Association for Academic Surgery (AAS)

AAS/AASF Clinical Outcomes/Health Services Research Award

Application Opens: July 17th, 2024
Application Deadline: August 30th, 2024

Purpose: This award provides 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 research position with an AAS member. The award of $30,000 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. The funding period for this award begins July 1st, 2025.

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. (applicants with AAS membership applications in process are also eligible)
  • There must be at least one mentor who is an active or senior member of the AAS.

Applicants submit the following materials:

  1. 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.
  2. Applicant’s curriculum vitae or NIH-Style Biosketch – not to exceed 5 pages.
  3. Lay Summary of the project (200-300 words only).
  4. Comprehensive Research Plan – Not including 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.
  5. Letter of support from sponsoring research mentor. The research mentor letter should include history of mentorship of previous research fellows.
  6. 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
  7. NIH-style Biosketch from your research 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 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, and the award recipient will be selected from these finalists and announced.

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.  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:

  • $30,000 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 Ceremony during the Academic Surgical Congress
  • Name published in the AAS blog – The Academic Surgeon, and on the AAS website.

Previous Award Winners:
2022 Jordan Rook, MD, University of California, Los Angeles
2021 Laura Krecko, MD
2020 Numa Perez, MD, Massachusetts General Hospital
2019 Samuel Enumah, MD, Brigham & Women’s Hospital
2018 Sophia McKinley, Mass General Hospital
2017 Kyle Sheetz, University of Michigan
2016  Christopher Childers, UCLA
2015 Christina Papageorge, University of Wisconsin
2014 Lane Frasier, MD, University of Wisconsin
2013 Leigh Anne Dageforde, MD, Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Applications are now closed.