Melvin L. Marcus Early Career Investigator Award in Basic Cardiovascular Sciences

Award Recipients

2020 – Current Year

Year	Awardee
2023	Glynnis A. Garry, MD
2022	Vivek P. Jani, MS
2021	Jason D. Roh, MD, MHS
2020	Catherine A. Makarewich, PhD

2010 – 2019

Year	Awardee
2010	Reinier Boon, MD
2011	Melissa Thal, PhD
2012	Ippei Shimizu, PhD
2013	Dan Shao, PhD
2014	Dennis M Abraham, MD
2015	Sarah Schumacher, PhD
2016	Danny El-Nachef, PhD
2017	Olurotimi Mesubi, MBBS, MPH
2018	Markus Wallner, MD, PhD
2019	Ronald J. Vagnozzi, PhD

2000 – 2009

Year	Awardee
2000	Hideko Kasahara, MD, PhD
2001	Jay Edelberg, PhD
2002	Claire Sears, PhD
2003	Mitsutaka Yamamoto, MD, PhD
2004	Subodh Verma, PhD
2005	Fadi Akar, PhD
2006	Xiongwen Chen, PhD
2007	Marcello Rota, PhD
2008	Atsuhiko Naito, MD, PhD
2009	Timothy Nelson, MD, PhD

1989 — 1999

Year	Awardee
1989	David Kass, MD
1990	Christian G. Brilla, MD, PhD
1991	Masafumi Kitakaze, MD, PhD
1992	Elazer R. Edelman, MD, PhD
1993	Adrian James Brendan Brady, MD
1994	David J. Pinsky, MD
1995	John S. Ikonomidis, MD
1996	Roger J. Hajjar, MD
1997	Daniel F. Pauly, MD, PhD
1998	Karla Kurrelmeyer, MD
1999	Christophe Depre, MD, PhD

Eligibility Criteria

Candidates must be pursuing research in the basic biological or medical sciences or related fields.
Abstract must be submitted to one of the categories for presentation at Scientific Sessions in which the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences is the lead/primary sponsor. View a list of Council Awards and Travel Grants Available by Abstract Category and Community (PDF). Make sure that your abstract has been submitted in a category listed under the award for which you want to apply.
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. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, instructors, and research associates are welcome to apply.
All applicants for the Marcus Award must be members of the Council on Basic Cardiovascular Sciences. If you need to become an AHA Professional Member, you should do so by one week prior to the application submission deadline for your membership account to be processed in time for the application submission deadline. Learn more about becoming an AHA Professional Member.
An individual may not compete for similar early career investigator awards from the other American Heart Association scientific councils during the same year.
Only one manuscript per candidate will be considered.
The applicant must be the first and presenting author, although the manuscript may have co-authors. The presenting author of an accepted abstract must be registered for Scientific Sessions. Additional information about registration and fees may be found on the Scientific Sessions website.
Previous winners and finalists are not eligible to re-enter the competition in subsequent years. However, applicants may apply for a different award program in which they haven't previously been a winner or finalist
Abstracts associated with a published manuscript can be presented at an AHA scientific event if the manuscript was published after the time the abstract was submitted to the event, however the abstract will not be published as a part of the journal publication.
Applicants must adhere to the AHA Embargo Policy.
The work covered by the abstract must not have been presented at a national or international meeting or world congress before the date and time of presentation at Scientific Sessions.
The abstract must comply with the General Abstracts Submission Guidelines (PDF) as outlined by the Committee on Scientific Sessions Program.
Applicants may only be considered for a council’s award if the abstract is submitted to a category primarily sponsored by that council. Please view a list of Scientific Sessions Council Awards and Travel Grants Available by Abstract Category and Community (PDF) for more information. Make sure your abstract has been submitted in a category listed under the award for which you want to apply.
Abstracts/manuscripts eligible for this award must be based upon projects that adhere to the American Heart Association’s policies governing all research awards, regardless of whether the project was funded by the American Heart Association. These policies include (but are not limited to) research using human subjects or animals and stem cell research.
Notwithstanding the above, the AHA Officers have the discretion to determine eligibility for the award in extraordinary circumstances when there is an issue relating to AHA policy or positions or other potentially controversial issue relating to the positioning or perception of the AHA.

Evaluation Criteria

Scientific merit of the abstract
Quality and originality of the manuscript
Letter from the candidate's sponsor and other included reference letters
Oral abstract presentation at Scientific Sessions (finalists only). The finalist must be the presenter of his/her submission, and no alternates or proxy will be allowed.

How to Apply / Required Documents

Electronic submission through the Council Awards Application System is required. Hard copies of any part of the nomination cannot be accepted.

AHA abstract in accordance with AHA rules and regulations for submitting abstracts to Scientific Sessions. Please note that this abstract must be submitted through the AHA's Scientific Sessions website before the abstract submission deadline. Visit Scientific Sessions to submit your abstract before submission of this award application. Your abstract control number will be needed on the award application form.
An unpublished manuscript or manuscript in preparation based on independent research to be presented in the submitted abstract. (35-page limitation, including references, tables, and figures.) The applicant must be the first and presenting author, although the manuscript may have co-authors. The work covered by the submitted abstract must not have been presented at a national or international meeting before presentation at the AHA scientific event. If so, the abstract must be withdrawn.
Curriculum vitae, including bibliography.
A letter detailing how much of the design and research work was done by the candidate and by any co-investigators. The candidate's immediate supervisor, division head, department chairman, or institute director must write this statement. In case of multi-authored manuscripts, the supervisor should also indicate that among all the co-authors the applicant is the most appropriate candidate for the award, and offer rationale for this opinion. Supportive statements of the candidate and his or her relevant qualifications as a researcher are also encouraged.

Though not required, up to two additional letters of support or reference from individuals familiar with the applicant, his or her background, or his or her research may be submitted in the application file. Inclusion of additional support letters does not guarantee higher consideration of an application, but certainly can be beneficial.

Visit the Council Awards Application System to complete an application.

A username and password previously set up through online registration at Professional Heart Daily (PHD) will be necessary to access the Application System. AHA Professional Members who are creating an online profile for the first time should make sure to register using their AHA membership identification numbers.

An active AHA Professional Membership 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 application submission deadline for the member ID number to be processed and delivered in time for the application deadline. The membership number will be required on the award application form.

Click the link for the Council Awards Application System.
Sign in with your Professional Heart Daily username and password.
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 AHA Research Awards and is a separate log in.

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

Prize

Finalists for the early career investigator award competitions will be announced in August and will present their research results at Scientific Sessions in November. Each finalist must present their abstract in-person at Scientific Sessions. Virtual presentations or an alternate (proxy) presenter will not be permitted and will result in disqualification from the award.

Each finalist will receive one complimentary ticket to and recognition at the council dinner where they will be presented with an engraved award plaque. The winner will be announced at the dinner.
The winner will receive a $1,500 honorarium; up to four remaining finalists will each receive a $500 honorarium.