Thoracic Surgery Foundation & Francis Fontan Fund International Travelling Fellowship
Summary
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Application dates:
1st July – 15th September 2025
- Grant
€16,500
- Location:
To be selected by the applicant
- Duration:
1-4 Months
- Start Date:
From January 2026
Fellowship Overview
The purpose of this Fellowship is to facilitate the continuing education of a young faculty surgeon.
The award is to be used for international travel to another institution for 1-4 Months. If you are from North America you are expected to secure a mentor in Europe however, if you are from Europe/outside of North America you are expected to secure a mentor in North America.
Funding
Awards of €16,500 for 1-4 Months will be granted to help with the travel and living expenses for the fellowship period. In addition, you will receive free registration to both the EACTS Annual Meeting and the STS Annual Meeting, along with a travel bursary to attend both meetings.
Professor Large and his team at the Royal Papworth Hospital in England are at the forefront of innovation with respect to non-thermic regional perfusion heart transplantation. They have managed to increase the volume of heart transplantation at their center by over 30% due to their innovative techniques, which I hope to acquire. I feel honored and privileged to receive the International Travelling Fellowship.”
Amy G. Fiedler, MD, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
Application and Selection
The ideal candidate will meet the following criteria:
- Completed a program leading to certification by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery (ABTS) or its equivalent in a country outside the United States
- Within seven years of their first faculty appointment
- Achieved appropriate certification or recognition in cardiothoracic surgery
- Devotes professional efforts to the interests of the specialty
- Holds a full and unrestricted license to practice medicine in their respective geographic area
- No pending actions that could adversely affect qualification for staff privileges at any hospital
- Be a member of EACTS/STS (essential)
You must choose your mentor as well as securing a position with the mentor at the host institution. The mentor must be an STS or EACTS member.
In order to complete your application, you must submit the following documents*:
- Your CV
- Mentor CV: Restricted to one page CV / biography / NIH Biosketch / or equivalent
- Letter of Support from Mentor. The letter should confirm: the availability of adequate training environment/educational experience that will provide the proposed training, and his or her agreement to serve as mentor.
- Letter of interest detailing the way in which you meet the above application criteria, along with your career aspirations, as well as how you believe the Fellowship will impact your career.
- Budget (approximate breakdown of funding costs)
*Please ensure that all documents submitted are written in English, and that they are submitted either as word documents or PDF. We do not accept images or handwritten applications. We are unable to provide advice or guidance about visa applications, so please ensure that you understand the visa requirements before applying for this Fellowship.
Evaluation and Feedback
At the end of the Fellowship, the Fellows will produce a full report on their experience based on the Francis Fontan Fund Committee guidelines.
Terms and Conditions
- You cannot apply for more than one fellowship in a single year.
- You cannot apply for a fellowship if you have been awarded one in the last two years.
- If you do not submit all requested documents your application will not be reviewed.
- If you do not follow the application guidelines (document format, essential criteria etc) your application will not be reviewed.
- If you submit any false information your application will be immediately void (regardless of application stage).
- Once your fellowship start date is confirmed, 80% of the fellowship grant will be transferred to you.
- On completion of the fellowship and receipt of your final report, the remaining 20% of the fellowship grant will be transferred to you.
- Should your fellowship include third party fees, EACTS will pay this directly from your initial 80% grant payment, with the remaining balance being transferred to you.
- If for any reason you find you are unable to complete or attend training, you should notify EACTS at your earliest convenience. If the grant payment has already been made, you will be asked to repay the monies received based on incurred costs to date. Proof of expenses will be required.
The Francis Fontan Fellowship programme fosters the continued growth and development of cardiothoracic surgeons by providing opportunities to learn from the highest standards of cardiothoracic care and gain knowledge of novel techniques and innovative technologies used by other institutes around the world. Successful applicants will use the valuable learnings and collaborative relationships developed through their Fellowship to further the progress of cardiothoracic surgery at their home institution and support the delivery of the highest quality patient care.
- The fellowship needs to be completed within the year that it was awarded.
- Awardees need to be in full time employment throughout the fellowship.
NB. The Francis Fontan Fund Committee will consider any fellow who falls outside of this condition on a case-by-case basis. All decisions are final, and the Committee are not obliged to share the reasoning behind any decision made.
- Grant