Robotic Thoracic Surgery Access Award

About the Award

The Robotic Thoracic Surgery Equity and Access Award, created with generous support from Intuitive Inc. by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) and TSF, is designed for general thoracic surgeons or cardiothoracic surgery residents in their last year of training who have overcome significant adversity, demonstrate financial need, work in a designated rural area, or serve medically underserved populations. This educational opportunity provides participants with skills to develop and grow a robotic general thoracic surgical practice through observation and mentorship from an established robotic general thoracic surgeon. The award offers up to $10,000 in travel-related support, with travel booked via Tangerine Travel, Intuitive’s preferred agency. Half of the award is distributed to the recipient and half to an approved mentor. Intuitive also donates TR200 and TR400 course/lab fees, valued at over $7,000.

Eligibility

• 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
  • Works in a medically underserved area or with a medically underserved population
• Appropriate access to the DaVinci robotic system at least once per week.
• Documentation from the chair of surgery (or equivalent) at the applicant’s hospital, confirming:
  • Support 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).
  • Financial support to cover participant and program-related expenses not covered by the award.

Award Terms

The recipient must complete Intuitive's prerequisite training, including a 2-day on-site training (TR200) at an Intuitive-affiliated facility. Following this, the recipient and their surgical assistant will travel to the mentor’s institution for up to one week (5 business days) of case observations and teaching. The mentor will then visit the awardee for one day of proctoring within 3 months. The recipient must also complete a 2-day TR400 advanced training course at an Intuitive facility. All activities must be completed within 6 months of receiving the award. At the 6-month mark, the recipient must submit a report detailing their training experience, the award’s impact on their practice, and robotic general thoracic case volumes from the preceding 12 months.

Award Amount and Administration

This is a $10,000 award covering travel and hotel costs for the recipient and mentor. Funds are administered through Tangerine Travel, with no direct payments to the recipient or mentor. Each individual may use up to $5,000 for eligible expenses:

• Award Recipient (up to $5,000):
  • Travel expenses (coach class airfare and hotel) for the awardee and surgical assistant to visit the mentor’s site for up to 5 days.
  • Travel expenses for the awardee and surgical assistant to attend 2-day on-site training at an Intuitive facility.
  • In-kind donation from Intuitive for didactic/simulation costs for TR200 and TR400 training.
• Mentor (up to $5,000):
  • Travel expenses (coach class airfare and hotel) for the mentor to proctor one day at the recipient’s home institution.
  • Travel expenses for the mentor to proctor the 2-day on-site training at an Intuitive facility.

Travel and accommodations must be booked via Tangerine Travel, and only actual costs will be reimbursed.

Mandatory Training Components

The following training must be completed prior to the mentoring visit:

• 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): 2-day on-site general thoracic surgery training at an Intuitive-affiliated facility
• Da Vinci Practical Training (TR400): 2-day on-site advanced thoracic surgery training at an Intuitive-affiliated facility
• Review of at least two full-length procedure videos

Application Requirements

• 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:
  • Support and permission to travel for the surgeon/trainee and surgical assistant.
  • Financial support for expenses not covered by the award, including additional travel or proctoring costs.
• Letter of Support from Mentor
• Headshot Photograph
• Optional: Additional Letters of Support

Timeline

• Application Open: August 1, 2026
• Application Deadline: September 15, 2026
• Applicants Notified: December 2026 – January 2027
• Training Completion Expected: December 2027