The Thoracic Surgery Foundation is dedicated to improving patient care by investing in groundbreaking research, embracing innovation, supporting global humanitarian outreach, and promoting excellence in education for cardiothoracic surgeons at all career stages; advancing heart and lung health for all.
The Thoracic Surgery Foundation’s recent grantmaking is anchored by its Every Heart Beat Matters awards, including a $105,000 grant to Duke University and $93,300 to Voom Foundation. That program sits alongside a broader portfolio built around cardiothoracic research, surgical training, humanitarian outreach, and education for surgeons at different career stages. In the grant list, the foundation repeatedly supports work tied to heart disease, lung cancer, innovation in cardiac surgery, and conference-based training. Recent awards also show a mix of research and service-oriented support. The Thoracic Surgery Foundation gave $70,000 to the University of Washington and $70,000 to the Regents of the University of Cape Town Fund Inc under the same Every Heart Beat Matters banner, then continued with repeated $35,000 grants to organizations such as the University of Minnesota, the William Novick Global Cardiac Alliance, and Divine Will Foundation. The pattern points to a funder that backs institutions rather than individuals, with awards spanning fellowships, research projects, and education-related grants.
In cardiothoracic surgery research, the foundation supports both training and project work. The STS Database Clinical Research Fellowship Award provides $80,000 for a one-year fellowship using STS National Database analytics, while the TSF Research Award offers operational support for original research projects led by trained cardiothoracic surgeons. Lung cancer is another clear focus. The foundation awarded $70,000 to Duke University for Every Heart Beat Matters and also maintains the Lung Cancer Research Award, which supports clinical, translational, and basic science research, plus the Reversing Health Disparities in Lung Cancer Research Award for work addressing inequities in diagnosis, prevention, treatment, and outcomes. Education and professional development appear through the Advanced Robotic Cardiac Surgery Fellowship, which supports initiation of a robotic cardiac surgery program at a surgeon’s home institution, and through conference scholarships for residents and early-career surgeons.
Typical grant size sits at $35,000 at the 25th percentile, a $35,000 median, and $70,000 at the 75th percentile. The recent grants list shows a recurring pattern rather than one-off support: several organizations appear in multiple years, including Duke University, Voom Foundation, Regents of the University of Minnesota, University of Washington, and William Novick Global Cardiac Alliance. The foundation is structured around institutional awards and fellowships, not direct grants to individuals. Several active programs are open to unsolicited applications, including research awards, fellowships, and scholarship programs, while the Catalyst Award for Research Support is not directly open to applicants and is made at the discretion of the TSF Research Committee.
$437K
$11.4M
$3.1M
$2M
Most grants fall between $35K and $70K, with a median of $35K.
25th Percentile
$35K
Median
$35K
75th Percentile
$70K
About 7% of grants go to recipients in MN.
ANTHONY ESTRERA MD
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Grant recipients are spread nationally, with Illinois the top state by grant count and 6% of grants going to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. The recent grant list includes multiple recipients in Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, New Mexico, Indiana, Washington, and California. Named recipient cities in the record include Charlotte, College Station, Albuquerque, New York, Minneapolis, Seattle, Austin, Salt Lake City, Memphis, Indianapolis, Harrisburg, and Upland. All recent grants in the dataset went to U.S. recipients.
Its funding centers on cardiothoracic surgery, heart health, lung health, lung cancer research, surgical education, humanitarian surgical outreach, clinical and translational research, and innovation or robotics. The active programs show that emphasis through fellowships, research awards, conference scholarships, and robotic cardiac surgery support.
The typical grant size is $35,000 at the 25th percentile and median, with a $70,000 75th percentile. The recent grants list also includes larger awards, such as $105,000 and $93,300, and smaller scholarships such as $2,500 and $15,000.
No. The foundation’s profile indicates that it funds institutions and programs rather than individuals, and its active awards are structured as institutional fellowships, research awards, scholarships, and conference support.
Several active programs accept unsolicited applications, including the STS Database Clinical Research Fellowship Award, the Catalyst Award for Data Access, the Reversing Health Disparities in Lung Cancer Research Award, the Lung Cancer Research Award, the TSF Resident Research Fellowship Award, the TSF Research Award, the Advanced Robotic Cardiac Surgery Fellowship, and the conference scholarship programs. The Catalyst Award for Research Support is not open to direct application.
Illinois is the top state by grant count, although only 6% of grants go to recipients in the foundation’s HQ state. The recent grants list also shows recipients in Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota, New Mexico, Indiana, Washington, California, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, and other U.S. states.
2025
Source: IRS Form 990-PF, fiscal year 2025.
Current and upcoming funding from Thoracic Surgery Foundation that your nonprofit may be able to apply for.
Who can apply: Applicants must be ABTS-certified cardiothoracic surgeons (or equivalent) proposing humanitarian work in underserved regions or populations.
Deadline: Application deadline: September 15, 2026.
Who can apply: ABTS-certified or equivalent cardiothoracic surgeon with at least 3 years as an independent attending, preliminary Intuitive instruction, relevant cardiac surgical experience, and substantial institutional resources/support; institution must meet volume and support requirements.
Deadline: Application open July 1, 2026; deadline September 15, 2026.
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Most recent grants reported to the IRS.
| Recipient | Location | Amount | Year | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | Charlotte, NC | $70,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| PERUVIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY | Albuquerque, NM | $37,200 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| DIVINE WILL FOUNDATION | Encinitas, CA | $35,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| WILLIAM NOVICK GLOBAL CARDIAC ALLIANCE | Memphis, TN | $35,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| James Whitcomb Riley Memorial Association Inc | Indianapolis, IN | $35,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | Minneapolis, MN | $35,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | Chicago, IL | $35,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| VOOM FOUNDATION | College Station, TX | $35,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| UPMC PINNACLE FOUNDATION | Harrisburg, PA | $35,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN | Austin, TX | $35,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| UNIVERSITY OF UTAH | Salt Lake City, UT | $35,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| Hearts for Mission International | Upland, CA | $15,000 | 2025 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| DUKE UNIVERSITY | CHARLOTTE, NC | $105,000 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| VOOM FOUNDATION | COLLEGE STATION, TX | $93,300 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $70,000 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| PERUVIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $70,000 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | CHICAGO, IL | $70,000 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $70,000 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN | AUSTIN, TX | $70,000 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| DIVINE WILL FOUNDATION | ENCINITAS, CA | $35,000 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| WILLIAM NOVICK GLOBAL CARDIAC ALLIANCE | MEMPHIS, TN | $35,000 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH FOUNDATION INC | INDIANAPOLIS, IN | $35,000 | 2024 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| SALVANDO CORAZONES-PERUVIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY | ALBUQUERQUE, NM | $35,000 | 2023 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| VOOM FOUNDATION | DULUTH, MN | $35,000 | 2023 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| REGENTS OF UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN FUND INC | NEW YORK, NY | $35,000 | 2023 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON | SEATTLE, WA | $35,000 | 2023 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| JOYCE FAMILY FOUNDATION | MEQUON, WI | $35,000 | 2023 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| INDIANA UNIVERSITY | BLOOMINGTON, IN | $35,000 | 2023 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
| REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MN | $35,000 | 2023 | EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS |
PERUVIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY
$37,200EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
James Whitcomb Riley Memorial Association Inc
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
VOOM FOUNDATION
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
Hearts for Mission International
$15,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
VOOM FOUNDATION
$93,300EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
PERUVIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY
$70,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$70,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
$70,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
$70,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
INDIANA UNIVERSITY HEALTH FOUNDATION INC
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
SALVANDO CORAZONES-PERUVIAN AMERICAN MEDICAL SOCIETY
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
VOOM FOUNDATION
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
JOYCE FAMILY FOUNDATION
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
INDIANA UNIVERSITY
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA
$35,000EVERY HEART BEAT MATTERS
