American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery

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American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery Foundation

Research Grant Request for Applications

Purpose

The American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery (ABCRS) Foundation invites applications for its research grant program, aimed at supporting high-quality research in the field of colon and rectal surgery certification. The goal of this funding opportunity is to advance knowledge regarding the process and/or value of board certification in colon and rectal surgery.

Research areas of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Effect of Board Certification on clinical outcomes
  • Effect of Board Certification on professional behavior and malpractice claims
  • Effect of Board Certification on research productivity
  • Best Practices in Written and Oral Board Exam Delivery
  • Continuing medical education curriculum development
  • Impact of In-Training Examination on Certifying Examinations
  • Longitudinal assessment of diplomates
  • Effect of diversity on evaluations and Board Certification
  • Physical wellness and burnout
  • Competency-Based Medical Education in Colon and Rectal Surgery
  • Eliminating Implicit Bias in Written and Oral Board Exams

Funding

  • Up to $20,000 for a one-year project.
  • Limited Project Grant (LPG) need not be awarded every year and may be funded in whole or in part.
  • No consortium/contractual arrangements with collaborating organizations allowed.
  • Salary support for the Principal Investigator is not permitted.
  • Funding is limited to direct costs only. Indirect costs will not be covered.

Key Dates

  • Application Deadline: August 1, 2025
  • Review and Notification Date: September 2025

Award Eligibility

  • Research must be investigator-initiated and hypothesis-driven.
  • Research must be conducted within the United States or Canada.
  • ABCRS diplomates are eligible to apply.
  • General Surgery Residents, Colorectal Surgery Residents, and early career faculty must have an ABCRS diplomate as a co-investigator.

Award Expectations

  • The Principal Investigator must submit an interim written report to the ABCRS Foundation at the six-month mark of the grant period.
  • A final written report must be submitted within six months of grant completion.
  • Awardees are encouraged to present project findings at appropriate scientific meetings such as the American Society of Colon and Rectal Surgeons (ASCRS) conference.

Grant Review and Selection Process

Applications will be reviewed by an ad hoc ABCRS Foundation Research Grant Review Committee composed of five members, including:

  • ABCRS Foundation Officers (ABCRS President, ABCRS President-Elect, and ABCRS Executive Director)
  • Two additional ad hoc members

Grants will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

  1. Significance and relevance to the ABCRS mission
  2. Investigator(s) qualifications and experience
  3. Innovation of the research approach
  4. Scientific approach and methodology
  5. Research environment and feasibility

Submission Instructions

Applicants must submit a single PDF document via email to foundationgrant@abcrs.org. The application must adhere to the following formatting requirements:

  • Font size minimum 11-point
  • Margins at least 0.5 inches on all sides

The application must include:

  1. Face Page: Title of grant, investigator(s)’ name, title, institution, address, email, and phone number.
  2. One-Page Summary with Specific Aims.
  3. Research Strategy (maximum 4 pages): Include significance, innovation, and research methodology.
  4. References
  5. Resources/Environment description
  6. Budget Narrative and Detailed Budget
  7. NIH-Format Biosketch for all investigators

Scoring Criteria

Each application will be evaluated using the ABCRS Grant Scoring Form, which assesses the following categories on a scale from 1 (best) to 5 (worst):

  • Significance/Relevance to ABCRS Mission
  • Investigator(s) qualifications
  • Innovation
  • Scientific Approach
  • Research Environment and Feasibility

Reviewers will provide comments for each criterion to guide funding decisions.

For any questions or further information, please contact the ABCRS Staff at foundationgrant@abcrs.org.

We look forward to your submissions and the opportunity to advance colon and rectal surgery research through this funding initiative.

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Copyright © 2025 The American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery. All rights reserved.

Ethics and Professionalism Policy

Unethical and unprofessional behavior is denoted by any dishonest behavior, including: cheating; lying; falsifying information; misrepresenting one’s educational background, certification status and/or professional experience; and failure to report misconduct. The American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery has adopted a “zero tolerance” policy toward these behaviors, and individuals caught exhibiting such behaviors risk being permanently barred from certification, reported to state medical boards, and/or legally prosecuted for copyright or other violations.

Unethical behavior is specifically defined by the ABCRS to include the disclosure, publication, reproduction or transmission of ABCRS examinations, in whole or in part, in any form or by any means, verbal or written, electronic or mechanical, for any purposes. This also extends to sharing examination information or discussing an examination while still in progress. Unethical behavior also includes the possession, reproduction or disclosure of materials or information, including examination questions or answers or specific information regarding the content of the examination, before, during or after the examination. This definition specifically includes the recall and reconstruction of examination questions by any means and such efforts may violate federal copyright law. All ABCRS examinations are copyrighted and protected by law; the ABCRS will prosecute violations to the full extent provided by law and seek monetary damages for any loss of examination materials.

Continuing Certification

What does it mean when a physician is required?

Continuing Certification or Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is a process adopted by all 24 ABMS boards that assesses six core physician competencies approved by the ABMS and the ACGME throughout a physician’s career. The six competencies that have been identified as important to deliver quality care are communication skills, professionalism, medical knowledge, patient care, practice-based learning and improvement, which includes the ability to measure, and improve quality of care and system-based practice. All physicians certified after 1990 are required to participate in Continuing Certification.

What does it mean when a physician is required?

Prior to 1990, certification by the American Board of Colon and Rectal Surgery was granted for life. These certified colon and rectal surgeons are not required to recertify or to meet the requirements of Maintenance of Continuing Certification in this area but are strongly encouraged to do so.