SAGES

Reimagining surgical care for a healthier world

Career Development Award

The SAGES Career Development Award will be conducted biennially.

View the Applications: CLICK HERE

Applications Open: AUGUST 2026

Purpose & Guidelines

The focus of this SAGES Foundation supported award is to provide funding for a young surgeon or surgeon-in-training for the development of critical skills required for their academic career in gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery. The intent of this award is to provide a period of protected time equivalent to 6 months without clinical obligations. This can take the form of a delay in the start of a faculty role, ongoing residency training, a reduced clinical role for supplemental training/traveling fellowships, or intensive organized educational activities. This award will provide the awardee with a unique educational opportunity that would not otherwise be available. Awards are conferred on a competitive basis by submission of an award application, which is reviewed and evaluated by the SAGES Research & Career Development Committee and approved by the Governing Board.

Available Award

The award will be $60,000 to support travel, salary support, and/or tuition. (Note: The salary support portion of the grant will be taxable)

Award Guidelines

Eligible applicants must be a current SAGES Candidate member (including residents and Fellows), or a Member early in his or her faculty appointment (within five years of completion of training).

This award is not intended to be used for research supplies. The time commitment to the project is to be at least 6 months.

Awardees will summarize their experience at the SAGES Annual Meeting and submit results to Surgical Endoscopy or Mini-SCOPE.

Examples of successful proposals could include, but are not exclusive to the following:

  • Salary support for a basic or clinical investigation by the awardee.
  • Salary support for intensive training in a clinical area (interventional endoscopy, NOTES, advanced laparoscopic techniques).
  • Salary support for training in research, management, leadership or related field (outcomes, legislative, safety, financing)

The following information will be required

  1. Plan of Study (Not to exceed 6 pages)
    • Detail of 6-month proposal, including a timeline.
    • Why are you interested in this award?
    • How will the proposed plan contribute to the field of gastrointestinal and endoscopic surgery and/or improve patient care?
    • What are your future career plans?
    • How will this award help you achieve your long-term goals?
    • Other potential or secured funding sources for the proposed award time.
  2. Letter from Current Chair (or Chair/Chief you will return to at the completion of fellowship if changing positions)
  3. Letter from the proposed hosting institution(s) with agreements for support
  4. Curriculum vitae for the principal investigator and any co-investigators in a 5 page, NIH biosketch format.
  5. Other letters of reference as applicable (maximum 3)

Important Instructions 

The SAGES Career Development Award Application is completely online.
Members MUST be logged into their SAGES account to submit the application.
Must upload the entire application as a single PDF file.

Please review the following: CDA Instructions

Available Template: CDA Template

Applications Close: Sunday, October 1st, 2023

Need Advice on Grant Writing?

 

Past Career Development Award Winner Testimonial

The SAGES 2013 Career Development Award enabled me to leverage and develop my clinical practice with respect to minimally invasive foregut surgery, through focused and deliberate engagement with international leaders at four centers of excellence across North America, and in addition to acquiring skills for high-potential leaders through an intensive training program at Wharton. At the end of the Award, I was better equipped to lead clinically and academically, and continue my development toward impact and prominence in academic surgery.

– Rajesh Aggarwal, MBBS, MA, PhD, FRCS, FACS

 

Contact Information

For more questions about this award and/or any other SAGES Research grants, please email [email protected]

SAGES would like to acknowledge the SAGES Education and Research Foundation, which pledged a generous educational grant for the 2020 Career Development Award.