Young Investigator Awards

Purpose

The Young Investigator Awards (YIA) recognize and encourage the work of young investigators and their parent institutions.

Process

The Heart Rhythm Society YIA Subcommittee, composed of senior researchers, clinicians, and scientists, holds an annual YIA Competition in which it reviews all submissions and selects six finalists to present their work during Heart Rhythm.

Eligibility

The YIA Competition is open to any physician or scientist who is presently in a residency, fellowship, or doctoral training program or who has been in such a program within the past three years (at the time of submission). The competition is also open to students in graduate or medical schools who are working on a problem concerned with cardiac pacing and/or electrophysiology (EP) in the areas of clinical and basic research. The applicant must be the submitting, presenting, and first author of the manuscript considered for consideration. Multiple submissions from the same sponsor are discouraged.

Requirements

To be considered for the YIA Competition, the young investigator will need to submit an abstract during the Heart Rhythm 2025 abstract submission period (September 30 - December 2, 2024) and indicate that (s)he is interested in applying for the YIA competition. Supporting materials will be collected at the time of the abstract submission and will include the following:

1. Abstract submitted during the Heart Rhythm 2025 abstract submission period.
2. A complete manuscript of the investigation, text typed double-spaced and including all necessary tables, figures, and graphs. The manuscript must be in a format that is suitable for submission as an original publication to the Heart Rhythm Journal. Book chapters, PhD theses, and review articles are not eligible for the YIA competition. The manuscript must not exceed 5,000 words. 
3. A brief Author Statement, including a description of his/her specific role in the overall study. 
4. The applicant's curriculum vitae. 
5. A statement from the applicant's sponsor or chief of service defining the role of the YIA applicant to the study. 

Frequency

Two awards, four honorees; given annually

Award

All six YIA finalists will receive complimentary registration to that year's Heart Rhythm and reimbursement of up to $1,000 travel stipend per finalist, distributed after the meeting. There will be two first-prize awards: $1,000 for Basic Science and $1,000 for Clinical Research. The first prize awards will each receive a Heart Rhythm YIA winner plaque. The remaining four honorable mentions will each receive $500 and an award certificate.