Health Care Disparities Research Award

Timeline

Eligibility Criteria

• The supported research should be focused on health care disparities research. This includes, but is not limited to, global surgery projects and global clinical research 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.
  
  
• The award is restricted to surgeons who have completed formal clinical training in general surgery and are faculty appointed in a department of surgery at a medical school accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education in the United States or by the Committee for Accreditation of Canadian Medical Schools in Canada, or the equivalent national accrediting body for applicants from other countries.
  
  
• Candidates must have expertise in health disparities research or demonstrate a strong mentoring team with such expertise.
  
  
• Candidates must be a member of the SSAT in good standing with the society.
  
  
• Though a specific amount of dedicated research time is not required, the Head of the Department and/or Division of General Surgery must ensure the applicant has sufficient protected time for the proposed research.
  
  
• The SSAT award of $20,000 per year for two years is meant to support health disparities/diversity investigators within 10 years of faculty appointment.
  
  
• The second year of funding is conditional on submission and presentation of a progress reports at the end of the first year of funding.
  
  
• The award may be used to support clinical trial infrastructure (research assistants, data analysts, etc.), purchase of large administrative datasets necessary for conducting research, education/formal training in clinical research/biostatistics, and principal investigator salary support to ensure protected research time. No portion of the award is to be used for institutional indirect costs.
  
  
• The recipient will present a progress report the SSAT leadership at the Annual Meeting at the end of the first year of funding as well as immediately following the total award period.
  
  
• It is expected that the recipient submit abstracts arising from his/her Health Care Disparities Research Award-funded research to the SSAT Annual Meeting for presentation consideration, as well as manuscripts to the Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery, the official journal of the SSAT, for publication consideration.

Applications
Applications will include:

1. A completed online application form.
2. The applicant's curriculum vitae.
3. A research plan of no more than 8 pages using the following headings:
   1. Title
   2. Summary (Abstract)
   3. Specific Aims
   4. Significance
   5. Innovation
   6. Approach
   7. References
4. Three page summary of the environment supporting the research. If applicable, for new investigators, this should include details regarding mentorship and planned training/career development plan.
5. A one page personal statement from the applicant regarding how the award to the recipient would improve diversity within the surgical workforce as well as describing in what manner the proposed research impacts health care disparities.
6. Appropriate institutional (IRB) approvals.
7. A supporting letter from the Department Head/Division Director indicating a commitment to continuation of the academic position and facilities for research and of adequate protected time.

Review
Applications for the Health Care Disparities Research Award will be reviewed by the Research Committee of the SSAT.

Please note that this is an online process, and only online applications will be considered.