Congenital · Travelling Fellowship
Adult Congenital Heart Disease Fellowship – 2026/27
EACTS Francis Fontan Fund (host: Centrum voor Aangeboren Hartafwijkingen Amsterdam–Leiden, CAHAL) · Amsterdam and Leiden, Netherlands · Amsterdam · Netherlands
Programme overview
A six-month EACTS fellowship at CAHAL, the joint congenital heart centre of Leiden and Amsterdam university hospitals, with exposure to 3–4 surgical ACHD cases and 1–2 heart-team meetings per week. Topics include Tetralogy of Fallot, anomalous coronary origins, neo-aortic root aneurysm with valve-sparing root replacement and PEARS, valve repair and Ross procedures. A €10,000 bursary is provided plus support towards the 2027 EACTS Annual Meeting.
Faculty names not published
Current EACTS curriculum explicitly places the fellow in CAHAL Amsterdam–Leiden and refers to an unnamed fellowship director. No current primary source found that names the director or teacher specifically for this EACTS ACHD award; department/congenital clinical roles alone were not used.
Faculty-source review: 19 Oct 2026
Check the official programme source ↗Programme details
- Focus
- ACHD surgery incl. Ross/PEARS, valve-sparing root, ToF
- Eligibility
- EACTS member; registered cardiac/cardiothoracic/cardiovascular surgeon with interest in congenital heart disease; fluent English
- Required prior training
- Registered (qualified) cardiac surgeon
- Language
- English
- Funding
- €10,000 bursary plus EACTS Annual Meeting contribution
- Application documents
- Letter of interest explaining eligibility and career goals; CV with publications; summary of congenital/ACHD operative experience; current supervisor support letter. English Word or PDF files only.
- Official contact
- EACTS Francis Fontan Fund via eacts.org
- Participation
- Clinical fellowship; privileges depend on licensing, credentialing and institutional approval
- Registration
- Registered cardiac, cardiothoracic or cardiovascular surgeon with congenital interest; EACTS membership required. Host licensing requirements still apply.
- Visa information
- EACTS cannot advise on visa applications; applicants must establish the requirements before applying.
- Start date
- From January 2027
- Aortic training
- Valve-sparing root replacement, personalised external aortic root support (PEARS), bicuspid valve repair, supported Ross and Ross PEARS within an adult congenital fellowship.
- Clinical exposure
- Published exposure: 3–4 ACHD surgical cases and 1–2 multidisciplinary heart-team meetings weekly; percutaneous and hybrid interventions also occur. These are exposure figures, not guaranteed primary-operator cases.
- Academic work
- Optional specific research programme; submit an ACHD surgery paper to the EACTS Annual Meeting.
Unpublished details & source notes
- Data quality
- Official institutional source verified 9 Oct 2026
- Source type
- Official institutional or society page
- International applicants
- Not publicly listed — confirm with the programme
International applicant requirements
- Language
- Fluent English required
- Registration
- Host institutional requirements apply
- Visa
- Not publicly listed — confirm directly with the host.
- Clinical participation
- Clinical fellowship; privileges depend on licensing, credentialing and institutional approval
This is a source summary, not an eligibility decision. Confirm licensing, immigration, funding and clinical privileges with the responsible institution.
How to apply
Apply via the EACTS Francis Fontan Fund online application during the window with a letter of interest, CV with publications, summary of congenital/ACHD operative experience and a supervisor's letter of support (English, Word/PDF).
Open official programme page ↗Sources for updated details
- Application documents, Registration, Visa information, Aortic training, Clinical exposure, Academic work: Official source ↗ · checked 22 Oct 2026
Verification notes
2026/27 window (1 July – 1 September 2026) has closed; next cycle not yet announced. One EACTS fellowship application per year. 22 Oct 2026 review: Merged the duplicate aortic-root-titled record into this original canonical ACHD fellowship. Same CAHAL host, six-month duration, source and 2026/27 cycle; no new programme or residency is added. Aortic surgery is one component of this fellowship.