CLCD Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups Travel Grant

The Council on Clinical Cardiology encourages and supports the efforts of early career clinicians from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups to participate in the Council and AHA activities. These grants provide travel funding to the AHA’s Scientific Sessions in November.

Eligibility Criteria

• All applicants for the CLCD Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups Travel Grant must be members of the Council at the time of application. If you need to become an AHA Professional Member, you should do so no later than one week prior to the application submission deadline. Learn more about AHA Professional Membership.
• Applicant must be active in research and still be in training as an undergraduate or pre-doctoral student, or be active in research and within 10 years of completing medical fellowship (or residency as NIH states, MDs would be Fellows for 3–6 years of the 7–10), terminal degree or highest certificate (e.g., MSc, PhD), as of the award application date.
• The candidate must be from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis: This includes American Indians (Alaskan Natives, Eskimos, and Aleutians), Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders, Blacks or African Americans and Hispanics or Latinos. Other candidates considered a minority are those from medically underserved populations with low socio-economic status and those living in rural areas to include whites.
• The candidate must be a U.S. citizen, a noncitizen national (born in American Samoa or Swains Island), or a U.S. permanent resident.
• Previous winners of this award are not eligible to apply.
• Each applicant for AHA council-sponsored awards, regardless of award category, is eligible to receive only one council-sponsored award per AHA conference per year. (For example, an Early Career Investigator Award finalist will not be eligible to receive a travel grant for the same meeting.). View a list of Council Awards and Travel Grants Available by Abstract Category and Community (PDF).

How To Apply/Required Documents

Electronic submission through the Council Awards Application System is required by the application deadline date. Hard copies of any part of the application cannot be accepted.

**Candidates may apply for more than one travel award; however, an applicant is eligible to receive only one travel stipend.

Your application file should contain the following documents in PDF format:

• A letter of recommendation by a mentor, section chief or department chair, which includes the following:
  • Candidate's grounds for eligibility, including verification that he or she is part of a underrepresented racial and ethnic group as defined by the NIH and identification of the candidate's specific underrepresented racial and ethnic group.
  • Candidate’s key accomplishments to date (or other forms of demonstrated excellence and recognition in the case of very junior trainees)
  • Assessment of relevant scientific attributes (intellectual curiosity, drive, critical thinking, problem-solving)
  • Potential for future success as a competitive investigator

• Applicant’s personal statement (no longer than one page, double-spaced), outlining your research interests and long-term career goals and how receipt of the travel grant will enhance future long-term goals.
• Curriculum vitae and bibliography

Visit the Council Awards Application System to complete an application.

A username and password previously set up through online profile registration at Professional Heart Daily will be necessary to access the Application System. If you have not created an online profile yet, please visit Professional Heart Daily to create an online member profile before accessing the Council Awards Application System. AHA Professional Members who are creating an online profile for the first time should make sure to register using their AHA membership identification numbers.

Prize

Awardees will be notified in August and will receive the following in addition to the travel funds to Scientific Sessions:

• One year of complimentary AHA membership (Early Career Investigator level or Student/Trainee level) paid for by the Clinical Cardiology Council
• Cost of registration to Scientific Sessions at either the Early Career registration level (member or nonmember) or the Student/Trainee member registration level (member or nonmember)
• One complimentary ticket to the Clinical Cardiology annual council dinner at Scientific Sessions in November, where all travel grant recipients will be recognized

Awardees will receive up to $1,000 to reimburse the cost of the following travel expenses to attend Scientific Sessions:

• Round-trip coach airfare or train fare to Scientific Sessions, or reimbursement for gas if the awardee drives
• Hotel room cost and hotel tax at Scientific Sessions
• Ground transportation (taxis, airport parking) costs incurred to attend Scientific Sessions

Hotel incidentals (internet fees, movies, room service, etc.) and any other meals are not reimbursable expenses.

Awardees will be required to pay their registration for the meeting and should register by September, to qualify for the discounted early registration rates. Awardees will be able to claim the registration expense for reimbursement after the meeting when submitting their other travel expense receipts, and therefore should save their registration receipt for this purpose.

Please note: The complimentary membership will not be processed in time to receive the AHA membership registration discount for Scientific Sessions if you do not already have an active membership. If you are not already a member, we suggest joining the AHA or renewing membership by October to qualify for the largest registration discounts. Your prize complimentary membership will extend by one year any current membership you either currently have or activate.

Questions