BCVS Council Travel Stipend for Scientific Sessions (Abstract Not Required)

• 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. Undergraduate students, graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, instructors, and research associates are welcome to apply.

Join or Renew

• Each applicant for council-sponsored awards, council-sponsored awards, regardless of award category, is eligible to receive only one council-sponsored award per conference per year. (For example, a Louis N. and Arnold M. Katz Basic Science Research Prize for Early Career Investigators finalist will not be eligible to receive a travel stipend for the same meeting.)
• Previous winners of this award are not eligible to apply.

Applications will be assessed based on the candidate’s curriculum vitae and bibliography, candidate’s statement, and letter of support. This award aims to support candidates who will gain the most from attending the meeting and networking with key science leaders.

• Policies and Guiding Values
• Code of Ethics
• Peer Reviewer Certification Statement (PDF)

Contacting the judging 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.

• August 19, 2026 – Deadline to have an active professional membership with the 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.
• August 21, 2026, 6 p.m. (CT) – Deadline to apply for the award in the Council Awards Application System. This deadline will not be extended.
• September 2026 – Applicants are notified of their award status (selected or not selected).

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

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

• Candidate Curriculum Vitae and Bibliography
• Candidate Personal Statement: Statement outlining the applicant’s research interests and long-term career goals and how receipt of the travel stipend will enhance their future long-term goals (one-page limit). Please include any challenges or obstacles that you may have experienced in your career.
• Letter of Support: Submit an original letter on institutional letterhead, signed by the applicant’s mentor, section chief or department chair, which confirms the applicant’s status as an undergraduate student, graduate student, postdoctoral fellow, instructor, or research fellow and includes the following:
  • Applicant’s key accomplishments to date (or other forms of demonstrated excellence and recognition in the case of very junior trainees)
  • Assessment of relevant scientific attributes (intellectual curiosity, drive, critical thinking, problem-solving)
  • Potential for future success as a competitive investigator

Visit the Council Awards Application System to complete an application.

A username and password created through Professional Heart Daily (PHD) are required to log in. If you are a Professional Member creating an online profile for the first time, register using your Member ID numbers

If you are joining as a new or reinstated member, please allow 3–5 days for membership processing. Join the AHA. Your Membership ID number is required on the award application form.

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 set up your profile in ProposalCentral. Setting up your ProposalCentral profile will only need to be done the first time you login to apply for an American Heart Association Council Awards. Please note that the grant maker named American Heart Association is for Research Awards and is a separate log in.
4. To apply for award, follow these steps:
   • Create New Proposal: Start by selecting "Create New Proposal."
   • Filter by Grant Maker: Choose "American Heart Association Council Awards."
   • Select Program: From the Programs list, select "Scientific Sessions Travel Stipends (abstract not required)"
   • Apply Now: Click the "Apply Now" button.
   • Choose Award: Within the application, select the award.

Additional ProposalCentral Resources

1. How to Create an Application in ProposalCentral (PDF)
2. How to Register a ProposalCentral User (PDF)
3. How To Add Publications in ProposalCentral (PDF)

Each winner will receive:

• $750 travel stipend
• One ticket to the BCVS Council Dinner. Attendance at Scientific Sessions and the CVSN Council dinner are mandatory and will be verified before the travel stipend is awarded.

Awardees must pay for their meeting registration and are encouraged to register early for the discounted rate.