Honouring the collaborative and educational values epitomised by Professor Neil Smart

02 June 2026 (Last updated 2 Jun 2026)

ACPGBI is delighted to announce a new annual award, created as a legacy activity to honour the collaborative and educational values epitomised by Professor Neil Smart.

The Award enables established colorectal consultants to spend a period of time visiting an overseas centre — to be exposed to new skills, techniques or pathways, experience diverse surgical environments, and deepen their professional knowledge and networks.

Eligibility

• Must be a Consultant Colorectal Surgeon at least 5 years after first substantive consultant appointment.
• Must be a full member of ACPGBI.

Support available

• Up to two awards are available in 2026; each awardee will receive £5,000 to support their visit.
• Funding may be spent at the awardee’s discretion on travel, accommodation and/or subsistence during the visit.
• Visit durations will vary by geography and logistics, but visits are anticipated to last at least 10 days.
• Multicentre visits within a similar region are allowable where appropriate and justified.
• Funding may be supplemented by the applicant or through other routes, but no further support from ACPGBI is available beyond the award.
• The visit should be undertaken within 9 months of award confirmation.

Application process

Applicants complete a short application form outlining their intended visit details (location and host), including predefined educational and/or collaborative aims for the visit. Applications are judged competitively by members of the ACPGBI executive. Email admin@acpgbi.org.uk to apply

Outputs

Successful awardees are expected to submit a short written report of their visit and to present their experience at an ACPGBI educational event within the following year.

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