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Annual Meeting Travel Awards

American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Applicant Requirements: Deadline ends at 11:59pm Eastern on 1/31/2026

Career Stage: Early Career Surgeons, Mid-Career Surgeons

Program Type: Annual Meeting Program

Specialty: Cardiac

Status: Open

Opens: September 1, 2025

Deadline: January 31, 2026

Program Overview

The AATS Foundation is proud to have received a grant from Edwards Lifesciences Foundation for this program as part of its Every Heartbeat Matters (EHM) initiative. Between 2014-2020, the EHM community has impacted the global burden of heart valve disease by educating, screening and treating more than 1.7 million underserved people, surpassing the initial goal of 1 million. The next phase of this initiative is focused on improving the lives of 2.5 million additional underserved structural heart and critical care patients by the end of 2025. "Underserved" refers to individuals who have a health disparity as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and lack awareness of, or access to, medically appropriate heart valve-related healthcare.

Provides complimentary registration and travel stipends of up to $2,000 to attend the AATS Annual Meeting. Funding will be provided to surgeons from around the world at under-resourced medical centers and who treat heart valve disease patients in underserved populations.

Application Process

Applicants should provide the following information:

A curriculum vitae with a full description of their surgical experience.
A one-page narrative describing how this program will impact your training and help advance patient care at your institution. It may also include an outline of your current practice with an estimate of the number of underserved VHD patients you treat annually, which includes the types of diseases currently treated, as well as an estimate of the number of VHD patients you may be able to more positively impact following attendance at the AATS Annual Meeting.

*Please note that any award payments made to foreign individuals may be subject to federal tax withholding of up to 30% if a recipient is traveling to the United States.

Review Process: The AATS Foundation’s Travel Award Committee will review all applications and recommend recipients to be presented to AATS Foundation Board of Directors for a final decision. The committee will focus on the potential impact the award may have on treating the underserved population in the applicants’ home country.

Applications will be graded on all aspects of the award criteria. All applicants will be notified with an official letter from the AATS Foundation prior to the Annual Meeting. Should you have any questions regarding your status prior to receiving this notification, please contact foundation@aats.org.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Here are traits and factors that correlate with successful applications:

Predictor	Why It Matters / Supporting Evidence
Clear relevance to cardiothoracic surgery	The awardees analyzed in a 2022 commentary had high academic productivity in CT surgery and the applications were in CT surgery domains (basic or clinical). PMC
Applicant at appropriate career stage with institutional/mentorship support	The Research Scholarship is specifically for early‐career CT surgeons (first two years of faculty appointment). The presence of mentorship and institutional support increases feasibility. AATS+1
High scientific quality, innovation & feasibility	The funded scholars show strong subsequent productivity (citations, h‐index) indicating that the projects were high quality. PMC
Track record or likelihood of follow‐on funding	For example, awardees went on to NIH funding (45% of cohort got NIH after the AATS Foundation awards). PMC
Well‐defined research plan with deliverables	The application guidelines require specific aims, background, research plan, budget, etc. AATS
Membership/eligibility compliance	Applicants must meet criteria (e.g., CT surgeon with proper certification or board‐equivalent). AATS
Academic output and scholarly impact	Analysis showed high publication and citation metrics among awardees. PMC

⚠️ Common Weaknesses / Pitfalls

Mis‐match in career stage (e.g., too far out of training or without early faculty appointment as required)

Research scope not clearly in CT surgery (or too generic)

Project aims too broad/unrealistic for the award timeframe

Weak mentorship or institutional support letter

Lack of clear pathway to follow‐on funding or impact

Application not meeting all eligibility criteria (e.g., certification status, years in faculty)

📋 Strategic Tips for Applicants

Ensure your project is clearly within cardiothoracic surgery, whether basic, translational, or clinical.

If early‐career: highlight mentorship, your institutional faculty appointment start date, your track record, and planned career trajectory.

Provide a focused, realistic research plan: specific aims, timelines, budget, deliverables within the 2‐year award.

Demonstrate potential for follow‐on funding, and your institution’s support (lab space, surgeon‐scientist environment).

Meet all eligibility criteria meticulously: certification, years since training, membership, etc.

Emphasize innovation and impact: how your work will advance CT surgery.

Make sure your application is formatted correctly, with all required documents, budget justification, and institutional letters.

Specialties

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Eligibility Requirements

Must be an international heart valve surgeon demonstrating a financial need and who treats heart valve disease patients in underserved populations.
Must provide information on the number of underserved patients s/he cares for annually.

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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