EPI Underrepresented Racial and Ethnic Groups Travel Grant

Eligibility Criteria

All applicants for the EPI 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 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.
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.
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

An active AHA Professional Member account is required of all applicants for this award. If you are joining the AHA to apply, please wait for your AHA member 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 no later than one week prior to the award deadline for the member number to be processed and delivered in time for the application deadline.

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

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 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 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 Council Awards Application System to complete an application.

A username and password set up through online registration at Professional Heart Daily will be necessary to access the Council Award Application System. AHA Professional Members who are creating an online profile for the first time should make sure to register using their AHA member identification numbers. Join or Renew as an AHA Professional Member.

Applicants should apply as early as possible before the deadline to allow time to address any submission issues.

Prize

Awardees will be notified by December. The council will award up to four recipients $1,000 each to cover eligible transportation and hotel costs to attend the EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions. Conference registration costs and meals at the conference are not covered under this grant. Grants will be issued after the conference upon submission of your financial forms to the AHA.
Awardees must attend the Epidemiology and Prevention Council’s Annual Dinner at the conference to receive the award.