SPONSORED BY AN UNRESTRICTED EDUCATIONAL GRANT FROM KARL STORZ
Eligibility
This award is intended for residents or fellows in any of the surgical disciplines who are working with an SUS member doing research in one of the following topics:
- Digital Technology in the OR – The impact of the use of new digital technology methods for Image Enhancement and Intelligence
- Augmentation (often referred to as Artificial Intelligence in the OR) on clinical outcomes and operating room efficiency.
- Surgical Education and Performance Assessment
- Procedural Innovation, focusing on endoscopic or minimally invasive surgery
SUS Executive Council and Scholarship Committee members are excluded from applying or mentoring residents/fellows. If your intended SUS member research mentor is on the following list you are NOT eligible:
Jayme Locke, MD, MPH (Chair)
Peter Angelos, MD
Adam Berger, MD
Genevieve Boland, MD
George Chang, MD
Danny Chu, MD
Dev Desai, MD
Timothy Donahue, MD
Cynthia Downard, MD
Danny Chu, MD
Timothy Donahue, MD
Cynthia Downard, MD
Sunil Geevarghese, MD
Allan Goldstein, MD
Ash Gosain, MD
O. Joe Hines, MD
Jussuf Kaifi, MD
Gregory Kennedy, MD
Sanjay Krishnaswami, MD
Clara Lee, MD
Melinda Maggard-Gibbons, MD
Melanie Morris, MD
Matthew Neal, MD
Benedict Nwomeh, MD
Ravi Radhakrishnan, MD
David Stewart, MD
Jennifer Tseng, MD
Allan Tsung, MD
Thomas Varghese, MD
Kasper Wang, MD
Tracy Wang, MD
Rebekah White, MD
Sandra Wong, MD, MS
FUNDING PERIOD: August 1, 2023-July 31, 2024
STIPEND
This is a one-year award of $30,000. The funds can be used for either salary or expense support, but must be expended solely for the sponsored research project. No indirect costs will be covered. Generally indirect costs would refer to costs such as electricity, water, internet services, and janitorial services, which would be paid to the institution at which the research is conducted. The stipend is expected to cover the cost of the awardee ASC presentation requirement, which is listed below (i.e., no additional travel funds will be provided). The purchase of any equipment greater than $1,000 must be adequately justified in the budget section.
COMMITTEE REVIEW
The application system is now closed and will open in mid-April. Applications will be reviewed by the SUS Scholarship Committee. Finalists will be invited to interview with the Scholarship Committee in late June.
AWARDEE PRESENTATIONS AT ASC
The awardee will be expected to provide the SUS office with an interim written report on the status of their research by December 31, 2023. The awardee will then be required to appear at the 2025 Academic Surgical Congress to provide a report on their research in a special session of the Scholarship and Executive Committees and at the AAS/SUS Research Awards Session. All travel and registration funds for presentation at the ASC should be covered by the grant.
APPLICATION PROCEDURE
BEFORE YOU BEGIN:
Applications must be submitted using the online submission site which will close Friday, June 30, 2023 at 5:00 PM Pacific Time. All files must be uploaded by the applicant IN PDF FORMAT (REQUIRED). Grants which are incomplete or do not follow the page limits or formatting guidelines will not be reviewed.
Applicants are encouraged to consult with their institution’s contracts and grants office for information regarding processing requirements for grant applications prior to submission and ensure compliance with institutional policies and procedures. While each institution’s policies differ, many require notification of intent to submit a proposal at least one month prior to the application submission deadline. Familiarize yourself with any institutional deadlines you must meet, and allow plenty of time for the review and authorization process, as well as delays or unforeseen circumstances that may arise. Applications submitted after the deadline will not be accepted.
The application process consists of the following steps:
Step 1
Complete the General Information section, which includes your contact information as well as the Primary and Secondary (if applicable) Institution information.
Step 2
Applicants must complete the SUS Member Research Mentor and Department Chair Information section. Please note: automatic emails from the SUS grant application system will be sent to both the Research Mentor and Department Chair requesting them to upload letters of recommendation upon submission of your application. You should contact your letter writers in advance so that they know to expect the email. Applications are not considered complete until the letters have been received, therefore you should complete that section of the application well in advance of the deadline to allow your letter writers time to upload their letters.
LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION
The following TWO letters of support must be included with your application for it to be considered complete:
- SUS MEMBER RESEARCH MENTOR: The letter from the SUS Member Research Mentor should cover the basics of recommendation-why they have chosen to be your mentor and their thoughts on your proposal, research, honors, publications, etc. They should indicate the value they feel in your participation/application and may choose to include comments regarding your abilities and your potential contributions to the field. The letter should also describe his/her mentorship track-record and outcome of previous trainees. The letter should also provide the mentorship plan, including information on research environment, salary, available laboratory space, plan for supervision, and other educational activities during the course of the award period. To meet the eligibility requirements, the SUS Member Research Mentor must be a member in good standing. They may check their member status by contacting Rachel Taylor in the SUS Membership Department at membership@susweb.org.
- DEPARTMENT CHAIR: The letter from the Chair (whether or not he/she is an SUS Member) should indicate the research capability of the applicant and the institutional support for the applicant and protected time available for the pursuit of research, as well as confirmation that the institution will not subject the award to an indirect costs tax. Note: If you are conducting your research at a Secondary Institution, the letter should come from the Chair at your home institution.
**If your SUS Member Research Mentor is also the Department Chair, they will need to submit two letters addressing the specific requirements for each letter as stated above.
Step 3
Applicants must complete the research section of the application, titled Supporting Documents in the online system. The Supporting Documents include the following:
Research Application
Applications must use either 11 pt. Arial or 12 pt. Times Roman font. There is a 5 page limit (inclusive of references) with standard one-half inch margins (top, bottom, left, and right) for all pages, including continuation pages. No information should appear in the margins, including the PD/PI’s name and page numbers. The recommended structure of the research application is as follows:
- Hypothesis and Specific Aims (1 page)
- Significance and Innovation (1/2 page)
- Approach (up t 2 pages)
- References (1/2 page)
Preliminary data can be included in the Approach Section. Grants which are incomplete or do not follow the format specifications will not be reviewed.
Institutional Authorization Form
Approvals must be submitted from the Chair of the Department and the administration (Dean or Fiscal Officer) of the institution in which the research will be performed verifying various institutional requirements and approvals (e.g. research, administration, human subjects and animal care committee, approvals etc.). Applicants must download the Award Authorization Form (the form is available for download online) and must upload it to the application once the signatures and approval have been received. Animal or Human Subject Authorization: Approvals must be submitted for the use of animal or human subjects, if appropriate. The SUS would not fund a project which might not receive animal use committee approval. IRB and IACUC can be stated as pending, but would need to be approved and submitted prior to the start of the award funding (by June 1, 2023). An approved IRB may be submitted as the “human rights” authorized officer. This information is included in the Authorization Form. Note: If you have already received IRB approval, you should upload the approval letter/notification with your authorization form.
Click here to download the authorization form.
Biosketches
All biosketches are required to follow the most recent published NIH format and a sample can be found at:
http://grants.nih.gov/grants/forms/biosketch.htm
A biosketch is required and must be uploaded for each of the following:
– Applicant Biosketch – Please be sure to include an additional section on previous research experience.
– SUS Member Research Mentor Biosketch – All mentors significantly involved in the research project must submit a biosketch.
Each biosketch should include the items outlined below:
- Education and Training: Begin with baccalaureate or other initial professional training, and include postdoctoral training.
- Positions and Honors: List honors and previous positions, including your present position, in chronological order.
- Peer-reviewed Publications: Please list only peer-reviewed publications and manuscripts that have been accepted for publication. Do not list abstracts, manuscripts submitted or in preparation, invited commentaries, letters to editors, lectures, presentations, non peer-reviewed articles or book chapters.
- Research Experience: List both ongoing and completed research projects.
Facilities and Resources Description Document
Upload a description of the Facilities and Resources available to the applicant that will exist during the time of the award.
Budget Document
Upload a proposed budget.
SUS AWARD CONTACTS:
For questions regarding the award eligibility or qualifications, authorizations and application content, contact SUS Coordinator Catherine Sutherland in the SUS office at: (310)986-6442, ext. 107, or by email: info@susweb.org.
For questions regarding SUS Member status, contact SUS Membership Services Coordinator, Rachel Taylor at: (310) 986-6442 x 138 or membership@susweb.org.