Council on Hypertension Advisory and Mentoring Program (CHAMP)

Applications for the 2023 CHAMP Program are being accepted through August 21, 2023.

To Apply: Fill out the Mentor or Mentee Application Form and hit "Submit" at the bottom of the page.

The Matching Process

• After the application deadline, the TAC will review the pool of mentee and mentor applicants and make up to 3 suggested mentor candidate recommendations (depending on the number of applicants) to each trainee based on mutual interests/fit, with the exception of scientific overlap. The TAC will ensure that there is minimal scientific overlap for each mentee/mentor pairing.
• The trainee will have three weeks to select a mentor preference from those three (special requests can be made during that period for a new set of mentor candidates, depending on the number of applicants).
• Initial mentee-mentor match notifications/introductions will be made via email in late-August. The email will contain information on how to make the most out of your first initial meeting at the fall Council on Hypertension Scientific Sessions meeting.
• Initial face-to-face meeting will be held at the Hypertension Conference on Friday, September 8, 2023, from noon–1:30 p.m. ET in Boston, Massachusetts. Mentee-mentor pairs should plan to attend Council career development and trainee activities (e.g., How-to Sessions) and discuss afterward.

Participation Requirements

• Participants must be active members of the American Heart Association (AHA) Council on Hypertension at the Trainee/Early Career level (Mentees) or at the Premium Professional/Premium Professional Plus level (Senior Mentors). To become a member of the AHA please visit AHA Professional Membership.
• Commit to at a minimum of 1 hour of face-to-face individual mentoring at the Hypertension Scientific Sessions or other specialty meeting each year.
• The program requires the mentor and mentee to meet regularly (at least quarterly) via telephone, email, video conference, or other means to discuss issues and strategies for career development.
• The mentee and mentor must each complete both an interim progress report (due March 1) and a final report (due October 1) to determine the success of the match.
• Mentees with existing primary mentors (e.g., graduate students, postdoctoral fellows) will be required to acknowledge that they have consulted with their primary mentor about participating in the Council mentoring program, and that the primary mentor is supportive of their participation.

Commitment

Both mentees and mentors participating in CHAMP must agree to at least a year-long commitment to the relationship. The ultimate goal of CHAMP is to foster these relationships so that they last beyond the initial year commitment. Participants must also commit to attending the annual Hypertension Scientific Sessions conference for both the initial and final meetings.