Valerie Rusch Mentored Career Development Award
This grant supports women cardiothoracic surgeons and trainees in research, training, and mentorship exchanges between North America and low-to-middle-income countries to advance surgical science and practice.
Funder: American Association for Thoracic Surgery
Due Dates: December 1, 2026 | December 2, 2026
Funding Amounts: Up to $10,000 for longitudinal visits; up to $15,000 for 1–3 month observational fellowships; up to $50,000 for 1-year translational research fellowships.
Summary: Supports women cardiothoracic surgeons and trainees for research, training, or mentorship between North America and low-to-middle-income countries.
Key Information: Program opens September 1, 2026; application deadline ends at 11:59pm Eastern on December 1, 2026.
Description
This award is designed to advance the careers of women in cardiothoracic surgery by supporting research, clinical observational training, and mentorship exchanges between North America and low-to-middle-income countries (LMICs). The program enables female thoracic and cardiac surgeons or trainees from North America to pursue research in LMICs, or allows female surgeons or trainees from LMICs to receive training or mentorship from North American surgeons, either in North America or at their home institution. The overarching goal is to foster knowledge exchange, skill development, and the dissemination of best practices in thoracic and cardiac surgery, with a significant impact on the specialty and LMIC healthcare systems.
