CVSA Conference Travel Grant

• All applicants for the CVSA Underrepresented Populations Travel Grant must be members of the Council at the time of application. If you need to become an AHA/ASA Professional Member, you should do so no later than one week prior to the application submission deadline. Learn more about AHA Membership
• Applicant must be active in research and still be in training as an undergraduate or pre-doctoral student, or be active in research and 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., MSc, PhD), as of the award application date.
• Eligible applicants: Individuals who have faced special personal challenges or obstacles to their careers, for example:
  
  • Were or currently are homeless.
  • Were or currently are in the foster care system.
  • Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years.
  • Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (PDF).
  • Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants.
• The candidate must be a U.S. citizen, a noncitizen national (born in American Samoa or Swains Island), or a U.S. permanent resident.
• The applicant must be conducting basic science research in the field of cardiovascular disease.
• 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 Emergency Medical Services Travel Grant Awardee will not be eligible to receive a travel grant for the same meeting.)
• Previous winners of this award are not eligible to apply.

• 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:

• $1,000 grant to help offset costs of attending Scientific Sessions.
• One complimentary ticket to the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia (CVSA) annual council dinner at Scientific Sessions in November, where all travel grant recipients will be recognized. Attendance at Scientific Sessions and the CVSA Council dinner are mandatory and will be verified before the grant is awarded.