Research committee

Chair

**Prof. Barbara Seeliger**
Specialist Surgeon and Senior Researcher
Institut Hospitalo-Universitaire Strasbourg
Associate Professor, University of Strasbourg
Strasbourg, France

Mission

The EAES Research committee has the mission to support and promote high-quality clinical research in endoscopic and minimally invasive surgery (MIS), grounded in sound methodology, international collaboration, and improved patient outcomes. It places particular emphasis on engaging young surgeons and on enabling accessible, digitally supported research education across geographic and institutional boundaries. Its activities are delivered through three core pillars: the Research Talent Academy, the Research Bootcamp, and the Research Grant Portfolio.

The Research Talent Academy focuses on developing the research capabilities of young surgeons and residents. It promotes robust methodology, critical thinking, and the growth of collaborative, international networks. A central initiative is the Research Sandpit, held during the annual EAES Congress, where selected participants work in teams to design and present research proposals to an expert panel. The winning team receives €7,500 to support the implementation of their project.

The Research Bootcamp provides a structured framework for surgeons at all career stages to further develop their research capabilities. It combines targeted educational activities with access to the Research Pills series—expert interviews available via the EAES digital platform. Individualised coaching and mentorship are primarily offered to Research Sandpit participants and recipients of EAES Research Grants, with the aim of supporting the development of high-quality scientific outputs.

The Research Grant Portfolio allocates €30,000 annually, typically distributed among two to three projects. In addition to supporting research and dissemination costs, the programme is strategically oriented towards fostering multicentric collaboration and enabling the formation of consortia for European and international funding programmes, positioning EAES as an active academic partner and contributing to a sustainable cycle of competitively funded research within the community. The 2026 call focuses on three priority domains: equity in surgical quality, intraoperative guidance and artificial intelligence, and sustainable surgery.

In addition, the Committee contributes to the scientific quality and integrity of EAES activities through structured peer review processes, including the evaluation of congress abstracts and the assessment of Research Sandpit and Grant applications, ensuring methodological rigor, transparency, and fairness across its programmes.

In order to accomplish our mission,
the Research committee is divided into 3 project groups

Research Talent Academy

The vision of the Research Talent Academy is to support the development and enhancement of young surgeons research skills in order to improve the quality of MIS research
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Research Bootcamp

The Research Bootcamp is a structured training programme designed to help surgical trainees and residents build the skills and confidence needed to produce high-quality research.
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Research Grants

The vision of the Portfolio subcommittee is to advance the scope, applications and quality of minimally invasive surgery through support for translational research and critical appraisal of process, technique and technology used in MIS throughout Europe and globally.
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