CVSA Abstract Travel Grant

The Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia (CVSA) is offering a travel grant to early career investigators and students who will be presenting research at the AHA’s Scientific Sessions. The award honors accomplished early career investigators while enabling them to be more involved in the AHA and Scientific Sessions.

Eligibility Criteria

• All applicants for the CVSA Abstract Travel Grant must be members of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia 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.
• Applicants must submit an abstract in accordance with the rules and regulations for submitting abstracts to the AHA Scientific Sessions to one of the categories primarily sponsored by the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia. Please view a list of Scientific Sessions Council Awards and Travel Grants Available by Abstract Category and Community (PDF) associated with this travel grant. You will need your abstract control number to apply for the grant.
• Your abstract must be accepted in a CVSA-sponsored category as either an oral or poster presentation to be eligible to apply for this specific grant. Abstract presenters will be notified in August.
• The presenting author of an accepted abstract must be registered for Scientific Sessions and must be able to present the abstract at Scientific Sessions in person, either in an oral abstract session or a poster session. If the applicant is unable to present the abstract, he/she will be disqualified from the grant.
• Winners are not eligible to re-enter the competition in subsequent years.
• Applicants may apply for a travel grant multiple times with different abstracts, as long as the applicant is the presenting author on each abstract. However, an applicant is eligible to receive only one travel grant, even if multiple abstracts are accepted to Scientific Sessions.
• 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.)
• There are no citizenship requirements.

Evaluation Criteria

• Application will be judged based on the scientific ranking of the candidate’s abstract and how it ranks against other applicants. Abstract presenters for Scientific Sessions will be notified in mid-August. Applicants for this award may submit their applications before presenter notifications are received. However, only those who have abstracts accepted for presentation will ultimately be eligible to receive a travel grant.

How to Apply/Required Documents

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

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

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

• Candidate Curriculum Vitae and Bibliography
• Previously unpublished abstract in accordance with AHA rules and regulations for submitting abstracts to Scientific Sessions. The abstract should be submitted to Scientific Sessions before applying for this grant as your abstract control number will be needed on the application form.
• Original letter on electronic letterhead, signed by the candidate’s supervisor or an appropriate institutional officer, simply indicating the applicant’s status as a graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, instructor, or research fellow. No additional references are required.

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.

AHA Professional Membership is required of all applicants for this grant. If you are joining the AHA to apply, please wait on your AHA membership number to arrive from AHA Member Services via e-mail before creating an online profile and starting your application file. We suggest that new members join the AHA at least 1 week prior to the application submission deadline. The membership number will be required on the award application form.

Prize

The winners will each receive a $1,000 travel grant for use in attending Scientific Sessions. Up to 10 grants from the pool of eligible applicants may be presented. Winners will also receive a complimentary ticket to attend the CVSA Annual Business Meeting at Scientific Sessions.

Questions