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Carol and Tom R. DeMeester Traveling Fellowship for Surgeons within the U.S. or Canada

Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract

Purpose
The goal of this traveling fellowship is to promote interaction and learning among SSAT members within the United States or Canada. The travelling fellow will visit a University-affiliated or academic practice of his/her choosing, within the United States or Canada, for a period of 6 to 10 days, under the sponsorship of a Society member at the hosting institution. A stipend of up to $7,000 will be provided to the Traveling Fellow, to defray reasonable costs for travel, lodging and meals.

Conditions of Award
The awardee will notify the Chairperson of the Education Committee of acceptance or refusal of Award within one week of the Fellowship recipient receiving notice of award. If the first-identified awardee cannot complete the traveling fellowship, the Chair of the Education Committee will select one of the alternates for the traveling fellowship. The awardee will contact the sponsoring member and make arrangements to complete the fellowship during the period of July 1 to June 30.

Identification of Host Department and Sponsoring SSAT Member
Applicants for the traveling fellowship will identify the institutions and SSAT members (3 to 5 members) who might be solicited as potential hosts. After identification of the traveling fellow, the Chairperson of the SSAT Education Committee will assist the awardee selecting the site to be visited, especially if an introduction is desirable or necessary.

Fellowship Stipend
A stipend of up to $7,000 will be provided to the traveling fellow, to defray reasonable costs for travel, lodging and meals. Expenses will be reimbursed by the Treasurer of the SSAT, upon receipt of the fellow's report and summary of expenses.

Fellowship Application Process
To be eligible for consideration, the following materials should be submitted via the online application.

Applicant responses to survey questions
(no more than 2 pages total, single spaced, font 11 point or larger)
Curriculum Vitae or Resume
Letter of support from the Chief of Surgery at applicant's primary hospital, which must address the specific objective provided by the applicant.
(if applicant is the Chief of Surgery, a letter from the chief of the medical staff or hospital director is acceptable)

Timeline

June 30, 2026	Application Submission Deadline
July 2026	Applications reviewed by the Education Committee
July 2026	Notification to Applicants
September 1 to August 31	Term of Award (One Year)

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong relevance to digestive diseases or GI surgery

The clearest predictor is direct alignment with digestive disease research or gastrointestinal surgery.

The most competitive proposals typically address:

gastrointestinal surgery
foregut disease
colorectal disease
pancreatic disorders
hepatobiliary surgery
esophageal disease
inflammatory bowel disease
surgical oncology of the GI tract
bariatric/metabolic surgery
digestive disease mechanisms

SSAT states that its Career Development Awards support investigators in digestive diseases.

2. Clear clinical relevance and patient impact

One of the strongest SSAT-specific predictors is clinical relevance.

Successful applications usually demonstrate potential to:

improve surgical outcomes
improve perioperative care
reduce complications
improve quality of life
optimize digestive disease management
improve decision-making in GI surgery

Projects with a visible path to improving care for patients with digestive diseases tend to score highly.

3. Strong early-career investigator profile

SSAT funding is especially focused on young faculty and emerging surgeon-scientists.

Competitive applicants are often:

surgeons within 5 years of first faculty appointment
junior academic GI surgeons
early-career faculty establishing independent research programs
residents or fellows applying for trainee awards

The SSAT Career Development Award specifically targets surgeons within five years of their first faculty appointment.

4. Strong translational or clinically rigorous study design

Successful proposals generally include:

hypothesis-driven translational research
rigorous clinical investigation
prospective outcomes research
patient-centered outcomes
comparative effectiveness research
surgical education research

SSAT explicitly supports both basic laboratory and rigorous clinical investigation.

5. Feasible project with protected research time

A particularly important predictor is whether the investigator has:

realistic project scope
achievable milestones
institutional support
sufficient protected time

For some SSAT awards, the department/division must ensure protected time for research, often at least 25% effort.

6. Strong mentorship and academic environment

Competitive applications often show:

established research mentor(s)
strong GI surgery division support
access to patient populations or databases
clinical research infrastructure
protected academic development pathway

This is especially important for residents, fellows, and junior faculty.

7. Potential to launch an independent research career

A core goal of SSAT funding is helping applicants become independent surgeon-investigators.

Reviewers often favor projects likely to:

generate pilot data
lead to NIH/NIDDK or equivalent funding
produce publications
build long-term digestive disease research programs

The Career Development Award is explicitly intended to “assist in the establishment of investigators.”

8. Outcomes, education, and health services research are increasingly competitive

SSAT now explicitly funds:

clinical outcomes research
patient-centered outcomes research
health services research
comparative effectiveness research
cost-effectiveness research
surgical education research

This creates strong opportunities beyond bench research.

9. Strong publication and presentation potential

Reviewers favor projects likely to:

produce peer-reviewed manuscripts
be presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW)
contribute to the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery
build national visibility in GI surgery

SSAT-supported work is frequently presented at DDW and published in GI surgery journals.

10. Engagement within the SSAT academic community

Applications can be strengthened by:

SSAT membership
participation in SSAT meetings
DDW abstract presentations
networking with GI surgery collaborators
involvement in early-career SSAT programming

SSAT’s Early Career GI Surgeon Development Track reflects this emphasis on career-building and community engagement.

Common Reasons for Rejection

Frequent reviewer concerns include:

weak GI or digestive disease focus
insufficient clinical relevance
poor feasibility
lack of protected time
weak methodology
limited innovation
unclear path toward independence
inadequate mentorship structure

Specialties

Gastrointestinal Surgery

Surgery

Eligibility Requirements

The goal of this traveling fellowship is to promote interaction and learning among SSAT members within the United States or Canada. The travelling fellow will visit a University-affiliated or academic practice of his/her choosing, within the United States or Canada, for a period of 6 to 10 days, under the sponsorship of a Society member at the hosting institution

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 500 Cummings Center Suite 4400 Beverly, MA 01915

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