SSAT Grants & Awards Program

Grants available for application January through March

This 2-year program aims to develop and support mid-career faculty from underrepresented backgrounds and/or under-resourced institutions who have interest in becoming an academic leader in GI surgery.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2026

1,000 USD travel grants: For young investigators who co-author basic science abstracts selected for presentation at DDW. These travel grants are administered by DDW and are open to co-authors of basic science abstracts submitted to and accepted by any of the four DDW societies.
Application Deadline: Feb. 19, 2026

8,000 USD stipend: To subsidize attendance and participation in the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts.
Application Deadline has passed.

75,000 USD/year for 2 years: For young faculty members to help establish investigators, basic or clinical, in digestive diseases.
Application Deadline: March 31, 2026

Grants available for application April through June

$20,000 USD/year for 2 years: This award is to assist in the development of early career faculty members engaged in disparities research in digestive diseases. The SSAT award is meant to support health disparities/diversity investigators within 10 years of faculty appointment. The supported research should be focused on health care disparities research. This includes, but is not limited to, investigating the effect on race/ethnicity, access to healthcare, socio-economic status, gender, age, disability, geographic location, or sexual orientation on health care outcomes and developing methodology to decrease these disparities.
Application Deadline has passed

8,000 USD stipend: A fellowship to provide an opportunity to promote interaction among surgeons in low- and middle-income countries and members of the SSAT. The goal is to develop centers of excellence in GI surgery throughout the world, harnessing the expertise of SSAT members and identifying local champions who can promote GI surgical quality in their home countries.
Application Deadline has passed

7,000 USD stipend: For an SSAT member to visit a University-affiliated or academic practice of his/her choosing, within the US or Canada, for a period of 6 to 10 days, under the sponsorship of an SSAT member at the hosting institution, thereby promoting interaction and learning among SSAT members within the US or Canada.
Application Deadline has passed

The SSAT-sponsored Visiting Grand Rounds Professorship program promotes mid-level faculty by providing them an opportunity to be Visiting Professors for Grand Rounds. This program offers a vehicle for mid-level faculty within the SSAT to increase their visibility and name recognition, as well as provides networking opportunities with colleagues.
Application Deadline has passed

20,000 USD/year for 2 years: This award is to assist in the development of young faculty members engaged in clinical, outcomes, and/or educational research in digestive diseases.
Application Deadline: has passed.

Grants available for application July through September

5,000 USD stipend: This Travel Exchange is for a US early career SSAT surgeon member (< 7 years in practice) to exchange with an international early career SSAT surgeon member for a 4 to 5 day visit in each home country.
Application deadline has passed

$25,000: This one year research fellowship award will be provided to a resident or fellow SSAT Candidate member to support research being conducted in the research program of SSAT members.
Application deadline has passed.

$10,000 USD stipend: For an SSAT member to visit International GI Surgery units and an International Meeting, thereby promoting interaction and learning among junior academic surgeons in the SSAT with surgical units overseas.
Application deadline has passed

Grants available for application October through December

As a partner society of Digestive Disease Week® (DDW), the SSAT is pleased to offer a variety of Travel Scholarships to support our members in attending DDW 2026. Each Scholarship will provide $1,000 or $1,500 USD (category dependent) in financial assistance to help offset travel expenses, as well as complimentary conference registration.

To recognize an individual or organization that has impacted the public by promoting, educating, or creating awareness of gastrointestinal health.

To recognize an SSAT member who is an outstanding clinical surgeon. The award will be presented during the Annual Meeting of the SSAT at DDW.
Application deadline has passed

To recognize an SSAT member who is an outstanding surgical educator and mentor. The award will be presented during the Annual Meeting of the SSAT at DDW.
Application deadline has passed

The SSAT Founders Medal was established in 1976 and is given annually to an individual who has provided leadership and service to the SSAT over their career in surgery. While it is often given to a Past President of the SSAT, this is not a requirement; the only real requirement is dedication, leadership and service over the span of many years.

The SSAT Residents and Fellows Research Conference is a half-day session held annually in conjunction with Digestive Disease Week®, at which the residents and fellows who serve as the presenting authors of the highest ranked abstracts from the Annual Meeting are given the opportunity to present their own work and hear and discuss the work of their colleagues from around the world. Participating in the SSAT Residents and Fellows Research Conference is by invitation only.