Distinguished Service Award

APSA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award is given in recognition of a lifetime commitment to, and wide-reaching impact on, the field of pediatric surgery and/or contributions to The American Pediatric Surgery Association. “Wide-ranging impact” can be defined by the nominator and should be addressed in the summation.

It has only been awarded a handful of times in the organization’s history. The frequency of this award is determined by the Board.

The Application period for the 2024 award has closed. Applications for the 2025 award will be accepted in January 2025. 

James F. Densler Award

The purpose of this award is to acknowledge an individual who has a consistent track record of promoting diversity, equity and inclusivity in pediatric surgery. This includes delivery of care to diverse populations, working in diverse teams and promoting diversity and inclusivity in the pediatric surgery professional community. Nominees should show dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace and/or in programs dedicated to improving the lives of disadvantaged populations. Specifically, the applicants must be able to effectively describe how the nominee has demonstrated efforts/work that has addressed topics including (but not limited to) the following:

• Implicit bias, creating diverse management teams, and changing workforce culture
• Establishing diverse and inclusive mentorship teams
• Thoughtfully promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace or community
• Addressing the needs of underserved populations

The Application period for the 2024 award has closed. Applications for the 2025 award will be accepted in January 2025. 

Robert E. Gross Award for Excellence in Pediatric Research and Achievement

The APSA Robert E. Gross Award for Excellence in Pediatric Research and Achievement recognizes a seminal contribution by an individual who has made a major impact on pediatric surgery. His or her contributions have resulted in a major change in how pediatric surgeons manage a particular problem, and the results have been demonstrated to be durable with time and widely accepted by pediatric surgeons as “standard practice.” The Award was created by the APSA Board of Governors and is presented at their discretion.

The Application period for the 2024 award has closed. Applications for the 2025 award will be accepted in January 2025. 

Donald E. Meier Surgical Humanitarian Award

The APSA Surgical Humanitarian Award recognizes an APSA member whose career has been dedicated to ensuring the provision of surgical care to underserved children without expectation of commensurate reimbursement. This award is intended for surgeons who have dedicated a significant portion of their surgical careers to humanitarian efforts either locally or globally, rather than routine surgical practice. Examples include a career dedicated to missionary surgery, the founding and ongoing operations of a charitable organization dedicated to providing surgical care to the underserved, or a retirement characterized by surgical volunteer outreach. Having received compensation for this work does not preclude a nominee from consideration and, in fact, may be expected based on the extent of the professional obligation. The frequency of this award will be determined by the Board based on the nominations submitted.

The Application period for the 2024 award has closed. Applications for the 2025 award will be accepted in January 2025. 

Quality, Safety and Value in Surgery Award

The APSA Quality, Safety and Value in Surgery Award is given to the manuscript that best demonstrates quality improvement principles, patient safety initiatives and/or addresses the value proposition by demonstrating an improvement in outcomes while at the same time reducing cost or other measures of resource utilization. The quality of the manuscript and potential impact of the intervention for improving value outside of the author’s own institution will serve as the primary criteria for judging.

The award is given to the best manuscript based on an abstract presented at the APSA annual meeting. The manuscript is published in the APSA edition of the Journal of Pediatric Surgery or can be submitted to a journal of the author’s choosing. The recipient of the award receives a $500 prize.

Eligibility Requirements

• Abstracts presented at the annual meeting are eligible for award consideration, provided a manuscript is submitted via the regular APSA channels.
  Abstracts must provide data on both outcomes and resource utilization and demonstrate an improvement in healthcare value in one of the following three ways:
  • Improvement in outcomes and a concomitant reduction in resource utilization or cost. Outcomes can include condition/disease-specific measures (e.g. complications) and/or patient-centered measures (e.g. patient satisfaction, quality of life).
  • Improvement in outcomes without an increase in resource utilization or cost.
  • Reduction in resource utilization or cost without a detrimental effect on outcomes.
  • Improved patient safety through systematic improvement in care.
  • Utilization of quality improvement tools or techniques.
• Eligible abstracts are identified by the APSA Surgical Quality & Safety Committee.
• A manuscript supporting the abstract must be submitted for review for publication in the Journal of Pediatric Surgery or a journal of the author’s choosing by the stated deadline.
• The recipient will contribute content to the APSA Quality and Safety toolkit.
• Posters and video presentations are not eligible, unless specifically identified as award candidates by the APSA Surgical Quality & Safety Committee.

More detailed information regarding timelines and judging criteria for the award will be sent to authors following the initial review of eligible abstracts.

Winner will be announced at the 2023 annual meeting.

Innovation Award

The Innovation Award is presented for the best abstract presented in the Innovation category. The award is open to any presentation author regardless of level of training of employment (i.e. attending staff are eligible). The winner receives a prize of $500.

In an effort to encourage and disseminate novel ideas, authors are encouraged to submit abstracts detailing new techniques, therapies, devices or processes of care that have the potential to improve the treatment of pediatric patients. Abstracts will be judged on the uniqueness and potential impact of the idea, as well as the quality of the presentation. Submissions designed to promote a particular product are discouraged, but will be considered based on individual circumstances.

Winner will be announced at the 2023 annual meeting.

M. Judah Folkman Memorial Awards

This award was created in honor of Dr. M. Judah Folkman and his legacy of leadership in our organization, the tremendous body of work he left behind and the way he selflessly shared his art of medicine with so many students and the art of healing with so many children and families.

The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) and the Association of Pediatric Surgery Training Program Directors (APSTPD) are proud to present the M. Judah Folkman Memorial Award for outstanding research presentations given during the APSA Annual Meeting. Award recipients must be trainees currently enrolled in a surgical training program (residency or fellowship). Presentations are judged on scientific merit and actual presentations.

Two winners are selected for best podium presentations, one in basic science and one in clinical categories. Winners receive a prize in the amount of $1,000 and a Folkman medallion.

Winner will be announced at the 2023 annual meeting.

Eric B. Jelin NAFTNet-APSA Award for Best Abstract in Fetal Diagnosis and Therapy

The inaugural award was presented at the APSA annual meeting in May 2023.

Eric Jelin was a pediatric and fetal surgeon at Johns Hopkins Children’s Hospital, who passed in May of 2021 at 42 years old. Dr. Jelin helped build the Johns Hopkins Center for Fetal Therapy which gained national recognition under his leadership. Eric was the principal investigator of the Renal Anhydramnios Fetal Therapy (RAFT) study. This multi-center, NIH-funded R01 grant investigated novel amnioinfusion for the treatment of fetuses with anhydramnios. He was one of a small group of pediatric surgeons to receive NIH funding for fetal therapy.

Eric was a masterful surgeon and dedicated scientist. Eric’s enthusiasm and energy for fetal therapy and research was only outmatched by his passion and love for his patients and his family. This award hopes to symbolize the ardor and scientific curiosity that Eric exhibited as well as the compassion and loving person that was Eric Jelin.

Award Eligibility and Selection Process

• Primary author is junior faculty (assistant professor or instructor), fellow, or resident.
• Abstract presented at APSA annual meeting
• Best three abstracts are selected by the APSA Program and the Fetal Diagnosis and Treatment Committees
• Winner chosen by the NAFTNet Board of Directors
• Winner receives a prize in the amount of $500 and a plaque. The winner is announced at the APSA Annual Meeting

Quick Shots

Medical Student

Award recipients must be medical students enrolled in medical school at the time of abstract submission.

APSA selects one recipient for an outstanding Quick Shot presentation. Presentations are judged on scientific merit and posters are judged on visual presentation. Members of the Program Committee select recipients in basic science or clinical poster. The recipient receives a prize in the amount of $250.

Winner will be announced at the 2023 annual meeting.

Surgical Trainee

Award recipients must trainees currently enrolled in a surgical training program (residency or fellowship).

APSA selects one recipient for an outstanding Quick Shot presentation. Presentations are judged on scientific merit and posters are judged on visual presentation. Members of the Program Committee select recipients in basic science or clinical poster. The recipient receives a prize in the amount of $250.

Winner will be announced at the 2023 annual meeting.

ACS/APSA Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management

The American College of Surgeons and the American Pediatric Surgical Association offer an annual scholarship to subsidize attendance and participation in the Executive Leadership Program in Health Policy and Management at Brandeis University. The award is to be used toward the cost of tuition, travel, housing, and subsistence during the period of the course.

Applications for the 2024 award are open and due by March 15, 2024.

Visit the ACS site to learn more.
Visit the Brandeis University website for more information.

Grants Supported by the APSA Foundation

Visit the Foundation Grants page to learn more and apply.

• Jay Grosfeld, MD Grant Scholarship
• Education Grant
• James A. O’Neill, Jr. Global Pediatric Surgery Scholarship

Travel Fellowship

The Travel Fellowship was available 2013-2021. The grant was offered to young pediatric surgeons in Lower- and Middle-income countries (LMICs) and included attendance at the APSA annual meeting and an extended observership in a US institution. While this Fellowship is no longer available, pediatric surgeons in LMICs are encouraged to explore opportunities available through the Global Pediatric Surgery Scholarship.