $465,000 supporting their research
• $906,000+ has gone to Education and Research.
• $0 has gone to Bryan Robinson, his family or the Board, 100% goes to Education and Research

Bryan Robinson is responsible for a gift to humanity that has touched and benefited the lives of thousands of scientists, physicians, nurses, patients and their families.

How to Apply

Timeline for Grant Application

February 7, 2024 - Instructions for applying will be sent to FSU and UF

April 12, 2024 - Deadline for submission

May 1, 2024 - Grant Selection Meeting

June 5, 2024 - Annual Meeting & Awards

Contact Information

Jessica Zeigler, Events Specialist 
Email: BryanRobinsonEndowment@TMH.ORG 
Phone: 850-431-4590

The Bryan W. Robinson Fund is soliciting applications for awards to encourage neuroscience research by individuals enrolled in PhD, MD (Resident), or MD/PhD degree programs at Florida State University, Florida A&M University or the University of Florida. The applicants must be enrolled in one of the above degree programs as of April 1, 2024.

Application Format:

Applications for the 2024 Award must be submitted via email to: BryanRobinsonEndowment@TMH.ORG in PDF format. Include all information on a single page; if more than 1 page is needed, continue on page 7 and subsequent pages.

(1) Page One

1. Name of Applicant & Title of Research
2. Each award recipient (Grant or Honorable Mention) is asked to present the results of their research at the Bryan Robinson Endowment Annual Meeting the following year. Will you, as an award recipient for June 5, 2024 agree to present your research at the June 4, 2025 Annual Meeting?
3. Select and pledge one of the following: 
   ____ Yes, I will present my research at the Annual Meeting June 5, 2024. 
   ____ No, I cannot present my research at the Annual Meeting. 
   If there is an extreme hardship or if you have moved from the Gainesville or Tallahassee area, you will be excused from presenting your research.
4. What are your long term plans?

(2) Page Two

1. Name of Applicant, Title of Research & Address
2. School & Department/Program
3. Current Position
4. Email address
5. Date Submitted
6. Photo of applicant (1 MB or less)
7. Curriculum Vitae

(3) Page Three

1. Name of Applicant & Title of Research
2. Name of University
3. Specific aims of research (hypothesis driven)

(4) Page Four

1. Title of Research
2. Summary of research: Potential clinical significance in humans and/or applications

(5) Page Five

Letter of Recommendation sent directly from your Professor to the Bryan Robinson Endowment via email: BryanRobinsonEndowment@tmh.org. (May be one or two pages) Should your professor be late in sending in the Letter of Recommendation, through no fault of the applicant, it is unlikely to disqualify your application.

(6) Page Six

Complete and sign IRS W-9 Form.
OR
If you are a foreign national, you must submit documentation of your INS status. Documentation you submitted to your university is acceptable.

(7) Page Seven and beyond: (This may be multiple pages)

This is for any of the above, not fitting on a single page. References should be restricted published work by the applicant. Incomplete applications or applications received after the deadline are unlikely to be considered.

Deadline

Midnight, on the night of April 12, 2024. 
The decision of the Scientific Committee is final.

Information to Presenters

You will have 10 minutes for your presentation. You have the difficult task of making your research interesting to your professors and peers, and understandable to those with little knowledge of your area of research.

Board Members

• Nigel Allen, President & Chief Advancement Officer, TMH Foundation
• Professor Pradeep Bhide, Chair of Developmental Neurosciences, FSU College of Medicine
• Dr. Marissa Ciesla Conner, Neuroscientist,
• Jenny Crowley, RN, formerly Practice Administrator, TNC
• Margaret Davis
• Paula Fortunas, TMH Foundation President/CEO, retired, TMH Vice President, retired
• Professor Nancy Hayes, Director of Clinical Foundations, FSU College of Medicine
• Professor Timothy Megraw, Department of Biomedical Sciences, FSU College of Medicine
• Bayard Miller, MD, Neurology Specialists, Associate Professor Emeritus, Department of Neurology UF
• David Robinson, MD, Vice Chairman, Internist, Tallahassee Memorial Family Medicine Residency Program
• Dr. Robert Watson, Professor of Neurology, FSU College of Medicine
• Jessica Zeigler, Events Specialist, Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare Foundation