Ethicon Foundation Fund Travel Grants

Ethicon Foundation Fund travel grants are awarded to Members and Fellows of the College who are in good standing, by the Ethicon Foundation Fund Advisory Board which meets in January and June each year.

Successful applicants will be awarded a grant, the value of which will be at the discretion of the Board. The grant is intended to be a contribution to the applicant’s travel costs and is intended to support applications which further enhance a specialty skill or experience which may not be available in their own country. Grants are not available to support spouse/partner travel.

Potential applicants must demonstrate that the period overseas relates directly to their local country surgical training scheme objectives and/or to an opportunity to obtain relevant surgical experience not normally available in their home country. They should have obtained prior approval for the visit from the appropriate training authority in the country of application where appropriate: UK trainees must produce confirmation of prior approval from PMETB where appropriate.

The grant is intended to cover one economy class return journey up to a value of £1,000 incurred by successful applicants travelling overseas to obtain further training, experience or research. The overseas visit, from the successful applicants’ home country/place of work, will normally be for a period of between 3 to 12 months, although visits of up to 24 months may be considered. Candidates must inform the College of any change in their circumstances which will prevent them completing their overseas visit as well as applications for funding from other sources. The College may, on the advice of the Ethicon Foundation Fund Advisory Board, withdraw all, or a proportion, of the initial award.

Successful applicants will normally be Members or Fellows in training grade appointments but more senior applications may be considered at the discretion of the Board.

Travel for the sole purpose of attending a scientific meeting will not be supported. Retrospective requests for grants will be not considered.

Applications should be sent to the Administrative Secretary of the Ethicon Foundation Fund Advisory Board – Mrs Cathy McCartney, and must be supported by:-

1. A completed proforma including details and objectives of the proposed programme (see attached document).
2. A brief Curriculum Vitae (2 pages maximum) highlighting the applicants current appointment and responsibilities, clinical background, ambitions for the future and academic contributions (audit, clinical or laboratory research, publications and educational activities).
3. Written confirmation of support and a detailed programme from the centre to be visited.
4. Two letters of reference. One reference should be from a person who is familiar with the objectives of the programme/purpose of the proposed visit and the second reference should be from a referee who is supervising or overseeing the applicant’s current appointment.

Successful applicants will be informed in February (January applicants) and July (June applicants). Payment will be made following the applicants return from their approved overseas trip on submission to the Chairman of the Ethicon Foundation Fund at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh of:

• Documented and receipted travel expenses.
• A 1200-1500 word report, of the applicant’s overseas visit in electronic format. This report should be suitable for consideration for publication in Surgeons News or an equivalent publication and should conform to the guidelines for authors issued by Surgeons News. While there is no set template for Reports, applicants may wish to refer to the Awards and Grants section of the College website. Reports which have included some or all of the following have been particularly well-received:
  
  - Background to the Country/area with some relevant health statistics.- Challenges brought about by the above.- Images/photographs.- Conditions (especially contrasts with neighbouring facilities, where they exist).- Personal reflections on the work and its impact on you and patients, the highs and lows.- Support of those around you.- If, and how, it challenged/stretched you, both professionally and personally.
• Any subsequent publication based on work undertaken during the applicant’s overseas visit should acknowledge the Ethicon Foundation Fund Travel Grant and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh

Failure by the applicant to submit an appropriate expenses claim and report within three months of their return from their overseas trip may result in the award not being granted and the successful applicant’s referees being informed.

The closing date for receipt of applications is Friday 27 April 2012.

Download Application Forms: Ethicon Travel Grants

Completed forms should be sent by post to:

Cathy McCartney
Awards & Grants Administrator
Secretariat
The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh
Nicolson Street
Edinburgh
EH8 9DW