GPM Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups Travel Grant

The Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine (GPM) is offering a travel grant to underrepresented racial and ethnic early career investigators and students who are planning to attend AHA’s Scientific Sessions. The grant will honor accomplished underrepresented racial and ethnic students and early career investigators while enabling them to get more involved in the AHA and in Scientific Sessions.

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must be conducting genomics, proteomics and metabolomic research and translational science in the field of cardiovascular disease.
• Applicants are encouraged but not required to submit an abstract to Scientific Sessions to one of the categories primarily sponsored by the Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine, and only the “first/primary author” may apply. Please view a list of Scientific Sessions council awards and travel grants available by abstract category and community (PDF).
• The applicant must be the abstract presenter.
• All applicants for the GPM 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/ASA Professional Member, you should do so no later than one week prior to the award submission deadline. Learn more about AHA 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 individual 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 Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. 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.
• 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.
• The candidate must be a U.S. citizen, a noncitizen national (born in American Samoa or Swains Island), or a U.S. permanent resident.
• 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.)

Evaluation Criteria

The selection committee will consider the following criteria to determine the most deserving applicants:

• Academic record of the applicant
• Applicant’s perceived interest in biomedical research
• Mentor’s assessment of the applicant’s commitment to biomedical research
• Evidence of an excellent environment for research training for the applicant

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

A $500 travel grant will be awarded to one or more honorees annually. The honoree will receive up to $500 to help defray travel expenses to attend AHA Scientific Sessions.