Through a partnership with the American Heart Association, we offer mentored 8-week summer research experiences for at least four students. This program is limited to applications from individuals who identify with groups in medicine and health sciences as defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Open to students from UAB, Tuskegee University, and Lawson State Community College (LSCC). The AHA SURE Summer Program provides undergraduate students with an excellent opportunity to gain mentored research experience under the guidance of experts in the field of cardiovascular disease and brain research.
We are dedicated to accelerating the entry of individuals into careers in science. The American Heart Association (AHA) chose the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and Tuskegee University (TU) as part of a group of 13 other institutions across the country that were selected to join the 6 pilot institutions as a site for the summer research pathway program called AHA Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences (AHA SURE). We anticipate this program will offer 3 summer undergraduate research positions each summer for students from UAB, TU, and Lawson State Community College (LSCC).
The 2025 AHA SURE Program Application Process opens on February 1, 2025.
The deadline for the 2025 AHA SURE Program Application is April 15, 2025.
The 2025 AHA SURE Program starts on June 1, 2025.
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Eligibility Requirements
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Candidate may be pursuing a degree in any field but must have expressed an interest in a healthcare-related field.
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Candidate must be a full-time undergraduate, a rising sophomore, junior or senior.
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Candidate must have exemplary academic performance.
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We strongly encourage applications from candidates who identify with specific groups as defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
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Please note the immigration requirements for the SURE application: At the time of application, the student must be a United States citizen, or a foreign national holding a student, exchange, or permanent resident visa, including an F-1, H1, H1B, J1, PR, TC or TN visa. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status requires additional AHA approval to apply. Send an email to Apply@Heart.org with an explanation of the student’s status.
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Which type of VISA does the AHA accept? Awardees must have one of the following designations, depending on the career stage and each individual’s situation. Please consult with your institution’s grant officer.
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U.S. citizen
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PR- Permanent resident
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Pending permanent resident (must have filed Form I-485 for permanent resident status and obtained an I-797C Notice of Action that the application has been received by USCIS and case is pending)
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E-3 Visa – specialty occupation worker
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F-1 Visa – student (for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows only)
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G-4 Visa – family member of an international organization employee
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H1-B Visa – temporary worker in a specialty occupation
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J-1 Visa – exchange visitor (pre- and postdoctoral fellowships only; all other awardees must obtain an H-1B or equivalent by the award activation date)
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O-1 Visa – temporary worker with extraordinary abilities in the sciences
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TN Visa – nonimmigrant NAFTA Professional (TN) visa allows citizens of Canada and Mexico, as NAFTA professionals, to work in the United States in prearranged business activities for U.S. or foreign employers.
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TC- formerly referred to as the “Trade Canada” visa or “TC,” was filed with the predecessor to the USCIS, the Immigration Naturalization Service (INS).
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DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
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Applicants are not required to reside in the United States for any period before applying for American Heart Association funding. An awardee must maintain one of the designations listed above throughout the duration of the award.
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Program Benefits
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$6,000 compensation/honorarium
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Travel expenses
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Travel costs to UAB
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Room & Board at UAB
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Opportunity to travel to an AHA scientific meeting.
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Program Dates & Application
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Application Deadline: Friday, April 5, 2024
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Letter of Recommendation Deadline: Friday, April 12, 2024
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Program Dates: Monday, June 3, 2024 - Sunday, July 28, 2024
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Meet Our UAB & Tuskegee AHA SURE Program Leaders
Palaniappan Sethu, PhD
Professor of Medicine and Biomedical Engineering
UAB Division of Cardiovascular Disease
psethu@uab.edu
(205) 975-1697
Jennifer Pollock, PhD, FAPS
Professor of Medicine
UAB Division of Nephrology
(205) 975-7525
jenniferpollock@uabmc.edu
David Pollock, PhD
James A. Schafer Professor of Medicine
Director, Cardio-Renal Phsiology & Medicine Section
Co-Director, Hypertension Research Center
UAB Division of Nephrology
(205) 975-7526
davidpollock@uabmc.edu
J. Michael Wyss, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Director, Center for Community Outreach Development (CORD)
UAB Department of Biology
(205) 934-5198
jmwyss@uabmc.edu
Chastity Bradford, PhD
Associate Professor, Department Head
Department of Biology, Tuskegee University
(334) 274-4797
cbradford@tuskegee.edu
Meet Our UAB Faculty Mentors
Nicole Lohr, MD, PhD, FACC
Professor of Medicine
Division Director, Cardiovascular Disease
Director, Comprehensive Cardiovascular Center (CCVC)
Co-Director, UAB Medicine Cardiovascular Institute (CVI)
Gregory Payne, MD, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Disease
Hind Lal, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Disease
Glenn Rowe, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Disease
Suresh Verma, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Disease
Palaniappan Sethu, PhD, MS
Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Disease
Martin Young, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Disease
Priscila Sato, PhD
Associate Professor of Medicine
Division of Cardiovascular Disease
Jennifer Pollock, PhD, FAPS
Professor of Medicine
Division of Nephrology
David Pollock, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Nephrology
Timmy Lee, MD, MSPH
Professor of Medicine
Department of Medicine Vice Chair for Research
Division of Nephrology
Christian Faul, PhD
Professor of Medicine
Division of Nephrology
Adam Wende, PhD
Associate Professor
Molecular & Cellular Pathology
Rakesh Patel, PhD
Professor
Molecular & Cellular Pathology
Rajasekaran Soorappan, PhD
Associate Professor
Molecular & Cellular Pathology
Yabing Chen, PhD
Professor
Molecular & Cellular Pathology
Jay Zhang, MD, PhD, MEng
Professor of Medicine
T. Michael and Gillian Goodrich Endowed Chair, Engineering Leadership
Chair, Department of Biomedical Engineering
Yajing Wang, PhD
Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Prasanna Krishnamurthy, PhD, MS
Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
M-K Sewell Loftin, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Ho-Wook Jun, PhD
Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Manuel Rosa-Garrido, PhD
Assistant Professor
Department of Biomedical Engineering
For more information about the AHA SURE program, please contact:
Monroe Hargrove IV
Program Coordinator
mhargrove@uabmc.edu