The AHNS Presidential Award for Surgical Innovation in Head and Neck Oncology 2027, offered by the American Head and Neck Society, supports research to improve surgical outcomes for patients with head and neck cancer. One award of up to $15,000 is available for a 12-month project.
Projects may explore new surgical approaches, intraoperative technologies, reconstruction, perioperative care or surgery adapted to treatment response. The award prioritises clinically meaningful ideas with potential to develop into larger research programmes, multicentre studies or future externally funded projects.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must reside in the United States or Canada.
- Medical students, residents, fellows, graduate students, PhD researchers and faculty at associate professor level or below may apply.
- Applicants must be AHNS members in good standing.
- Trainees must have appropriate faculty support and mentorship.
- Projects already funded by a private or federal agency are ineligible.
- Previous AHNS or AAO-HNSF research grant recipients may apply.
- Applications require support letters from the department chair, scientific advisor or mentor, and all key personnel.
Funding Details
- Maximum award: $15,000.
- Duration: 12 months, non-renewable.
- Eligible costs: Research assistants, technical personnel, consultants, software, hardware, laboratory expenses and publication costs.
- Principal investigator salary: Not supported.
- Indirect costs: Waiver preferred; otherwise limited to 10% of direct costs within the overall award cap.
Deadline
- Mandatory letter of intent: December 15, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
- Full application: January 15, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. EST.
- Notification: June 2027.
- Project start: Between July 1, 2027, and January 1, 2028.
Further Information
- Official AHNS announcement
- 2027 funding guidelines
- Apply through ProposalCentral
- Contact: loren@ahns.info