Early Career Awards

Awards applicants must be members of the American Heart Association (AHA) sponsoring scientific council at the time of application and must maintain this membership through the date of recognition to be eligible for award funding. If you need to become an AHA Professional Member, you should do so one week prior to the application submission deadline for your member account to be processed in time for the application submission deadline.

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To meet the eligibility criteria for Early Career awards, an applicant must be active in research and within 10 years of completion of terminal degree or highest certificate (e.g., MSc, PhD), or within 10 years of completing medical fellowship or residency, as of the award application date. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, instructors, and research associates are welcome to apply.

Early Career Investigator awards are designed to recognize endeavors by early career investigators in research activities and to encourage continued research careers. Early Career Investigator awards must also comply with the rules and guidelines developed by the Committee on Scientific Sessions Program if held in conjunction with the Scientific Sessions or Specialty Meetings.

Eligibility Criteria

  • An individual may not compete for similar Early Career Investigator awards from other American Heart Association scientific councils that will be presented at the same meeting.
  • Previous winners and finalists for these awards are not eligible to re-enter the same competition in subsequent years. However, applicants may apply for a different award program in which they haven't previously been a winner or finalist.
  • Only one manuscript and abstract per candidate will be considered for awards. The manuscript may have co-authors, but the applicant must be the first and presenting author. The presenting author of an accepted abstract must be registered for the Scientific Meeting.
  • The work covered by the submitted abstract must not been presented at a national or international meeting or world congress before the date and time of presentation at the AHA scientific event. If so, the abstract must be withdrawn.
  • Abstracts associated with a published manuscript can be presented at an AHA scientific event if the manuscript was published after the time the abstract was submitted to the event, however the abstract will not be published as a part of the journal publication.
  • Women and underrepresented racial and ethnic groups are encouraged to apply.

Evaluation Criteria

Panels of distinguished researchers, scientists, nurses, clinicians, and academicians representing the breadth of cardiovascular disease and stroke will judge applications. Awards that do not involve abstracts may use different evaluation criteria. Please consult the specific award Web page for detailed evaluation criteria.

List of Early Career Awards by Council

Council on Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis and Vascular Biology (ATVB)

Awards associated with the Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine Scientific Sessions

Applications for this award may be made by submitting an abstract for presentation at Vascular Discovery Scientific Sessions by the submission deadline. For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below:

Awards associated with Scientific Sessions

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

 Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences (BCVS) Council on Cardiopulmonary, Critical Care, Perioperative and Resuscitation (3CPR)

Awards associated with the Resuscitation Science Symposium (ReSS)

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

Awards associated with Scientific Sessions

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

 Council on Lifelong Congenital Heart Disease and Heart Health in the Young (Young Hearts)

Awards associated with Scientific Sessions

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

 Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing (CVSN)

Awards associated with Scientific Sessions

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

 Council on Cardiovascular Radiology and Intervention (CVRI)

Awards associated with Scientific Sessions

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

 Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia (CVSA) Council on Clinical Cardiology (CLCD) Council on Epidemiology and Prevention (EPI)

Awards associated with the EPI | Lifestyle Scientific Sessions

Awards associated with Scientific Sessions

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

 Council on Genomic and Precision Medicine (GPM)

Awards associated with Scientific Sessions

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

 Council on Hypertension Council on Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health

Awards associated with the EPI | Lifestyle Scientific Sessions

Awards associated with Scientific Sessions

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

 Council on Peripheral Vascular Disease (PVD)

Awards associated with the Vascular Discovery: From Genes to Medicine Scientific Sessions

Applications for this award may be made by submitting an abstract for presentation at Vascular Discovery Scientific Sessions by the submission deadline. For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below:

Awards associated with Scientific Sessions

For detailed instructions, eligibility requirements and award criteria, click on the award below.

 Council on Quality of Care and Outcomes Research (QCOR) Stroke Council

Awards associated with the International Stroke Conference

You must submit an abstract to the International Stroke Conference to be eligible for these awards. Abstract Submission Information

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