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Annual Meeting Travel Awards

Applicant Requirements: Deadline ends at 11:59pm Eastern on 2/1/2026

Career Stage: Early Career Surgeons, Medical Students, Mid-Career Surgeons, Residents/ Fellows

Program Type: Annual Meeting Program, Career Development Award

Specialty: Multi-specialty

Status: Closed

Opens: September 1, 2025

Deadline: February 2, 2026

Program Overview

Provides travel stipends of up to $2,500 to attend the AATS Annual Meeting. Funding is available to surgeons and trainees worldwide, across all career stages and geographic regions. Additional support is designated for surgeons practicing at under-resourced medical centers and those caring for heart valve disease patients in underserved communities.

View AATS Annual Meeting Travel Award recipients

Eligibility Requirements

  • North American Applicants (any subspecialty)
    • Residents, Fellows, and Medical Students
    • Award: $1,000 travel stipend
  • International Applicants (any subspecialty)
    • Residents, Fellows, Early Career Surgeons, and Mid-Career Surgeons
    • Award: $2,500 travel stipend
    • International cardiac candidates should identify the following information:
      • If you are an international heart valve surgeon demonstrating a financial need and who treats heart valve disease patients in underserved populations.
      • Number of underserved patients s/he cares for annually.

Application Process

Applicants should provide the following information:

  • A curriculum vitae with a full description of their surgical experience.
  • A one-page narrative describing how this program will impact your training and help advance patient care at your institution.
    • International cardiac candidates should identify the following information: An outline of your current practice with an estimate of the number of underserved VHD patients you treat annually, which includes the types of diseases currently treated, as well as an estimate of the number of VHD patients you may be able to more positively impact following attendance at the AATS Annual Meeting.

*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: The AATS Foundation’s Travel Award Committee will review all applications and recommend recipients to be presented to AATS Foundation Board of Directors for a final decision. The committee will focus on the potential impact the award may have on treating the underserved population in the applicants’ home country.

Applications will be graded on all aspects of the award criteria. All applicants will be notified with an official letter from the AATS Foundation prior to the Annual Meeting. Should you have any questions regarding your status prior to receiving this notification, please contact foundation@aats.org.

Funding is made available through AATS Foundation William Norwood Honoring Our Mentor Program, AATS Foundation Denton A. Cooley Honoring Our Mentor Program, the Edwards Lifesciences Foundation, and the Mussallem CHD Alliance.

Supported By

Mussallem


Program past deadline:

Deadline has passed for applying for this program.