Fellowships, Grants and Awards

To honour the memory of the distinguished founder and first president of the Orthopaedic Surgeons’ Group, an eminent surgeon from South Africa or abroad is asked each year to deliver the prestigious Francois P. Fouche Lecture. The address is delivered at the annual congress of the South African Orthopaedic Association.

An inscribed medallion in the likeness of the President’s Jewel of Office is awarded occasionally to a member who is judged to have rendered outstanding service in the field of orthopaedic education.

An inscribed medallion in the likeness of the President’s Jewel of Office is awarded occasionally to a member who is judged to have rendered outstanding service to the orthopaedic community.

The South African Orthopaedic Association awards the G.T. du Toit registrars’ prize annually at the SAOA September Congress. The purpose of this award is to stimulate high quality, original research by registrars in Orthopaedic Surgery in South Africa.

The Guidelines for the GT Du Toit Registrar Research Award are:
1. The purpose of this award is to stimulate high-quality, original research by registrars in Orthopaedic Surgery in South Africa.
2. There should be a single G.T. du Toit registrars’ prize awarded annually at the SAOA September annual congress.
3. The research must be on an aspect of Orthopaedic Surgery and may be clinical or basic science.
4. The research must be original, with the registrar as the lead investigator and primary author of the work. All supervisors and co-authors needs to listed or acknowledged.
5. Narrative reviews will not be eligible for the award.
6. Presentation of research that was not primarily performed by the registrar is not eligible for the award.
7. The research work must have been initiated while the nominee was still a registrar.
8. Considering that the work may require completion after the nominee has registered as an Orthopaedic surgeon – the completed work may be presented in consideration for the G.T. du Toit prize within one year of such specialist registration.
9. The work must not have been presented previously at a SAOA congress.
10. The head of the academic department of the applicant’s training university must sign the application to confirm the above requirements have been met.
11. The paper must be chosen for presentation at the South African Orthopaedic Association Annual Congress on its own merits during blinded selection.
12. Adjudicators for the prize will be appointed by the EXCO of the SAOA and their decision will be final.
13. The registrar should be a SAOA member for at least 360 days.
14. The value of the prize will be considered by the EXCO of the SAOA from time to time and will be sufficient to act as a real incentive to promote research.

The SAOA offers three SAOA research grants in an effort to promote research.
All members may apply by means of a letter to our office at info@saoa.org.za.
listing the following detail:

• Aim of study
• Proposed methodology
• Evidence of DRC and ethics approval from the respective institution
• Budget

While the sum is small, it can facilitate many of the MMed studies performed by trainees as well as clinical studies by our members.
There is an expectation that the study will be offered to the South African Orthopaedic Journal for publication.
The closing date for submission is 30 June in the year of application

The South African Orthopaedic Association offers a medal in the form of a miniature of the Jewel of the Association, as a competition among Members of the Association irrespective of grade, for an essay on a subject of Orthopaedic interest.

CRITERIA
• The essay, in English, together with any illustrations must reach the Secretariat of the SAOA no later than 30 June in the year of application at info@saoa.org.za.
• The award is made by the President (who is advised by such assessors as he/she may select).
• In exceptional cases more than one award may be made.
• The winning essay shall remain the property of the Association and may be published under the name of the Author.
• The essay may be presented in any way the author sees fit, and it is not required that every aspect of a subject should necessarily be discussed. Originality and clarity of exposition are of chief importance.
• Essays previously submitted for any similar competition will not be considered.
• A member may only win the award once.

A sum is be awarded by the SAOA to the best publication in an approved local or international journal in the preceding year and up to and including June of the year of the award.
The main author of the publication must be a member of the SAOA. Applicants must submit a reprint of the publication to our office at info@saoa.org.za.

An applicant may submit more than one publication.
The closing date for submission is 30 June in the year of the award.

This is the most prestigious Fellowship offered by the SAOA.

If selected you will travel with 4 Fellows from the United Kingdom and 1 from Australia and New Zealand respectively, visiting North America over a six week period. The tour usually takes place in May/June of the year in question on a biannual basis in the even years.

This is an honour and privilege to represent your Association and Country, interact with some of the leading authorities in orthopaedics, visit world-class basic science laboratories and orthopaedic institutions and be very well entertained.

GUIDELINES FOR THE ABC FELLOWSHIP TOUR

• You must be a member of the South African Orthopaedic Association and 45 or younger in the year that you travel.
• Application forms are obtainable from the Secretariat. Kindly forward your application by email to the Secretariat at info@saoa.org.za
• Applications should reach the Association offices no later than 30th June in the preceding year.
• Short listed applicants will be required to present themselves to a selection panel at the annual SAOA Congress in the preceding year and will be notified timeously.
• Fellows will visit approximately 15 to 20 of the major orthopaedic centres in the United States and Canada, as well as attend the AOA and COA annual meetings. The American leg is divided into geographical regions (East Coast, Central and West Coast), which rotate every 2 years. The tour is fully funded apart from some minor incidental expenses.
• You should have 4 to 5 papers, which you are able to present, one of which should preferably be of a non-scientific nature.
• You should also have knowledge of the health care challenges facing the country and be prepared to give short after dinner speeches.

Applicants must be members of the SAOA and preferably recently qualified orthopaedic surgeons or junior consultants. Two South African Fellows will travel together to Germany every alternate year.
Proficiency or rudimentary German is not necessary.
The SAOA provides 2 economy class return tickets to Germany; all other expenses are borne by the German Orthopaedic Association.
You should have at least one orthopaedic presentation and preferably a second presentation on your medical training and health care in South Africa.
The duration of the tour is approximately 4 weeks and you will visit 10 orthopaedic centers in Germany, spending 3 days at each center. You will be exposed to clinical rounds, theatre and outpatient clinics during your stay. In addition you will be very well entertained with a wonderful social program.

GERMAN TRAVELLING FELLOWSHIP ROSTER
2019  –  KZN & UCT
2021  –  WSU & US
2023  –   WITS & UP
2025  –   SMU & FS

The KS Naidoo Award

1. This is a sum of TEN THOUSAND RAND (R10 000) and a Certificate signed by the President of the SAOA and the Editor-in-Chief of the SAOJ.
2. Awarded for the best article published in the SAOJ in the year preceding the SAOA Congress; and including the Congress edition of the SAOJ
3. To be adjudicated by the Editorial Board of the SAOJ.
4. The award is announced at the Banquet/Gala Dinner in recognition of Professor KS Naidoo as a mentor, teacher and leader in Orthopaedic Surgery in South Africa.

The first award will be in 2020.

The Professor S. Govender Free Paper Award

Professor Shunmugam (Teddy) Govender was a renowned spinal surgeons and is remembered by many in the orthopaedic filed as a dedicated scientists who believed in research, teaching and training. In honouring his legacy, his family have approached the SAOA to dedicate an award to a deserving candidate. The SAOA will award this prize of R20 000.00 annually to the best spine or educational free paper submitted at the SAOA congress annually for a period of ten years from 2023.

The first award will be in 2023.