Young Hearts Visiting Faculty Career Development Award

Host Program

• Pediatric cardiology programs with or without pediatric cardiology fellowships
• General pediatric programs with interest in cardiac disease are eligible to apply.
• An institution may not have a visiting faculty member in two consecutive years

Visiting Faculty

• Candidate must be a member of the Council on Lifelong Congenital Heart Disease and Heart Health in the Young (Young Hearts). The council affiliation will be validated during the application process. Please note that membership processing may take 3–5 days; do not wait until the proposal deadline to Join or Renew.
• Regionally, nationally, or internationally reputable individuals with a specific area of expertise within the fields of pediatric cardiology or adult congenital heart disease to highlight to trainees and/or junior faculty (ex: specific areas of research, advocacy work, clinical expertise, leadership in education, etc.)
• Candidate must be a prominent professor/expert or a rising midlevel faculty.
• Winners are not eligible to reapply or be nominated for the same award in subsequent years.

Members of the Young Hearts Early Career and Mentoring committee are not eligible to apply for or be nominated for the award during their term of service.

Applications will be judged by a panel of accomplished researchers, scientists, clinicians and academicians representing the breadth of cardiovascular sciences.

• American Heart Association Policies and Guiding Values
• Code of Ethics
• American Heart Association’s Peer Reviewer Certification Statement (PDF)

Contacting the review panel, including but not limited to phone calls, emails, social media messages, or any other form of communication, before submitting your application or during the review process will result in disqualification.

Each nomination should contain the following documents in PDF format:

Host Program

The chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiology or the Department of Pediatrics would serve as the formal host during the visit and prepare an application outlining the training/career development environment at their institution, the specific expertise of the visiting faculty, and the proposed agenda. The host program may choose a visiting faculty member from the United States or abroad.

• Host’s curriculum vitae (formal host should be Division Chief or Department Chair).
• Two- to four-page statement (up to 1000 words) by the host institution addressing the following points:
  • Host program
  • The specific needs, aims, and goals of the division or department in having this visiting faculty member speak.
  • How does this visiting faculty advance the aims of the division/department?
  • Proposed agenda of the two-day visit.
  • Specify the people at the host institution that will be exposed to the visiting faculty member. Please include the approximate number of senior-level faculty, mid-level faculty, junior faculty, trainees, and other healthcare professionals who will meet the visiting faculty member as part of the visit (either individually or as part of a group).

Visiting Faculty

• Nominee's curriculum vitae or NIH bio sketch that includes awards, publications, and grant funding
• Letter of nomination or candidate statement (if self-nominating) from the proposed visiting faculty (drafted on electronic letterhead with a signature) affirming acceptance of the “invitation.” The letter should outline and provide clear examples of the specific expertise of the visiting faculty member within the domains of research, clinical care, education, quality improvement, and/or advocacy
• A primary letter of recommendation from a colleague who can evaluate the candidate's scholarly contributions and record of mentorship/sponsorship.

• June 8, 2026 – Deadline to have an active Professional Membership with the Scientific Council sponsoring the award. Please note that membership processing may take 3-5 days; do not wait until the proposal deadline to Join or Renew.
• June 10, 2026, 6 p.m. (CT)  – Deadline to apply for the award in the Council Awards Application System.
• July 2026 – Nominator/Nominee is notified of their award status (selected or not selected).

Visit the Council Awards Application System to complete an application.

A Professional Heart Daily (PHD) username and password are required to access the system. If you are creating a PHD profile for the first time, please register using your Professional Membership ID number.

Membership Requirement

Professional Membership with the American Heart Association and affiliation with the Council on Lifelong Congenital Heart Disease and Heart Health in the Young (Young Hearts) are required for all applicants. Please allow 3–5 days for processing—do not wait until the deadline to Join or Renew.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Click the link for the Council Awards Application System.
2. Sign in with your Professional Heart Daily username and password.
3. Follow these instructions to create your ProposalCentral profile. You will only need to complete this setup the first time you apply for an American Heart Association Council Award. Note: The grant maker named “American Heart Association” in ProposalCentral refers to Research Awards and is a separate funder. Council Awards are listed under American Heart Association Council Awards.
4. Start Your Application:
   • Select Create New Proposal.
   • Filter by Grant Maker: Choose American Heart Association Council Awards.
   • From the Programs list, select Scientific Sessions Career Development Awards.
   • Click the Apply Now button.
   • Within the application, select the award: Young Hearts Visiting Faculty Career Development Award.

For more detailed information on ProposalCentral, also included are additional materials on specific ProposalCentral functionality.

• How to Create an Application in ProposalCentral (PDF)
• How to Register a ProposalCentral User (PDF)
• How To Add Publications in ProposalCentral (PDF)

The visiting faculty awardee will be recognized at the upcoming Young Hearts Council Dinner at Scientific Sessions and will be invited to the following year’s dinner to report on their experience.

Visiting Faculty

• Complimentary registration to Scientific Sessions
• One (1) complimentary ticket to the Young Hearts Council Dinner
• An engraved plaque
• A $1,000 honorarium
• A 1,500 travel stipend

Host Institution representative

• One (1) complimentary ticket to the Young Hearts Council Dinner