PLEASE NOTE:

Your TFR Application must be completed in one session. Partially completed applications will not be saved in the system. If you close your browser before submitting your TFR Application, your work will be lost.

Before you begin,please review the TFR Processes and Procedures document. 

1. STS National Database Participant ID (5-digit participant number for the Adult Cardiac Surgery Database [ACSD], General Thoracic Surgery Database [GTSD], or Congenital Heart Surgery Database [CHSD]; or the 4-letter participant code for the STS Intermacs Database or its Pedimacs component);
2. Principal investigator (PI) contact information and biosketch;
3. File that identifies any co¬investigators (if applicable) and provides their contact information; and
4. File with proposal research plan, which should include all major components as detailed below.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Investigative Team

Principal Investigator (PI)

Other Investigators

TFR Research Project Information

Funding Resources

If seeking funding, please indicate the following:

TFR Research Study Plan

All applications must be accompanied by an informative research plan that will first be reviewed by STS Research and Analytic Center staff for completeness and then assigned to TFR reviewers. In order to move forward in the process, the Research Plan should adhere to the following format:

1. Study background

2. Overview 

        2.1 Research question
        2.2 Background/rationale for research question 

3. Study plan/approach

        3.1      Study patients
        3.1.1   Study inclusion criteria (include years of study, relevant  Database versions)
        3.1.2   Study exclusion criteria (be as specific as possible)
        3.1.3   Endpoints and outcomes 

Note: Be specific. Indicate whether only 30-day outcomes will be examined (and if so, specify which ones). Indicate if longer follow-ups/outcomes are proposed (e.g., CMS linkage – currently available only for ACSD proposals and Intermacs/Pedimacs proposals)     
       
        3.2 Statistical methods and analysis plan (be as specific as possible; providing shell tables for anticipated presentation of results is                          encouraged).
        3.3   Dissemination plans¹
        3.3.1 Peer-reviewed publications to which submission is anticipated (if any)
        3.3.2 National meetings at which abstract presentation is anticipated (if any)
        3.3.3 Timeline
        3.4 Literature cited

Investigators also must detail any needed linkage of STS data with other data sources. If yes, name the data source(s).

¹STS strongly suggests that the investigators target the STS Annual Meeting and The Annals of Thoracic Surgeryas the meeting and publication forums, respectively, for dissemination of TFR­-based research.