Alley-Sheridan Scholarship
Ralph Alley, MD was a Founding Member of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and served as STS President from 1975-1976. David Sheridan was an inventor and close friend of Dr. Alley who held more than 50 patents for innovations that have improved health care. Moved by his friend’s commitment to thoracic surgery, Mr. Sheridan created the Alley-Sheridan Fund, which provides scholarships for early career and mid-career cardiothoracic surgeons to attend the STS Leadership Institute.
Purpose
Ralph Alley, MD was a Founding Member of The Society of Thoracic Surgeons and served as STS President from 1975-1976. David Sheridan was an inventor and close friend of Dr. Alley who held more than 50 patents for innovations that have improved health care. Moved by his friend’s commitment to thoracic surgery, Mr. Sheridan created the Alley-Sheridan Fund, which has provides scholarships for early career and mid-career cardiothoracic surgeons to attend the STS Leadership Institute.
The STS Leadership Institute helps members in their first 15 years of practice to develop the skills necessary to lead teams in and out of the OR, strategize personal and professional goals, negotiate a career path, and influence change in the workplace.
As healthcare delivery grows more complex and rapidly transforms, physicians need essential leadership skills to adapt and work effectively with their teams in order to provide the best patient care. The STS Leadership Institute helps early career and mid-career surgeons who are STS members to develop and hone these skills (not available to current residents and fellows).
It includes five events: three virtual sessions and two in-person meetings. The capstone event will take place in New Orleans, LA, in conjunction with the 2026 STS Annual Meeting. Selected applicants are required to participate in all five events of the series:
Session 1: Individual Growth Virtual
Thursday, March 20, 2025, 7:00 pm ET – 9:00 pm ET
Session 2: Leading Others – Chicago, IL
Friday, April 4, 2025, 7:30 am CT – 3:00 pm CT (Welcome reception evening of April 3)
Session 3: Leading Every Day: Applying Skills and Networking – Virtual
Thursday, July 10, 2025, 7:00 pm ET – 9:00 pm ET
Session 4: Program Building – Virtual
Thursday, October 16, 2025, 7:00 pm ET – 9:00 pm ET
Capstone Session: STS 2026, New Orleans, LA
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Learn more about the STS Leadership Institute 2025-26 here.
Eligibility
To apply for an Alley-Sheridan Scholarship to participate in STS Leadership Institute 2025-26, the applicant must be a cardiothoracic surgeon who has completed a program leading to certification by the American Board of Thoracic Surgery or its equivalent in a country outside of the United States, and must be within their first 15 years of practice.
Required Application Materials
To apply for the Alley-Sheridan Scholarship, applicants must submit an application for the STS Leadership Institute 2025-26. Applicants for the program can request to be considered for the Alley-Sheridan scholarship during the online submission process.
Award Amount
TSF will provide scholarships valued at $3,000. The Thoracic Surgery Foundation (TSF) Alley-Sheridan Scholarship will cover the $650 registration cost and provide a stipend to defray travel costs to the in-person events of the Leadership Institute.
Timeline
Application Deadline: February 21, 2025
Applicants Notified of Award or Regrets: Application notifications will be sent by the end of February 2025
About The Award
In 1955 David Sheridan developed the bubble principle that revolutionized how catheters, cannulae and tubes are used in operative procedures and patient care. While the bubble principle was one of Mr. Sheridan’s most significant inventions, it was not his only one. In fact, he held or shared more than 50 patents for innovations that greatly improved medical care throughout his lifetime.
Fortunately, Mr. Sheridan collaborated with others throughout his life. Dr. Ralph D. Alley, former head of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at Albany Medical Center, was one of them. Moved by his collaborator and friend’s commitment to thoracic surgery, Dave Sheridan donated $1 million to The Thoracic Surgery Foundation to establish the Alley-Sheridan Fund. Over the past 25 years, this fund has supported hundreds of thoracic surgeons through scholarships to the leadership training programs at the Kennedy School, Brandeis University, the American College of Surgeons. New in 2025, the Alley-Sheridan Scholarship will provide scholarships for cardiothoracic surgeons to attend the STS Leadership Institute.
Are you qualified for this award? Start your application today!
TSF is dedicated to supporting cardiothoracic surgeons at every career stage. Don’t miss out—submit your application by September 15 to be considered in the upcoming award cycle.
Explore Our Conference Scholarships
These scholarships are open to cardiothoracic surgery residents and provide access to the very best in education from The Society of Thoracic Surgeons.
