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AATS Foundation/WTS Mid-Career Investigator Award

American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Applicant Requirements: Deadline ends at 11:59pm Eastern on 12/1/2026

Career Stage: Early Career Surgeons, Mid-Career Surgeons

Program Type: Research Grant

Specialty: Multi-specialty

Status: Upcoming

Opens: September 1, 2026

Deadline: December 2, 2026

The AATS Foundation/WTS Mid-Career Investigator Award is a collaboration between the AATS Foundation and the Women in Thoracic Surgery (WTS) that aligns with their mutual cardiothoracic surgery-based missions to support education and research. It is intended for mid-career female cardiothoracic surgeon scientists who have faced external constraints to professional growth. Potential candidates are expected to also demonstrate previous research experience and a need for funding to advance their careers further.

Mid-Career Research Support

Faculty development at the early career stage is essential for professional academic progression. There exist known barriers to career advancement for women in cardiothoracic surgery, such as their caregiver roles, heavier load of non-promotable service, as well as inherent biases or lack of institutional infrastructure support. Studies focused on female cardiothoracic surgeons have revealed that 60% of academic appointments were at the instructor or assistant professor level; only 18% were full professors. There are also more available opportunities for surgeon scientists at the onset of their careers, but fewer grants available in this mid-career space. To address these obstacles, the WTS has partnered with the AATS Foundation to support mid-career women cardiothoracic surgeons.

The focus of proposed research can be clinical, translational or basic science. Funding is intended to lead to future applications for larger independent grants by providing preliminary data or foundational work for extramural funding. Therefore, all candidates must articulate their plan for ensuring continued funding for the research career beyond this award.

Application Process

Biosketch.
Letter of support from the department chair or division chief.*
Description of the proposed research for planned award (5-page limit, can include background, specific aims, significance, and research plan).
Description of research facilities.
Detailed budget with justification of funds.
One page narrative describing the relationship of the proposed research to the applicant’s career goals.
Disclosure of other currently funded research projects and pending applications for support.
Describe next step plans after the successful completion of research proposed.
First and second most significant publications.

*For those looking to send letters of support for the candidate directly to the AATS Foundation, please email foundation@aats.org.

Guidelines

Applications requesting up to $50,000 per year for up to two years are welcomed, in addition to smaller short-term requests.
For requests of more than one year, a progress report and request for additional funding are required prior to the end of the originally funded year.
Decisions for the second year of funding will be made after review of the progress report.
All applications will be subject to a rigorous peer-review process which will be established and overseen by the program’s AATS Foundation/WTS Mid-Career Investigator Award Committee and the AATS Foundation Advisory Council.
If selected, the award will be paid to the successful applicant’s institution for covering expenses for support of salary, research supplies, travel, other legitimate academic expenses of the scholar and to address external constraints. It cannot be used to support indirect institutional costs.
All publications emanating from the research must include acknowledgement of the award.

Review Process

The AATS Foundation's Equity & Career Development Scholarship Committee will review all applications and select one awardee to be presented to AATS Board of Directors for final approval. Applications will be graded on all aspects of the award criteria.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong research proposal with clear clinical relevance (highest predictor)

AATS asks for a 5-page proposal covering background, specific aims, significance, and research plan. Successful applications typically show:

a clearly defined research question
direct relevance to cardiac, thoracic, or congenital surgery
strong potential to improve surgical outcomes, techniques, or translational science
feasible methodology with realistic milestones

Reviewers explicitly use peer review to assess scientific merit and feasibility.

2. Strong academic trajectory / early evidence of productivity

Past recipients often already show strong academic momentum before award:

first-author publications in cardiothoracic surgery
prior presentations at AATS/STS or major surgical meetings
evidence of ongoing research productivity
clear pathway toward becoming an academic surgeon-scientist

A 2022 outcome study found AATS-funded investigators later achieved high publication output, strong citation metrics, and frequent academic promotion.

3. Institutional environment & mentor support

This appears especially important.

Applications require a letter of support from:

division chief
department chair
or laboratory director

Strong applications usually demonstrate:

protected research time
access to lab/clinical datasets
senior mentorship from established cardiothoracic investigators
institutional commitment to the applicant’s academic development

Reviewers seem to favor proposals where the institution clearly enables completion of the project.

4. Career-development alignment

AATS emphasizes that the research should fit the applicant’s long-term career goals.

A competitive application usually explains:

Why this project matters now in your career
How it helps transition to independence
What larger grant it will lead to next (NIH K/R awards, foundation funding, multicenter studies)

For mid-career programs AATS specifically asks applicants to describe how the award will lead to future funding.

5. Evidence the project can generate future external funding

One of the strongest indirect predictors.

AATS often supports projects likely to generate:

pilot data
preliminary mechanistic findings
publishable outcomes that can support later NIH or equivalent applications

Notably, ~45% of prior AATS awardees later obtained NIH funding, which suggests reviewers value projects with strong “next grant” potential.

Specialties

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Eligibility Requirements

Completed her formal training in cardiothoracic surgery and be certified by the appropriate Thoracic Surgery Board in the United States, Canada, or international equivalent.
Must have a current academic or hospital appointment at a US or Canadian institution.
Must have completed their cardiothoracic residency no longer than 15 years from the application.
Must articulate their overall career development plan, describe current barriers to this plan and how this award would help address these barriers towards successful promotion and career advancement.

Eligible Countries:

Canada

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 10304 Eaton Place Suite 100 #1035 Fairfax, VA 22030

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