Application Opens: June 7, 2021
Application Deadline: August 2, 2021
Purpose:
The AAS/AASF Global Surgery Research Fellowship Award is for residents and fellows engaged in global health surgical research. This award is designed for individuals who are interested in advancing the field of Global Surgery through research, including but not limited to: proposals aimed at further defining or reducing the global burden of surgical disease (on a community, institutional or regional basis); proposals aimed at defining existing human and material resources available for surgical care in low- or middle-income countries; proposals outlining the ability of surgical treatment to prevent death and disability in resource-poor settings; proposals aimed at identifying strategies for instituting or improving surgical care or capacity in resource-poor settings; proposals aimed at preventative interventions for surgical disease; and proposals aimed at advancing surgical education or manpower in areas of limited resources. For all projects, identification and definable participation of local/on-site partners in the collaborating country is required. The award of $30,000 for one year 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, and the award period begins July 1, 2022.
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:
- A one-page 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.
- Applicant’s curriculum vitae or NIH-Style Biosketch – not to exceed 5 pages.
- Lay Summary of the project (200-300 words only)
- Comprehensive Research Plan – Not including your references, this plan should be no more than five (5) [single-spaced, Arial 11pt, 1″ margin] pages inclusive of the following items:
- abstract for research proposal
- significance of research
- background information
- preliminary observations
- experimental plan (methods, materials, potential limitations and pitfalls)
- Applications exceeding these page limitations WILL NOT BE REVIEWED.
- Letter of support from sponsoring AAS mentor. The research mentor letter should include history of mentorship of previous research fellows.
- 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
- NIH-style Biosketch from your AAS mentor – not to exceed 5 pages.
The top-rated finalists for each award will be invited to interview with the selection committee.
Committee Review:
A committee, consisting of the AAS Global Affairs Committee, the 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. The award recipient will be selected from these finalists.
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.
Previous Award Winners:
2021 Barnabas Alayande, MD, Brigham & Women’s Hospital | Harvard Medical School
2020 Zachary Enumah, MD, Johns Hopkins University
2019 Sarah Jane Commander, Duke University
2018 Katherine Hill, MD, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center
2017 Maunil Bhatt, Baylor
2016 S. Ariane Christie, UCSF
2015 Benjamin Martin, MD, Emory University
2014 Shailvi Gupta, MD, University of California, San Francisco – East Bay
2013 Rebecca Maine, MD, Boston Children’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School/UCSF