Note from the ACDIS Editor: Applications for ACDIS CDI Scholarships now open!
by Jess Fluegel
In our ever-increasing efforts to provide the best CDI educational opportunities, we always try to keep in mind the people who are just starting out on their CDI journeys. Resources such as ACDIS membership, CDI Boot Camps, and ACDIS events can all help you make huge strides in your career development—but we know that not everyone can easily find support or personal means to access them! For this reason, I am so happy to be heading our ACDIS CDI Scholarship Program each year.
From now until November 23, we are receiving applications for the 2025/2026 scholarship awards. If you think you or someone you know might be the right candidate, start preparing your submission now!
What is an ACDIS CDI Scholarship, you may ask? There are four separate scholarships we award, each one offering a specific educational opportunity that can help a CDI professional take the next big step in their career. Here is a rundown of what each award will grant:
Our first award is called the Introduction to CDI Scholarship, for those who are just starting out in CDI. This award grants the recipient a one-year ACDIS membership as well as enrollment in the ACDIS CDI Apprenticeship program. If you are new to the CDI field or know someone who is, this scholarship is a great opportunity to get a head start on the essentials of CDI and access to the wealth of information an ACDIS membership provides.
Our second award is the Professional Development Scholarship, for those with a couple of years of experience under their belt who want to deep-dive into a certain CDI topic. This award grants free registration to an online CDI Boot Camp of the recipient's choice. There is a wide array of CDI Boot Camp topics that ACDIS offers, including a course for CDI educators, CDI and quality care measures, clinical validation in CDI, leaders in CDI, and more—so dream big!
Our Pre-Conference Scholarship is a rather special award, given that you can choose between free registration to the ACDIS Symposium: Outpatient CDI or to the Physician Advisor Forum, which are both held prior to the 2026 ACDIS conference on Sunday, April 19 through Monday, April 20, in Chicago. This scholarship may be particularly valuable to leaders who are looking to expand in their review settings or get further advice on their current outpatient endeavors, or who want to improve their provider engagement, but any CDI professionals are welcome to apply!
Last but certainly not least, the Melissa Varnavas Scholarship grants the recipient free registration to the 2026 ACDIS national conference, which will be held Monday, April 20 through Thursday, April 23, next year. Priority is given to those who have never attended before!
The application for these scholarships is available on our website under the “Free Resources” tab in the “ACDIS Scholarship Program” section (or clicking here). This section also contains more information about the program’s eligibility requirements, review process, and a preview of the application questions.
Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions! The Furthering Education Committee and I look forward to receiving your application.
Editor's note: Fluegel is an editor for ACDIS. Contact her at jess.fluegel@hcpro.com.