Early Career Investigator Visiting Research Fellowships

ISHR World Congress, Nara, 11^th–14^th May 2025

Deadline for applications: Monday 16^th December, 2024

General information

The ISHR International Council will sponsor Visiting Research Fellowships for Early Career Investigators (ECI) to undertake training in new techniques/methods at local Section institutes within the host region of the World Congress in 2025.

The purpose of the fellowships is to facilitate training visits for ECI to laboratories located in the World Congress host city/locale (i.e. the Japanese Section). It is hoped that the bursaries will support ECI skill development, collaboration establishment and foster exchange between sections. 

Fellowships will be awarded to successful applicants prior to the World Congress. Funding is specifically for subsidizing travel and accommodation costs related to visiting the nominated lab to train in a new technique. Visiting Research Fellowships will be awarded at the same rate as the stratified 2025 Travel Grants depending on the home Section of the applicant ($500 for JPN, CHI, $1000 for AUS, IND, SEA, and $1500 for EUR, NAS and LAT). Lab visits should occur immediately before or after the Congress and the expected duration is at least one week. 

A list of potential host laboratories is provided on this page for download. Please note that this list is not comprehensive; all laboratories in the Japanese Section that satisfy the eligibility and selection criteria (see below) are potential host laboratories.

The deadline for applications is Monday 16^th December, 2024. Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application by January, 2025. 

These fellowships provide an exciting opportunity to gain expertise and establish connections with another lab. We look forward to receiving your application! 

Eligibility criteria

1. The fellowships are targeted at ECI, including students and fellows. Eligibility for the award will usually be limited to those within eight years of their terminal degree (e.g. MD or PhD) at the commencement of the Congress (11^th May, 2025). Career-delay issues will be considered in allowing extra time eligibility.

    

2. Both the host lab principal investigator and the applicant must be members in good standing of the ISHR (i.e. a paid member of the ISHR for the last 12 months or longer).

    

3. Applicants must be first or last author of an abstract presented at the Congress, and must attend the Congress to be eligible. 

    

4. Lab visits must be within the local Sectional region of the World Congress, in 2025 this will be the Japanese Section.

    

5. A fellowship application consists of the completed application form (which contains host sponsor confirmation) and a one-page CV. 

Selection criteria

Applications will be scored using the following criteria: 

1. Argued case for suitability of the host lab in relation to activities to be undertaken and relevance to applicant’s research program. 

    

2. The described benefit expected from the lab visit (long- and short-term).

    

3. Applicant track record.

Applications will be assessed by the ISHR ECI Committee and two members of ISHR International. Judges will be appointed after the application deadline to exclude those with a conflict of interest.

Application process and award conditions

1. Applicants must identify and contact the principal investigator (PI) of the lab they would like to visit. A link to a list of potential PIs who have expressed an interest in hosting an ECI is provided at the bottom of this page. However, any lab which meets the eligibility criteria is acceptable. Applicants are strongly advised to be highly selective in their contact with PIs, and only contact those labs that have a specific technique that is closely linked to their own research. It is highly undesirable to contact multiple potential sponsors

    

2. With PI agreement to sponsor, an application can be submitted to the ISHR, consisting of the Application Form and a one-page CV. 

    

3. All applications must be submitted to Jarmon Lees (jlees@svi.edu.au), Akiyasu Iwase (akiiwase-tky@umin.ac.jp) and Leslie Lobaugh (llobaugh@ishrworld.org) by Monday 16^th December, 2024. Applicants will be advised of the outcome of their application by January, 2025.

    

4. Applicants are responsible for making all arrangements necessary for the lab visit, including negotiating suitable dates acceptable to the sponsoring PI. 

    

5. Fellowships can be used only to support travel and accommodation costs related to the lab visit, not laboratory expenses. ISHR-International will sponsor ECI Visiting Research Fellowships at the same rate as stratified 2025 Travel Grants ($500 for JPN, CHI, $1000 for AUS, IND, SEA, and $1500 for EUR, NAS and LAT). Receipts must be kept for reimbursement.

    

6. Fellowship recipients are not eligible for a 2025 ECI Travel Award (only one award can be accepted).

    

7. All fellowship recipients will be required to provide a brief review of their lab visit, to be submitted to the Council within 3 months after their visit. Reports may be selected for publication in Hearts, News & Views. 

Application forms

Click here to download the Application Form’.

Click here to download a list of potential host laboratories.