EPI Early Career Travel Grant (No Abstract Required)

• Applicants must be members of the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention (EPI) at the time of application. If you need to become an AHA Professional Member, you should do so no later than one week prior to the award deadline for your member account to be processed in time. Learn more about AHA Professional Membership.
• 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.
• There are no citizenship requirements.
• The candidate must conduct epidemiology research in the field of cardiovascular disease.
• Previous winners of this grant are not eligible to apply.
• 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 Early Career Investigator Award finalist will not be eligible to receive a travel grant for the same meeting.)

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.

• AHA Policies and Guiding Values
• Code of Ethics
• AHA’s 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.

• October 13, 2025 – Deadline to have an active AHA professional membership with the council sponsoring the award. Membership must be completed online. Please note that membership processing may take 3–5 days; do not wait until the proposal deadline to Join or Renew.
• October 16, 2025, 6 p.m. (CDT) – Deadline to apply for the award in the Council Awards Application System. This deadline will not be extended.
• December 2025 – 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 grant 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: Original letter on electronic letterhead, signed by the candidate’s mentor, section chief or department chair, which includes the following:
  • Candidate’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 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.

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 AHA 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 "EPI-Lifestyle Conference Travel Grant"
   • Apply Now: Click the "Apply Now" button.
   • Choose Award: Within the application, select the 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)

Each winner will receive:

• $1,000 grant to help offset costs of attending EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions.
• One complimentary ticket to the Epidemiology and Prevention Council’s Annual Dinner. Attendance at EPI|Lifestyle Scientific Sessions and the EPI Council dinner are mandatory and will be verified before the grant is awarded.

Awardees will be required to pay their registration for the meeting and should register prior to the discounted early registration rate deadline.