Medtronic Surgical Technology Research Grants

2025-2026


Medtronic is pleased to announce that on June 24, 2024, the surgical technology research grant program will begin accepting applications for potential grant funding to support novel research that pushes the frontiers of surgical science forward. 

The purpose of these grants is to support academic science and engineering labs in the pursuit of novel technologies that will improve patient outcomes. Successful proposals might address important questions such as how to improve clinical outcomes by improving an existing technology, inventing a new technology or applying a technology from a different industry to surgery. 

Awards will be bestowed on a competitive basis to select applicants who submit abstract and full grant proposals on or before the applicable due dates. 

Grant awards for the 2025 – 2026 season will be in amounts of up to $50,000 US Dollars per grant. The grant funding can be used to support research and supporting salaries necessary to accomplish the proposed work in a one-year period. Grant funding cannot be used beyond the one-year deadline and also may not be used to support physician salaries. 

Medtronic Surgical Research Areas of Interest: 

Medtronic has interest in many areas of technology development across many clinical practice areas. Medtronic's Surgical Research Committee has identified the following research areas as particularly compelling, in the belief that improvements here may relate to improvements in patient outcomes. However, while the following list is provided as a source of guidance for potential researchers, the list is not exhaustive and novel research outside this list will also be eligible for a grant. 


Localization, navigation, and guidance technologies that can provide human and/or computer guidance in surgical and diagnostic procedures. 

Augmented, virtual and extended reality concepts that improve user situational awareness and/or reduce cognitive burden associated with diagnostic and surgical interventions, particularly for intra-operative use cases. 

Novel sensors and electronics that provide information not currently available in clinical/diagnostic and surgical interventions today to unlock more precise surgical resection.  

Articulation technologies that enable greater range of motion for surgical instruments – robotic and non-robotic alike. 

Imaging modalities that enable superhuman powers to see beyond what the human eye is capable of today. 

Therapies that may improve outcomes for patients and may even alter the traditional definition of surgery. 

Biomaterials that support healing and improve the body’s ability to return to normal function. 

Sustainability technologies that may reduce the impact of product packaging, disposable instruments, batteries and/or similar technologies.  

Actuation and motion control that improves workflow, the precision of access instrumentation, biopsy or resection, and visualization or evaluation of tissues. 

Haptics and sensing technologies that can help clinicians learn more about the tissues they’re working with. 

Cordless technologies to include novel communication methods or battery and energy technologies that improve or solve existing unmet needs within the operating room environment. 

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms and techniques that address unmet needs in patient management, diagnostics, surgical planning, intra-operative guidance, surgical resection, or similar areas. 

Application Guidelines:

The application process will be a 2-stage effort.  

In the first stage, potential applicants may submit an abstract proposal that will be considered as long as it aligns with the Grant Conditions and Expectations below as well as Medtronic’s Technology Grant Guidelines. Abstract proposals will be reviewed and ranked by Medtronic’s Surgical Grant Review Committee using an anonymous process. Applicants with abstract proposals that meet the requirements of the business will be invited to submit a full grant proposal. Due to the expected volume of abstract proposals, we regret that Medtronic will not be able to provide feedback for unsuccessful submitted abstracts. 

In the second stage, which is by invitation only, potential applicants may submit a full proposal that will be considered as long as it aligns with the Grant Conditions and Expectations below as well as Medtronic’s Technology Grant Guidelines. Full proposals will be reviewed and ranked by Medtronic’s Surgical Grant Review Committee using an anonymous process. Applicants with full proposals that meet the requirements of the business will be selected and notified. Medtronic’s Surgical Grant Review Committee will attempt to provide individualized feedback to applicants with unsuccessful full proposals.  
Grant Conditions and Expectations: 

  • Proposals must be directed to research at an academic institution. For-profit activities are not eligible for funding. 
  • Medtronic intends to prioritize proposals associated with academic institutions that have not previously received funding. 
  • Multiple grants to the same academic institution for different principal investigators will be considered, but Medtronic does not expect to fund multiple projects led by the same principal investigator. 
  • The total budget, including direct costs, indirect costs and any applicable taxes, must not exceed $50,000 USD and must not include more than 20% indirect costs. 
  • To be considered for a grant, Applicants must submit a signed copy of the applicable proposal form provided by Medtronic. A link to the abstract proposal form is below and the full proposal form will be provided to invited participants. 
  • Applicant proposals must not include confidential information or intellectual property belonging to someone who has not authorized the disclosure. Proposals will not be considered confidential even if an applicant includes language attempting to establish confidentiality. 
  • Any applicant who submits a proposal must acknowledge and agree to the following: 

  • Medtronic may use the proposal for any purpose and applicant releases Medtronic and its agents and employees from any claims that such use violates applicant’s rights. 
  • Applicant understands Medtronic is engaged in extensive research and development activities and there is a possibility that applicant’s proposals duplicate, or are similar to, a proposal by someone else, or subject matter that has been developed independently by or for Medtronic.  
  • Applicant understands many inventions in the medical device industry are not patented, are not patentable, are generally known in the industry, are in the public domain, or are covered by patents and are therefore owned by others.  
  • Applicant understands its proposals may already be in the public domain or owned by someone else even if applicant is not aware of such facts.  
  • Applicant agrees Medtronic retains all rights and privileges to develop, improve, and market technologies and products that are competitive or similar to applicant’s proposals, and Medtronic will own exclusive rights, including all intellectual property rights, in any work it creates or has created from a similar idea of its own. 

  • Medtronic may require grant recipients to enter into an additional agreement addressing intellectual property and other issues before grant monies will be released. 
  • Grant recipients may be invited to present their work at the end of the grant period at a Medtronic sponsored symposium. Certain travel costs will be covered by Medtronic (in addition to the grant award). 
  • Grant recipients must submit a one-page mid-year progress report, as well as a final status report that details study results and conclusions. If a funded project does not begin, any grant money paid to an applicant must be immediately returned to Medtronic. If the project is terminated early, unused funds must be immediately returned to Medtronic, along with an accounting of the funds expended up to the termination date. Any unused funds after one year must also be returned to Medtronic. 
Available Documents for Download: 
Please email RS.Surgical-TRG@Medtronic.com to request the grant guidelines and application documents.
All submissions will be accepted by email only. Please send a PDF version of your abstract proposal and, if applicable, your full proposal to RS.Surgical-TRG@Medtronic.com