Fernando Elijovich Early Career Clinician Scientist Award

• Must be a member of the Council on Hypertension at the time of application. Join or renew today!
• The applicant must be an active hypertension clinician and researcher and 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., MD or MD PhD), as of the award application date.
• Previous awardees are not eligible to re-apply for the award in subsequent years.
• Each recipient of council-sponsored awards, regardless of award category, is eligible to receive only one council-sponsored award each year per scientific meeting.
• Notwithstanding the above, the Association’s Officers have the discretion to determine eligibility for the award in extraordinary circumstances when there is an issue relating to policy or positions or other potentially controversial issues.

Applications will be evaluated by a panel of accomplished researchers, scientists, clinicians, and academicians, representing the breadth of basic cardiovascular sciences.

• 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.

Applications will be judged on the following:

• Adherence to eligibility criteria
• Completeness and quality of application materials
• The nominee’s background, accomplishments, and overall contributions to the field of hypertension

• June 30, 2026 6 p.m. (CT) – Deadline to have an active Professional Membership.
• July 3, 2026, 6 p.m. (CT) – Deadline to apply for this award in the Council Awards System.
• August 2026 – Nominators will be notified of their application status.

The following items must be submitted through the Council Awards Application System for consideration for this award:

• A full Curriculum vitae, including all publications (abstracts not necessary).
• Reprints of three first-authored publications by the applicant.
• A letter of nomination from a Council member detailing overall contributions of the applicant to hypertension and cardiovascular disease

Note: Members of the Council on Hypertension Awards Committee are not eligible to apply, be nominated, or write support letters for applicants.

Visit the Council Awards Application System to complete an application.

A Professional Heart Daily (PHD) username and password are required to access the system. If you are creating a PHD profile for the first time, please register using your Professional Membership ID number.

Membership Requirement

Professional Membership with the American Heart Association and affiliation with the Council on Hypertension are required for all applicants. Please allow 3–5 days for processing—do not wait until the deadline to Join or Renew.

Step-by-Step Instructions

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 log in to apply for an American Heart Association Council Awards.
   
   Note: The grant maker named “American Heart Association” in ProposalCentral refers to Research Awards and is a separate funder. Council Awards are listed under American Heart Association Council Awards.
4. Start Your Application:
   • Select Create New Proposal.
   • Filter by Grant Maker: Choose American Heart Association Council Awards.
   • From the Programs list, select: Hypertension Scientific Sessions Awards for Early Career Investigators.
   • Click the Apply Now button.
   • Within the application, select the award: HTN Fernando Elijovich Early Career Clinician Scientist Award.

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

• How to Create an Application in ProposalCentral (PDF)
• How to Register a ProposalCentral User (PDF)
• How To Add Publications in ProposalCentral (PDF)

• Complimentary registration to Hypertension Scientific Sessions
• Two (2) tickets to the Hypertension Scientific Sessions Awards Banquet
• An engraved plaque
• $1,000 honorarium
• $1,000 travel stipend