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Institutional Award for Undergraduate Student Training

American Heart Association

Purpose

To encourage students from all disciplines to consider research careers.

This is an institutional award, made to qualified institutions that can offer a meaningful research experience that supports the mission of the American Heart Association to undergraduate college students.

Program Structure

This is an institutional award to qualified research institutions that can offer a meaningful research experience to undergraduate college students. A program director applies on behalf of the institution, with an internal selection process outlined, in which the sponsor/student pairs apply together for one of the awards from the institution.

The institution must include a student recruitment plan that is open to students at any school. A sponsor/student team may be located at any non-research undergraduate institution if there is a letter from the sponsoring institution assuring support for the project and responsibility for the student’s work.
Preference should not be given to current students of the sponsors' laboratories.
The institution is strongly encouraged to recruit students from groups that are underrepresented in science.
The institution may apply for support for two to five students per year. The request must be justified by the institution, based on how many students they can effectively manage.
This is a three-year award that supports two to five students per institution, per year. Renewal is based on satisfactory interim reporting from students, sponsors, and the program director.
The American Heart Association permits the use of a large language model (LLM – e.g., ChatGPT) or an artificial intelligence tool to generate and/or edit content in research proposals submitted for funding. This information must be disclosed at the time of submission. Disclosure of this information does not impact peer review. Should this information not be disclosed accurately, and use of these tools is identified, the proposal may be administratively withdrawn.

Budget

The Association does not require use of the NIH salary cap.

Trainee Stipend/Salary: $6,000 per student for the 10-week research experience. Institution may request support for two to five students per year. Maximum stipend support: 5 students per yr x $6,000 per student x 3 yrs = $90,000

Travel: Up to one conference @ $3,000 per student = $45,000 maximum

Travel support is for attendance at a national conference. (Attendance of Scientific Sessions is strongly encouraged, and students are encouraged to explore Scientific Sessions early-career day workshops.) International travel is permitted and does not require prior approval.

A faculty mentor MUST attend with the student. If a student does not attend/participate in a scientific conference during the term of his/her research experience or within six months following the completion of the research experience, the $3,000 will be forfeited by the program director/institution.

Administrative Coordination: $10,000 per year x 3 yrs = $30,000 maximum
Program Director may request up to $10,000 per year at their discretion. The funds may support the program director and/or other administrators.

No mentor support, laboratory supplies, or indirect costs are allowed.

Award Duration: Three years

Total Stipends: $36,000 - $60,000

Total Award Maximum: $165,000

Annual payment will be made to the institution for disbursement to the students. Faculty sponsor and institution assume fiscal responsibility. The institution may supplement the award amount. The award does not constitute an employee-employer relationship between the student and the American Heart Association. Direct use of award funds to pay tuition is prohibited.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong Alignment with the AHA Mission

Applications that clearly demonstrate how the proposed work will reduce cardiovascular disease, stroke burden, brain health problems, or improve population health tend to score better. Reviewers explicitly assess potential impact on the AHA mission.

2. High Scientific Impact

Funded proposals typically address an important unmet need and show potential to change clinical practice, scientific understanding, prevention strategies, or health outcomes. Impact is a major review criterion across AHA mechanisms.

3. Innovation and Novelty

AHA strongly favors projects that:

Challenge existing paradigms
Introduce new concepts or technologies
Explore novel mechanisms
Open new research directions

Innovation is particularly important in programs such as the Innovative Project Award.

4. Strong Preliminary Data (Except Innovation-Focused Awards)

For most investigator-initiated grants, convincing preliminary data demonstrating feasibility and supporting the central hypothesis substantially improves competitiveness. Reviewers look for evidence that the project can realistically succeed.

5. Investigator Track Record

Successful applicants often demonstrate:

Relevant publications
Prior productivity
Expertise in the proposed area
Evidence of completing previous projects

For early-career awards, potential and career trajectory may weigh more heavily than extensive publication records.

6. Strong Mentorship Environment (Career Development/Fellowships)

For Predoctoral, Postdoctoral, and Career Development Awards, a highly accomplished mentor and supportive research environment are among the strongest predictors of success. AHA specifically emphasizes appropriate investigative groups and mentorship structures.

7. Clear and Feasible Research Plan

Successful applications generally have:

Well-defined aims
Logical experimental design
Appropriate statistical methods
Realistic timelines
Identified alternative approaches

Reviewers often downgrade proposals that are overly ambitious or lack contingency plans.

8. Multidisciplinary Collaboration

For larger AHA programs, including Strategically Focused Research Networks (SFRNs), multidisciplinary teams and collaborations across basic, clinical, translational, and population sciences are strongly encouraged and frequently seen in funded applications.

9. Effective Non-Scientist Summary

Unlike many funding agencies, AHA formally evaluates the lay/non-scientist summary. Applications that clearly explain the public-health importance and societal impact of the work receive an advantage.

10. Institutional Environment

Competitive applications usually come from environments that provide:

Necessary facilities
Access to patient populations or specialized resources
Strong research infrastructure
Protected research time for investigators

AHA review criteria consider whether the environment supports project completion.

Specialties

Cardiovascular Diseases

Eligibility Requirements

The program director is the applicant for this award. At the time of application, the program director must:

possess a demonstrated track record of providing mentoring to student researchers;
be a full-time faculty member at the level of assistant professor (or equivalent) or above;
provide a detailed description of institutional support that is available to sponsors and students;
list potential sponsors, along with brief details about their background and nature of work;
outline how potential student awardees will be identified and recruited;
provide the procedure that sponsor/student teams will follow to compete for Association funds granted to the institution;
submit a plan for obtaining annual feedback from current and former trainees to assess the quality and effectiveness of the fellowship experience.

All applicants are required to self-register as peer reviewers with the American Heart Association and select two distinct scientific keywords that accurately reflect their areas of expertise. By registering, applicants consent to being contacted regarding future peer review opportunities and are strongly encouraged to participate as availability permits.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Heart Association

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 7272 Greenville Ave. Dallas, TX 75231

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