Strategic Networks Annual Meeting

The meeting will be held at the Renaissance Denver Hotel & Conference Center
3801 Quebec Street
Denver, CO 80207

ALL ATTENDEES (awardees, fellows/trainees and OAC) MUST REGISTER for the Strategic Awards Annual meeting BY AUGUST 7, 2026.

All key Center personnel (Directors/Coordinating Center PIs, Training Directors, Project PIs and Fellows/Trainees) and Oversight Advisory Committee members are expected to attend.

Refer to Programming for specific details. If you are part of two separate Strategic Networks, please register for both meetings.

REGISTER HERE FOR SEPTEMBER 24-25:

• Chronic Stress SFRN
• Inflammation in Cardiac & Neurovascular Disease SFRN
• Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic Syndrome SFRN
• Valvular Heart Disease SFRN

REGISTER HERE FOR SEPTEMBER 25-26:

• HERN Maternal & Infant Health
• HERN Rural Health
• HERN Community-Driven Research Approaches

IMPORTANT NOTE: Meeting registration is separate from booking your hotel reservation. It is important that hotel reservations are booked within the Strategic Awards room block and not directly through the hotel’s booking link or a third-party site.  Refer to Travel/Hotel Reservations for further instructions on how to make hotel reservations. Name tags will be created based on the name and credentials/degrees entered on the registration form; please ensure this is entered correctly.

All meeting attendees are responsible for booking their own travel and hotel and are expected to attend the duration of the meeting. It is important that hotel reservations are booked within the Strategic Network room block using the link above and not directly through the hotel’s booking link or a third-party site.

For Strategic Award meetings September 24-25, plan your arrival to Denver International Airport on Wednesday, September 23, as programming will start at approximately 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, September 24, 2026. Plan your departing flight after 5 p.m. on Friday, September 25, 2026.

• Chronic Stress SFRN, Inflammation SFRN, CV Kidney SFRN, and Valvular Heart Disease SFRN

• Maternal & Infant Health, Rural Health and Community-Driven Research Approaches HERN

Airport
Denver International Airport (DEN) ~16 miles

Hotel Reservation
Use this link to make hotel reservations by (TBA): 
(link to be posted soon)

Deposit: One-night deposit is due at the time of booking.
Cancellation Policy: Cancel 72 hours prior to arrival to avoid forfeiting one-night deposit.

Hotel Information
Renaissance Denver Hotel & Conference Center 
3801 Quebec Street
Denver, Colorado 80207
(303) 399-7500

Denver has a light rail system that attendees can ride from the airport to near the hotel. Light rail details (PDF)

The attire for the Strategic Network Annual Meeting is business casual. Jeans, slacks, khakis, polo shirts, other casual blouses and shirts are appropriate.  Hotel meetings rooms are often cool, so bring a jacket or sweater.

Each meeting room will have a charging station. Space will be limited; it is recommended that laptops be charged nightly.

Submit ALL presentation slide decks to AHA via this form by 3 p.m. CT on Monday, September 21, 2026. Slide decks must be in PowerPoint format. If the file is too large, it can be saved as a zip file and uploaded that way. Presentation changes will NOT be accepted on the day of the meeting.

You must notify the Heart Association by Friday, September 4, 2026, if any presentation includes embedded videos or a link that will require internet access. The designated AV tech will need this in advance to ensure there are no issues the day of the meeting.

ALL Strategic Network awardees are expected to present a clear, concise progress update on Center, Training, and Project activities. Focus on progress toward aims, challenges, and strategies for improvement -- not restating proposed aims.

To prepare for the upcoming annual meeting, ALL awardees and fellows/trainees are expected to prepare their presentations in advance and receive feedback to ensure their presentations meet the AHA and OAC’s expectations. The OAC would like to hear from the Directors/Coordinating Center PIs, Training Directors, Project PIs and Fellows/Trainees.

SFRN Update -- Presentation Summary

• Total Center Presentation: 25 minutes
• Individual Updates: 5–7 minutes
  
• Format: One unified master slide deck
• Presenters:
  •  Center Directors / Coordinating Center PIs
  • Training Directors
  • Project PIs
  • Fellows / Trainees

Core Content Expectations

Progress on Aims (Primary Focus)

• Status of each aim based on the approved research plan
• Milestones achieved and measurable progress
• Data or evidence supporting advancment

Accomplishments & Challenges for each project

• 2-3 key accomplishments
• 3 major challenges/pitfalls
• Brief strategies or corrective actions

Training Program Update

• Progress toward training objectives
• Fellow achievements and contributions
• Barriers affecting training activities

Protocol Changes (if applicable)

• Summary of modifications and rationale for each change
• Expected impact on workflow or outcomes

Collaborative Activities

• Active collaborations and partners
• Goals, progress, and shared resources

Response to OAC Questions and/or Concerns

• Clear responses to OAC questions or concerns, including how each issue is being addressed
• Impact on progress 

Next Steps

• Upcoming milestones and deliverables
• Planned strategies to accelerate progress
• Support needed from network leadership

Purpose

Deliver a 10-12-minute progress-focused update highlighting overall advancement, key accomplishments, challenges, and strategies to accelerate progress.

Core Presentation Requirements

• Time Limit: 10–12 minutes per Coordinating Center and per Project
  
• Focus: Overall progress, not restating proposed aims
  
• Format: Consistent slide structure across all presenters

Key Content Areas

Progress on Aims (Primary Focus)

• Status of each aim based on the approved research plan
  
• Milestones achieved and measurable progress
  
• Evidence of advancement (data, outputs, implementation steps)

Accomplishments

• Three major accomplishments
  
• Impact on aims, community engagement, or scientific progress

Challenges & Mitigation

• Three significant challenges or roadblocks
  
• Contributing factors
  
• Strategies underway to address them
  

Protocol / Operational Updates

• Recent changes and rationale
  
• Expected impact on workflow or outcomes
  

Collaborative Activities

• Active collaborations within HERN or across institutions
  
• Goals, progress, and shared resources

Response to OAC Questions and/or Concerns

• Clear responses to OAC questions or concerns, including how each issue is being addressed
  
• Impact on progress

Next Steps

• Upcoming milestones and deliverables
  
• Planned strategies to accelerate progress
  
• Support needed from network leadership

The webinar hosted by “The Ragin Group” and project status templates are great resources for preparing a clear and concise project update presentation for the upcoming annual meeting. As a reminder, project updates will be condensed to allow more time for collaborative breakouts and networking opportunities. Refer to these resources below:

• Preparing Project Updates (video)
  
• Receiving Feedback (video)
  
• SFRN Annual Meeting Presentation Guidelines (PPT)
• HERN Annual Meeting Presentation Guidelines (PPT)
• AHA Expectations and Guidelines (PPT)

Instructions will be posted soon.

Click the following link to download the logo as pdf:  AHA Funded Research Logo.pdf

If you prefer a jpg, copy the image below: