The Vesalius Trust

Established in 1988, the mission of the Vesalius Trust is to provide leadership and funding for the advancement of education and research in visual communication for the health sciences. The Vesalius Trust was founded under the direction of the AMI Board of Governors, and is a non-profit public foundation (501c3).

The Vesalius Trust Board of Trustees is composed of volunteer members, most of whom are current or past members of the AMI Board of Governors. There is no general membership to the Vesalius Trust. The Board is an international, multidisciplinary group serving as a volunteer leadership resource for Trust activities and programs. The Friends of the Trust is comprised of dedicated individuals who recognize the importance and potential of the Trust and who contribute financially to it.

In 1989, the Vesalius Trust assumed responsibility from the AMI for managing and awarding scholarships in medical illustration. The Trust awards several grants and scholarships yearly, for medical illustration students and professionals.

Dr. Frank H. Netter Award

The highest professional award given by the Trust is the Dr. Frank H. Netter Award for Special Contributions to Medical Education. This annual award recognizes a person or persons who have recently developed visually oriented educational materials with either proven or potential impact on the way health sciences are taught and/or practiced. Additional information about the Netter Award and application requirements can be found on the Vesalius Trust website.

In addition to the Netter Award and student scholarships, the Vesalius Trust has funding commitments to provide Continuing Education grants, support to the AMI for its annual meeting, and support to the AMI Archives.