Participating SURE Institutions

The AHA SURE program at UC offers three undergraduate students the opportunity to do research in a cardiovascular research laboratory for 10 weeks during the summer. The eligibility requirements for individuals applying for the AHA SURE program are scholars must be from an underrepresented population, must be a full-time undergraduate student going into their sophomore, junior or senior year, and must be majoring in a health-related field. The AHA SURE program will expose undergraduate students to intriguing research challenges and discoveries in cardiovascular disease, with the goal of encouraging these students to pursue research in these areas as they mature into scientists. Students will experience hands-on learning in some of the broad domains of clinical, translational, population, basic science, bioengineering and biotechnology, public health, and team science.

The Undergraduate Summer Training in Cardiovascular Research (USTiCR) program at the University of Kentucky is a 10-week undergraduate research experience.  During the program, students work full-time in the laboratories of a faculty mentor from one of the eight participating colleges, thus creating the opportunity for diverse projects in population-based, basic, translational, and clinical research.  Beyond the laboratory, students also participate in additional programming including scientific presentations, social events, and professional development conversations.  The primary goal of the program is to provide undergraduates with a foundation for making career choices in biomedical sciences.

The University of New Mexico (UNM) AHA SURE program provides mentored 10-week summer research experiences available for three students. We strongly encourage applications from candidates who identify with groups that have been historically underrepresented in medicine and health sciences as defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The UNM AHA SURE Summer Program is an excellent way for undergraduate students to obtain a focused research experience under guided mentorship from experts in the field of cardiovascular and brain research. The UNM AHA SURE scholars will be admitted through, and participate in, the Undergraduate Pipeline Network (UPN) experience, which is a broader UNMHSC level umbrella program that includes seminars, career development opportunities, and social activities.

The AHA SURE Program at Penn CVI allows undergraduates, including those who are underrepresented in medicine or from smaller institutions without extensive research programs, to gain exposure to state-of-the-art cardiovascular research.  The types of research include, but are not limited to: cardiovascular molecular and cellular biology; physiology; vascular biology; genetics; metabolism; clinical research; and implementation science.  This immersive 10-week program offers students hands-on experience in laboratories with faculty mentors who are members of CVI. 

Through a partnership with the American Heart Association (AHA), mentored summer research experiences are available to students from groups underrepresented in science. Awardees will be mentored by current AHA-funded scientists who are pursuing basic or clinical research in cardiovascular disease.

Learn the Biological, Behavioral, and Social Determinants of Health: Discover what factors affect health in vulnerable populations through the AHA’s extensive, unique resources. Gain Invaluable Experience and Mentoring: Work with an AHA-associated researcher, sampling career paths and learning how the AHA supports research.

Partnering with the AHA is to provide research experience and mentoring to underrepresented students. Students collaborate with a laboratory or mentor connected to the AHA, to conduct research that fits the AHA mission. The summer program lasts 8 to 10 weeks, from May or June to August.