• All applicants must be members of the AHA/ASA at any level by the time of application.  If you need to become an AHA/ASA Professional Member, you should do so before submitting your abstract and award application materials.  Join or renew today!
• Applicants must be early career investigators active in hypertension or cardiovascular research.   Candidates include Ph.D.s and/or M.D.s who have completed training only within the last four years; or Ph.D.s and/or M.D.s who are still within in the first four years after their first faculty appointment, as of the award application date.
• During the abstract submission process, applicants must submit the required award documentation and select the award for which they are applying.
• The applicant must be the first/primary author of the abstract.
• Abstracts eligible for this award must be based upon projects that adhere to the American Heart Association’s policies governing all research awards, regardless of whether the project was funded by the American Heart Association.  These policies are available here and include (but are not limited to) research using human subjects or animals and stem cell research.
• Notwithstanding the above, the AHA Officers have the discretion to determine eligibility for the award in extraordinary circumstances when there is an issue relating to AHA policy or positions or other potentially controversial issue relating to the positioning or perception of the AHA.
• Previous finalists and winners of this award are not eligible to re-enter the competition in subsequent years.
• There are no citizenship requirements.

• All applicants must be members of the AHA/ASA at any level by the time of application.  If you need to become an AHA/ASA Professional Member, you should do so before submitting your abstract and award application materials.  Join or renew today!
• Applicants must be early career investigators active in hypertension or cardiovascular research.   Candidates include Ph.D.s and/or M.D.s who have completed training only within the last four years; or Ph.D.s and/or M.D.s who are still within in the first four years after their first faculty appointment, as of the award application date.
• During the abstract submission process, applicants must submit the required award documentation and select the award for which they are applying.
• The applicant must be the first/primary author of the abstract.
• Abstracts eligible for this award must be based upon projects that adhere to the American Heart Association’s policies governing all research awards, regardless of whether the project was funded by the American Heart Association.  These policies are available here and include (but are not limited to) research using human subjects or animals and stem cell research.
• Notwithstanding the above, the AHA Officers have the discretion to determine eligibility for the award in extraordinary circumstances when there is an issue relating to AHA policy or positions or other potentially controversial issue relating to the positioning or perception of the AHA.
• Previous finalists and winners of this award are not eligible to re-enter the competition in subsequent years.
• There are no citizenship requirements.

The Council for High Blood Pressure Research Awards Committee will judge applications.  Applications will be judged on the following:

• Applicant’s background, experience, publications and overall contributions to hypertension and cardiovascular research.
• Scientific merit of the abstract and oral abstract presentation at the conference, including presentation ability and the response to questions about the presentation.

Three finalists will be selected from the pool of applicants.  New investigator competitions are judged in part on the presentations of the finalists at the conference.  The finalist must be the presenter of his/her submission and no alternates or proxy will be allowed.

Submit a scientific abstract to the High Blood Pressure Research 2013 Scientific Sessions as well as all supporting award documentation via the conference's abstract submission site by 5:00 PM CST on May 15, 2013.

The following items must be submitted through the online abstract submitter for consideration for this award:

• AHA abstract in accordance with AHA rules and regulations for submitting abstracts to the High Blood Pressure 2013 Scientific Sessions.  The work covered by the abstract must not have been published before the date and time of presentation at HBPR 2013 Scientific Sessions.  Abstract data must not have been presented at a national or international meeting or world congress before the date and time of presentation at HBPR 2013 Scientific Sessions.   
• Curriculum vitae, including bibliography
• Reprints of three first-authored publications by the applicant
• A letter of nomination and one additional letter of support from a Council for High Blood Pressure Research member detailing overall contributions of the applicant to hypertension and cardiovascular disease

The winner will be determined after each of the three finalists presents his or her abstract in a special session at the conference.  The winner will be announced and awards will be presented at the Council for High Blood Pressure Research Awards Luncheon at the conference.

Three finalists will receive the following:

• Cash award: The first-prize winner will receive a plaque and $1,000; the other two finalists will each receive a plaque and $500 each.
• Travel reimbursement to the conference up to $1200 each.
• Complimentary registration to the conference.