Thoracic Surgical Oncology Clinical Trial Research Training Fellowship
Applicant Requirements: Deadline ends at 11:59pm Eastern on 7/1/2025
Career Stage: Residents/ Fellows
Program Type: Fellowship
Specialty: Thoracic
Status: Open
Opens: April 1, 2025
Deadline: July 2, 2025
Program Overview
The AATS Thoracic Surgical Oncology Research Training Fellowship Program is designed to provide an industry-academic clinical practicum with a unique opportunity for thoracic surgeons to train in clinical trial design, writing, endpoint selection and data interpretation among other important aspects of being a clinical trialist. Each fellowship provides $100,000 over 12 months for the fellow to work on site at the facility of one of AATS’s pharmaceutical industry partners. Applicants must plan to spend 9-12 months onsite: however, time spent at the industry site over this period may be flexible and will be determined upon mutual agreement between the selected fellow’s institution, and industry partner.
Fellows will be provided with industry experience in clinical research, clinical trial design, and data analysis. They will be accountable for executing clinical activities and research project(s) to be completed within the one-year period. Opportunities for publication and presentation of completed work will be provided.
The industry partners for this program and their areas of interest include the following:
- AstraZeneca (facility located in Gaithersburg, MD or Waltham, MA) Early- and late-stage clinical development including, but not limited to, antibody-drug conjugates, immunotherapy, and cell therapy and their emerging role in early-stage NSCLC or esophageal cancer.
Learning Objectives and Goals:
- Learn the fundamentals of conducting clinical research in thoracic oncology, such as:
- understanding potential predictors of response to therapies
- identifying early response endpoints
- developing optimal trial design methods for evaluating novel drug combinations and quickly identifying the most promising combinations
- examining the role of surgery in these clinical trials
- assuring that quality surgical procedures are performed and documented in the trial design
- Learn about clinical trial design, protocol development, and data analysis
- Learn about late-stage clinical development from the perspective of medical affairs
- Design and complete a clinical research project
- Identify opportunities for publication and presentation for the completed work.
Acceptance into the program includes the following:
The Thoracic Surgical Oncology Clinical Trial Research Training Fellowship can be used to fund:
- Award of $100,000 for one fellow to participate in a 12-month fellowship at AstraZeneca facility location, with expertise focused on general thoracic surgical oncology and the multidisciplinary management of cancer patients.
- Awarded fellow can utilize a portion of funds to cover airfare, lodging, and registration fees to attend the AATS Annual Meeting and International Thoracic Surgical Oncology Summit to further enhance their educational experience.
Eligibility Requirements
- Actively engaged in ACGME-approved or similar foreign training program in general surgery or in thoracic surgery prior to the start of the fellowship, with general thoracic surgery as their primary specialty.
- Have an academic or hospital appointment (as a resident, fellow, or new faculty member).
- Candidates from all training programs worldwide are welcome to apply.
- Fluency in English and meeting all necessary prerequisites for travel to and from the host training center such as visa and license requirements are mandatory.
- There are no citizenship requirements. However, by submitting an application for this grant, the applicant who is not a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident assures that the visa status will provide sufficient time to complete the project and grant term.
- The applicant should ensure that their visa status will allow them to complete the fellowship onsite with the industry partner while maintaining their employment with the host institution. Applicants should not be employees or subcontractors of a U.S. government entity or for-profit private industry or be clinical fellows applying from a U.S. government laboratory (e.g., NIH, CDC, FDA, etc.).
Application Process
- Applicants should provide a curriculum vitae with a full description of their surgical experience.
Letter of support from his/her current attending surgeon or department chair/division chief *
- One- to two-page narrative to include:
- What you hope to accomplish during your fellowship at AstraZeneca
- How you will utilize the skills you develop and how will you implement in your career
- Relationship of the planned study to the your prior experience, preparation, and professional goals.
- Statement of your future career goals.
*For those looking to send letters of support for the candidate directly to the AATS Foundation, please email foundation@aats.org.
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
AATS Foundation’s 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 foundation@aats.org.
Supported By
