Purpose

With generous support from Intuitive Inc., The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and TSF have created this award  for general thoracic surgeons or cardiothoracic surgery residents in their last year of training who have overcome significant adversity to enter the specialty, demonstrate financial need, work in a designated rural area, or work in a medically underserved area/population.

This unique educational opportunity will provide participants with skills to help create and grow a robotic general thoracic surgical practice through observing and receiving mentorship from an established robotic general thoracic surgeon.

The Robotic Thoracic Surgery Equity and Access Award will provide up to $10,000 of travel-related support. Travel must be booked via Tangerine Travel, Intuitive’s preferred travel agency, and only actual costs will be paid. Half of the award will be distributed to the recipient, and half will be distributed to an approved mentor, as further outlined below. (The TR200 and TR400 course/lab fees will be donated by Intuitive, an estimated value of more than $7,000.)

Eligibility/Prerequisites

• American Board of Thoracic Surgery certified or eligible thoracic surgeon, with >50% general thoracic surgery practice, or cardiothoracic surgery resident in their last year of training at an ACGME-accredited program at the time of application.
• Fits at least one of the following descriptors:
  • Has overcome significant adversity to enter the specialty
  • Demonstrates financial need
  • Works in a designated rural area
  • Work in a medically underserved area or with a medically underserved population

• Appropriate access to the DaVinci robotic system of at least once per week.
• Documentation from the chair of surgery, or equivalent administrative position, at the applicant’s hospital, of support for and permission to travel for both the surgeon/trainee and surgical assistant to the on-site Intuitive training, the mentor’s institution, and the STS Workshop on Robotic Thoracic Surgery (if offered during the year of the award).
• Documentation from the chair of surgery, or equivalent administrative position, at the applicant’s hospital of financial support to cover participant and program-related related expenses not covered by the award.

Award Terms

The award recipient is expected to complete Intuitive's prerequisite training, including the 2-day on-site training (TR200) at an Intuitive-affiliated facility, following which the award recipient and their surgical assistant would travel to the mentor’s institution for up to one week (5 business days) of case observations and teaching. The mentor would then visit the awardee for one day of proctoring within 3 months of the awardee’s visit to the mentor’s institution. Following the mentorship activities, the award recipient is expected to complete a 2-day TR400 advanced training course at an Intuitive facility.

All award-related activities should be completed within 6 months of receipt of the award. At the 6-month mark following completion of the award requirements, the surgeon awardee must provide a report to TSF that describes their experience with training and mentorship, how the award has impacted their practice, and providing robotic general thoracic case volumes from the preceding 12 months.

Award Amount

This a $10,000 award, which will be used to cover travel and hotel costs for the award recipient and the award recipient’s mentor. The grant will be administered through Tangerine Travel (Intuitive’s preferred travel agency), and no funds will be paid directly to the award recipient or mentor. Each individual may use up to $5,000 for eligible travel and hotel expenses. The grant will be administered as follows:

Award Recipient (up to $5,000)

• Travel expenses, including coach class airfare and hotel costs, for the awardee and their surgical assistant to visit the mentor’s site for up to 5 days.
• Travel expenses, including coach class airfare and hotel costs, for awardee to attend 2-day on-site training at an affiliated Intuitive facility for awardee and surgical assistant.
• In-kind donation from Intuitive of didactic/simulation costs for a 2-day on-site training (TR200) at Intuitive facility for the awardee and surgical assistant.
• In-kind donation from Intuitive of didactic/simulation costs for a 2-day on-site advanced training (TR400) at Intuitive facility for the awardee.

Mentor (up to $5,000)

• Travel expenses, including coach class airfare and hotel costs, for the STS mentor to do one day of case proctoring at the recipient’s home institution.
• Travel expenses, including coach class airfare and hotel costs, for the STS mentor to proctor the 2-day on-site training at an affiliated Intuitive facility for the surgeon awardee and surgical assistant.

NOTE: Travel and accommodations must be booked via Tangerine Travel, and only actual costs will be paid from the $5,000 allocated per award recipient and mentor.

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‍Mandatory Training Components

The following training is not required for the application process, but completion is obligatory prior to the mentoring visit in order to maximize the educational potential:

• Da Vinci Technology Online Modules
• Da Vinci Technology Overview In-Service with clinical sales representative
• Da Vinci Technology Skills Drills with Kit/Simulator modules
• Da Vinci Practical Training (TR200): two-day on-site general thoracic surgery training at any affiliated ISI training center
• Da Vinci Practical Training (TR400): two-day on-site advanced thoracic surgery training at any affiliated ISI training center
• Review of at least two full length procedure videos

Required Application Materials

• Biographical Information
• Goals (100 words or less)
• Applicant Background (500 words or less)
• Practice Setting (500 words or less)
• Patient Population (500 words or less)
• Curriculum Vitae (CV) or NIH Biosketch
• Mentor's Curriculum Vitae (CV) or NIH Biosketch
• Letter of Support from the chair/chief of surgery at the applicant’s hospital documenting the following:
  • Support and permission to travel for both the surgeon/trainee and surgical assistant to the on-site Intuitive training, the mentor institution and the STS Workshop on Robotic Thoracic Surgery (if offered during the year of the award).
  • Financial support to cover extemporaneous costs, including additional travel-related expenses.
  • Financial support to cover any costs incurred if an external proctor is needed, in addition to the one visit by the STS mentor, in order to satisfy the home institution’s privileging requirements for the surgeon awardee to obtain robotic surgery privileges.
• Letter of Support from Mentor
• Headshot Photograph
• Optional: Additional Letters of Support

Timeline

• Application Open: July 1, 2025
• Application Deadline: September 15, 2025
• Applicants Notified of Award or Regrets: December 2025 - January 2026
• Training Completion Expected: December 2026

See full award timeline here.