The American Society for Surgery of the Hand requests proposals from ASSH members interested in performing research related to documenting the current Scope of Hand Surgery. This would be an update of the work of Steyers et. al. on “A Role Delineation Study of Hand Surgery” in the Journal of Hand Surgery (15A: 681-9, 1990).
In this previous study twenty years ago, the authors surveyed the practices of hand surgeons across the country and made important observations on the scope of practice, case volume, and educational and training needs. The authors of the article proposed that “the practice of hand surgery has evolved dramatically, so that hand surgeons now treat a wide variety of clinical problems requiring knowledge and skills derived from the primary specialties of plastic, general, and orthopaedic surgery, as well as vascular and neurosurgery. However, in conjunction with this increased clinical activity, there has been some contention among physicians concerning the appropriate sphere of clinical practice and the requisite skills and knowledge needed for competent practice of hand surgery.”
The purpose of the current research project would be to update this important study and examine national trends in training and practice of hand surgeons in the US for 2010 and beyond. Proposals must include a sample outline of the questionnaire, as well as the methodology for obtaining results. Ideally there would be one center to gather results from across the country.
The budget for this grant is $10,000. Interested investigators should submit their application, as outlined below, by September 1, 2010.
Applicants and Proposals
Awards are made to universities, medical schools, research institutions, or individuals. Grants may be used for salaries of technical and professional assistants, purchase of supplies, or minor pieces of equipment. Grants may not support the personal compensation of investigators, travel or conferences, publication costs, the payment of hospital care for patients under study, the purchase of major pieces of equipment, or any overhead expenses.
Eligibility
In order to be eligible for the grant, at least one of the investigators must be a member of the ASSH.
Application Process
Please download the AFSH Research Grant Application.
The 2010 grant application closely mimics the NIH grant format. The selection of the research proposals for funding is made by the Research Management Committee with the approval of the Council of the ASSH and the AFSH Board.
Submission Guidelines
Applications are due to the ASSH Central Office by the close of business on September 1, 2010. You must mail the follwing:
- One paper copy of your application
- IRB documentation - you are not required to have an approved IRB, but you must show proof that you have submitted the study and started the approval process.
- Letter of support from your department chair or division head. The purpose of this letter is to verify that the researcher will have time (as in time away from clinical practice) and enough resources in addition to the grant to complete the project in a timely fashion.
1. Mail one electronic application in Microsoft Word format to: smeyerhughes@assh.org
2. Send one paper copy with IRB documentation and letter(s) of support to:
Research Management Committee
American Society for Surgery of the Hand
Attn: Sarah Meyer Hughes
6300 North River Road, Suite 600
Rosemont, IL 60018-4256
Questions? Email smeyerhughes@assh.org or call (847) 384-8300.