Marc R. de Leval Fellowship

Program Overview

The AATS Foundation's Marc R. de Leval Fellowship is for international and domestic cardiothoracic and thoracic surgeons who have recently completed a congenital heart surgery fellowship. This fellowship allows recipients to spend two to three months studying congenital heart surgery clinical techniques at an institution of their choosing while developing relationships with international congenital heart surgeons. Applicants must have secured an institutional assignment and note the training period within their application. Funded and administered by the AATS Foundation, this program provides an award of up to $30,000 per fellow each year to defray travel and living expenses while abroad. Additionally, recipients are strongly encouraged to attend the AATS Annual Meeting.

Host Surgeons and Institutions

• Massimo Caputo, MD, Bristol Heart Institute (United Kingdom)
• Lorenzo Galletti, MD, Hospital Bambino Gesù (Italy)
• Martin Kostolny, MD, Great Ormond Street Hospital (United Kingdom)
• Giovanni Battista Luciani, MD, University Hospital Verona (Italy)
• Bohdan J. Maruszewski, MD, Children's Memorial Health Institute (Poland)
• Daniel Zimpfer, MD, MUW/AKH Vienna (Austria)

Please note, applicants are still able to identify a different host of their choosing, if preferred, within the application.

View Marc R. de Leval Fellowship recipients

Application Process

• Applicants should provide a curriculum vitae with a full description of their surgical experience.
• Letters of support from his/her current attending surgeon and future department chair/division chief.*
• Letter of support from the chief at the institution they plan to visit which concurs with the plan of study.*
• Travel itinerary and lodging arrangements while at host training site.
• One to two page narrative to include:
  • What you hope to accomplish during your fellowship at the host institution.
  • How you plan to utilize the skills you have learned upon returning to your home institution.
  • How this fellowship relates to the your prior experience, preparation, and professional goals.
  • Statement of future career goals.

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

Review Process

The AATS Foundation’s Congenital Scholarship Committee will review all applications and recommend recipients to be presented to AATS Foundation Board of Directors for a final decision. Applications will be graded on all aspects of the award criteria.

All applicants will be notified with an official letter from the AATS Foundation within 2-3 months of the program deadline. Should you have any questions regarding your status prior to receiving this notification, please contact admin@aatsfoundation.org.