March 18, 2024

Eligibility/Application

The 2017 AAS/AASF Research Fellowship Awards – Basic Science/Translational and the 2017 AAS/AASF Research Fellowship Award – Clincial Outcomes/Health Services/Educational Research provide an eligible resident or fellow who has completed at least two years of postgraduate training in a surgical discipline the opportunity to spend one year in a full-time basic research position with an AAS member. The award of $20,000 for one year per award may be used for salary support or for the direct-cost expenditures of the research. The award is to be expended solely for the purpose of the sponsored research.

Eligibility/Application:

  • Applicants must be residents or fellows who are currently enrolled in an accredited training program and have completed at least two years of postgraduate training in a surgical discipline.
  • The awardee must be a candidate member or an active member of the AAS.
  • There must be at least one mentor who is an active or senior member of the AAS (applicants with AAS membership applications in process are also eligible).
  • Applicants submit the following materials:
  1. A Cover Letter outlining their academic development plan for their one-year research period, their short and long-term career goals, and any other relevant information that they wish the committee to consider with their application.
  2. Applicant’s curriculum vitae or NIH-Style Biosketch – not to exceed 4 pages.
  3. Lay Summary of the project (200-300 words only)
  4. Comprehensive Research Plan – This should be no more than five (5) [single-spaced, Arial 11pt, 1″ margin] pages inclusive of the following items:
    1. abstract for research proposal
    2. significance of research
    3. background information
    4. preliminary observations
    5. experimental plan (methods, materials, potential limitations and pitfalls)
    6. references

(Applications which exceed the page limitations WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.)

  1. Evidence of institutional approval (IRB, IND, University Animal Use Committee, etc.) (Please note: Approval need only be pending at the time of submission, as long as the study is approved at the time the funding is awarded.)
  2. Letter of support from sponsoring AAS mentor.
  3. Letter of support of protected time from the chair of your department. The letter must guarantee that the applicant will spend the entire funding period in the research fellowship and that the department is committed to providing the additional support necessary to ensure completion of the project.
  4. NIH-style Biosketch from your AAS mentor – not to exceed 4 pages.

Deadline for receipt of applications was 11:59pm PST on Sunday, August 14, 2016

The 3 top-rated finalists for each award will be invited to interview with the selection committee at the 2017 Academic Surgical Congress in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Committee Review:

A committee consisting of the councilors of the AAS, president-elect, and ad-hoc members as needed will review all proposals. The top rated proposals will be selected as finalists, and these applicants will be invited to interview with the selection committee at the ASC in February 2017. The award recipient will be selected from these finalists and will be announced at the AAS Research Awards Session during the 2017 Congress.

Acceptance of Award
This proposal may be submitted to other extramural funding sources for support, but this must be acknowledged on the application form. Submission for support elsewhere will not affect the evaluation of this proposal; however, in the event that more than one extramural award is offered, the investigator will be required to accept only one source of funding. The research award recipient will be introduced during the AAS Award Session at the Academic Surgical Congress. A one-page formal progress report for the research project and copies of pertinent publications resulting from the funding of the research award should be forwarded to the office of the Secretary upon completion of the one-year research project. A final report and presentation of work accomplished will be required at the Academic Surgical Congress following the conclusion of the grant.

Winner Receives:

  • $20,000 per year for one year to be used for salary support and/or direct-cost expenditures incurred in the conduct of the proposed research project
  • Award certificate presented at the AAS Awards Session during the Academic Surgical Congress
  • Name published in the AAS newsletter – The Academic Surgeon, and on the AAS website.

Previous Award Winners:

2016Jarrod Predina, University of Pennsylvania
2016 Christopher Childres, UCLA
2015 James Butler, MD, Indiana University
2015 Christina Papageorge, University of Wisconsin
2014 Jashodeep Datta, MD, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
2014 Lane Frasier, MD, University of Wisconsin
2013 Leigh Anne Dageforde, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center