Awards will be issued based on the eligibility criteria below:

1. The candidate must be a minority by the standard NIH definition: He or she belongs to a minority group underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral science careers, based on their minority group's representation in the total population. This includes American Indians (including Alaskan Natives, Eskimos and Aleutians), Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders, African Americans and Hispanics.  Other candidates considered a minority are those from medically underserved populations with low socio-economic status and those living in rural areas to include whites.
2. The candidate must hold an academic (or equivalent) rank below associate professor (e.g., assistant professors, instructors, postdocs, fellows and students).  If the candidate is a faculty member, he or she must be within the first five years of the faculty appointment.
3. The candidate must be conducting epidemiology research in the field of cardiovascular disease.

Awards will be issued based on the eligibility criteria below:

1. The candidate must be a minority by the standard NIH definition: He or she belongs to a minority group underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral science careers, based on their minority group's representation in the total population. This includes American Indians (including Alaskan Natives, Eskimos and Aleutians), Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders, African Americans and Hispanics.  Other candidates considered a minority are those from medically underserved populations with low socio-economic status and those living in rural areas to include whites.
2. The candidate must hold an academic (or equivalent) rank below associate professor (e.g., assistant professors, instructors, postdocs, fellows and students).  If the candidate is a faculty member, he or she must be within the first five years of the faculty appointment.
3. The candidate must be conducting epidemiology research in the field of cardiovascular disease.

Electronic submission through the Council Awards Application System is required by January 12, 2012.  Hard copies of any part of the application will not be accepted.

Your application file should contain the following documents in PDF format:

• A thorough letter of recommendation by a mentor, section chief or department chair that includes the following:
  
  *  Candidate's grounds for eligibility, including verification that he or she is part of a minority group as defined by the NIH and identification of the candidate's specific minority status
  *  Candidate's key accomplishments to date (or other forms of demonstrated excellence and recognition in the case of very junior trainees)
  *  Assessment of candidate's relevant scientific attributes (intellectual curiosity, drive, critical thinking, problem-solving), and potential for future success as a competitive investigator
• Curriculum vitae, including bibliography.

Visit the Council Awards & Fellowships Application System to complete an application. 

A username and password set up through online registration at My.AmericanHeart for Professionals will be necessary to access the Application System.  If you have not created an online profile yet, you may register as you enter the Application System by clicking "Sign Up" next to the Log In button on the sign-in page.  AHA Professional Members who are creating an online profile for the first time should make sure to register using their AHA membership identification numbers.

Awardees will be notified in late January.  The travel grant is for up to $750 and will cover transportation and hotel costs to attend the Epidemiology and Prevention 2012 Scientific Sessions. Conference registration costs and meals at the conference are not covered under this grant.  Grants will be issued after the conference upon submission of travel receipts to the AHA.