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Pediatric/ Congenital Visiting Fellowship Grant

Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) Imaging is becoming more widely available and has an increasing number of clinical guideline indications in pediatric and congenital heart disease (PCHD). However, there is a shortage of physicians trained to supervise and report independently in order to meet the current and future increase in the demand in CMR in PCHD. Training of physicians in CMR is an essential first step in setting up CMR services. One of the key challenges to achieving equitable access to CMR across the globe is the limited provision of training opportunities in some countries. While training abroad can overcome this challenge, it can be prohibitively expensive, especially for practitioners from middle-lower- or lower-income countries (as based on the World Bank classification).

The Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) is pleased to announce the Pediatric/Congenital Junior Early/Mid Career Visiting Fellowship Program. This fellowship is designed to support early- and mid-career members in accessing unique clinical or research opportunities abroad. Pediatric cardiologists or radiologists are encouraged to apply. The duration of the visiting fellowship program is at least one month and should not exceed 6 months. The fellowship aims at fostering collaboration among congenital cardiology centers worldwide, and advancing research in pediatric and congenital heart disease imaging. The research project will generate pilot data and allow further research and collaborations.

Objective

Provide members in training with access to clinical and research experiences not readily available at their home institutions for a period of 1-6 months.

Support collaboration across global congenital cardiology centers.

Stimulate high-quality research in pediatric and congenital heart disease (PCHD) imaging.

Financial provision

The SCMR visiting fellowship will offer financial support up to USD $5,000 for the fellow in the form of an educational or research grant. Details on the actual costs will need to be provided to SCMR. Those may include airfare, accommodation and reasonable living expenses for the duration of the visiting fellowship. Four grants will be provided in the 2026-2027 cycle and can be used worldwide, but it is the fellow’s own responsibility to comply with taxation rules according to the local fiscal regulations. The grant will be paid once the fellowship is started. SCMR will hold no liability for any activities taken out by the grant recipient during the fellowship. The host institution should confirm its agreement in writing on this process and a copy of the acceptance letter should be provided to the SCMR as part of the application. Without prejudice to the SCMR’s other rights and remedies, the SCMR may withhold or suspend payment of any grant funding due to the Grant recipient and/or require the Grant recipient to repay all or part of the grant in case the fellowship grant period ends before the planned date, whatever the reason for such termination.

Host institution requirements

The host institution is expected to fulfil the following requirements:

Offer an active clinical CMR program covering all aspects of congenital CMR practice. Led by at least one Level 3 certified CMR expert (SCMR or equivalent certification).
Offer an active training and teaching programme in PCHD CMR.
Is located in a different country or state to the applicant.
Have not hosted another SCMR funded fellow in the past 2 years.

Fellowship Award

Four (4) fellowships will be awarded, each valued at USD $5,000.
The funds may be used to support subsistence, accommodation, and travel costs.
The fellowship does not cover salary or other expenses.
Projects must be completed within 1 year of the fellowship program being awarded.
A written summary report must be submitted to SCMR within 3 months of fellowship completion.
The grant funding will be released on first day of training.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct CMR relevance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the most fundamental predictor of fit.

SCMR Seed Grants explicitly support research that advances the technical and translational application of CMR. Applicants are encouraged to address key knowledge gaps or needs in patient-focused CMR.

High-fit areas include:

Cardiovascular MRI
Cardiac function
Myocardial tissue characterization
Cardiac ischemia
Cardiomyopathy
Myocarditis
Cardiac amyloidosis
Heart failure
Coronary disease
Congenital heart disease
Valvular disease
Cardiac masses
CMR biomarkers
Quantitative CMR
Advanced imaging
CMR physics
AI in CMR

A general cardiovascular study that does not meaningfully use or advance CMR would have weak alignment.

2. Important CMR knowledge gap ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The proposal should clearly identify what is not yet known or adequately validated in CMR.

Examples:

Current CMR technique lacks sufficient diagnostic accuracy
Prognostic value remains uncertain
A CMR biomarker has not been validated
A pulse sequence has technical limitations
CMR findings are not sufficiently integrated into clinical decision-making
The clinical utility of a CMR measurement is unclear
CMR's cost-effectiveness has not been established

SCMR specifically asks applicants to explain how their project addresses current knowledge gaps in CMR.

3. Clinical significance and patient impact ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A competitive proposal should demonstrate why the CMR research matters to patients.

Potential outcomes include:

Earlier diagnosis
More accurate diagnosis
Better risk stratification
Prediction of adverse cardiovascular events
Better treatment selection
Monitoring treatment response
Improved prognosis
Reduced unnecessary procedures
Improved clinical decision-making

For Outcomes Research Grants, SCMR specifically seeks evidence concerning the prognostic role of CMR in patient care.

4. Innovation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Innovation is an explicit SCMR review criterion.

Technical innovation

Potentially strong topics include:

New pulse sequences
Faster CMR acquisition
Quantitative mapping
Motion correction
Improved image reconstruction
Novel contrast techniques
4D flow
Automated image analysis

SCMR specifically gives novel pulse-sequence development/validation as an example of an appropriate Seed Grant topic.

Clinical innovation

New CMR biomarkers
New diagnostic algorithms
CMR-based risk prediction
AI-assisted interpretation
CMR-guided treatment strategies
Multimodality imaging approaches

5. Scientific rigor and study design ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is explicitly scored by SCMR.

The research plan should demonstrate:

Clear specific aims
Strong hypothesis
Appropriate study design
Appropriate comparator
Adequate sample size
Validated CMR measurements
Appropriate statistical analysis
Clearly defined primary outcomes
Reproducibility
Appropriate handling of confounders

The review criteria explicitly include scientific rigor & study design.

6. Feasibility and research environment ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SCMR explicitly evaluates the research environment, including equipment, patient volume and mentorship.

A competitive application should demonstrate access to:

CMR scanner
Appropriate scan time
CMR technologists
Relevant patient population
Existing imaging databases
Image-analysis software
Computing resources
Biostatistical expertise
Clinical collaborators

For Seed Grants, the supervisor/department-head letter must confirm that the applicant has sufficient time and resources, including access to images, databases and scan time, to complete the project.

7. Clear translational/clinical value ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SCMR supports both technical/basic and clinical/translational research. The Seed Grant application specifically asks applicants to identify whether the project is basic/technical, clinical/translational, or combines both.

A particularly strong pathway is:

CMR innovation → validation → clinical utility → improved cardiovascular care

For example:

Novel myocardial-mapping technique → improved fibrosis detection → improved risk stratification → better treatment decisions.

8. Applicant's academic record and SCMR involvement ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Applicant factors account for 30% of SCMR Seed and Outcomes Grant review, compared with 70% for the research plan. Academic accomplishments include publications, awards and grants, while history of involvement with SCMR is also explicitly assessed.

Therefore, competitive applicants should demonstrate:

Relevant publications
CMR research experience
Previous presentations
Appropriate scientific training
SCMR membership
Participation in SCMR activities
Emerging independence

This is especially important because SCMR's Seed Grant is designed for early-career investigators.

9. Mentorship and collaboration ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

The Seed Grant requires a project mentor who will guide execution of the science.

A strong mentor should provide:

CMR expertise
Technical expertise
Clinical expertise
Statistical support
Access to infrastructure
Career-development guidance

For multicenter projects, clearly defined collaborator roles strengthen feasibility.

10. Preliminary-data and future-funding potential ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is one of the most important strategic features of the SCMR Seed Grant.

SCMR explicitly encourages early-career investigators to use Seed Grant projects to generate pilot results for competitive applications to larger governmental or other grant programs.

Specialties

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Pediatrics

Cardiovascular Diseases

Radiology

Eligibility Requirements

To qualify for this fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

Be a current SCMR member in good standing for at least one year (thus joined SCMR in 2025 or earlier).
Obtain written agreement from the proposed host institution prior to application submission.
Obtain written agreement from the home institution.
In the cover letter, please state the motivation for the fellowship, whether training or research. If research, please propose a 1-page project focused on CHD imaging hosted at a center other than their home institution.
Fellowship length will be at least 1 month and should not exceed 6 months. For those seeking more than 6 months of training, please refer to the SCMR Training Fellowship page (The SCMR Training Fellowship | Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance).
Early Career applicants: senior fellows or 1-5 years since end of last training.
Mid Career applicants: > 5 years and less than 10 years since end of last training. Previous pediatric and or congenital CMR experience is preferred. Those pursuing advanced training in imaging techniques at high-volume centers, or those who are developing new techniques, are encouraged to apply.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 1061 East Main Street Suite 300 East Dundee, Illinois 60118

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