EPI Underrepresented Populations Travel Grant

Award submission for EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions will reopen summer 2025.

The American Heart Association’s Council on Epidemiology and Prevention (EPI) is offering a travel grant to early career investigators and students from underrepresented populations to attend the EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions. Increased underrepresented populations participation at AHA scientific conferences is vital to the AHA and the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention's efforts to address cardiovascular-related health disparities.

Eligibility Criteria

• All applicants for the EPI Underrepresented Populations Travel Grant must be members of the EPI 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 award deadline for your member account to be processed in time. Learn more about AHA Professional Membership.
• Eligible applicants must fulfill any one or more criteria as listed below:
  • Individuals who have faced challenges or obstacles to their career due to their membership in one or more racial and ethnic groups.
  • Individuals who have faced challenges or obstacles to their career due to their
    identification as LGBTQ+
  • Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.
  • Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria:
    • Were or currently are homeless.
    • Were or currently are in the foster care system.
    • Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years.
    • Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (PDF).
    • Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants.
• The candidate must be a U.S. citizen, a noncitizen national (born in American Samoa or Swains Island), or a U.S. permanent resident.
• Applicant must be active in research and still be in training as an undergraduate or pre-doctoral student, or be 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., BSc, MSc).
• The candidate must be conducting epidemiology research in the field of cardiovascular disease.
• Previous winners of this grant 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.)

How To Apply/Required Documents

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

• A thorough letter of recommendation by a mentor, section chief or department chair that includes the following:
  • Candidate's grounds for eligibility, including verification that he or she is part of an underrepresented population as outlined in the Eligibility Criteria section, with identification of their specific underrepresented population(s).
  • Candidate's key accomplishments to date (or other forms of demonstrated excellence and recognition in the case of very junior trainees)
  • Assessment of candidate's relevant scientific attributes (intellectual curiosity, drive, critical thinking, problem-solving), and potential for future success as a competitive investigator
• Curriculum vitae, including bibliography. 

Visit the ProposalCentral Council Awards Applicant Instructions page to apply or submit a nomination.

Once logged in, you may apply for the EPI-Lifestyle Scientific Sessions Underrepresented Populations Travel Grant and select the EPI Underrepresented Populations Travel Grant from the award drop-down list.

Prize

Each winner will receive:

• $1,000 grant to help offset costs of attending EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions.
• One complimentary ticket to the Epidemiology and Prevention Council’s Annual Dinner. Attendance at EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions and the EPI Council dinner are mandatory and will be verified before the grant is awarded.

Awardees will be required to pay their registration for the meeting and should register prior to the discounted early registration rate deadline.

• For rules and regulations for submitting abstracts to the EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions, visit Abstract Submission Guidelines
• Join or renew as an AHA Professional Member

• Council Awards Application System (ProposalCentral) Help Desk:  [email protected]
• Council Awards:  [email protected]
• Member Services:  [email protected]
• Abstract Submitter Password/Login:  [email protected]
• Abstract Submission:  [email protected]