Scientific Sessions Abstract Awards Description

The Heart Rhythm Society awards up to three abstracts each year during its Annual Scientific Sessions. Some abstract awards require that you indicate your interest in participation during the abstract submission process; please be sure to review the information below and the award guidelines carefully before completing your abstract submission. Note that the Society reserves the right to determine the total number of annual awards and to cancel the competition in a given year if no submitted abstracts are deemed to be of adequate quality or interest.

The Heart Rhythm Society reserves the right to determine the number of awards made and to cancel the competition in a given year if submitted abstracts are deemed to not be of adequate quality or interest. No more than three awards will be made in a given year, with no more than one award made in each eligible abstract category.

Young Investigator Awards (YIA) Competition
This awards competition, now in its 31st year, recognizes and encourages the work of young investigators and their parent institutions. All submissions to the YIA Competition will be reviewed by the YIA Sub-Committee (part of the Scientific Sessions Program Committee and comprised of senior researchers, clinicians and scientists), who will then select six finalists to present their work during Heart Rhythm 2012. The YIA Competition will take place Thursday, May 10, 2012, from 1:30 – 3:00 p.m.

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 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 in the areas of clinical and basic research. The applicant must be the first author of the manuscript submitted for consideration. Multiple submissions from the same sponsor are discouraged.

All six YIA finalists will receive complimentary registration to Heart Rhythm 2012 and reimbursement up to $1,000 per finalist for travel expenses. There will be two first prize awards: $1,000 for basic research and $1,000 for clinical research. The four honorable mentions will each receive $500. The results will be announced by the YIA Sub-Committee Chair at the Presidents’ Reception, which takes place on Friday, May 11, 2012 at 6:00 p.m. All finalists are required to attend the Presidents’ Reception.

To be considered for the YIA Competition, the young investigator will need to submit an abstract during the Heart Rhythm 2012 Abstract Submission period (October 17 – December 9, 2011) and indicate that s/he is interested in applying for the YIA Competition. On December 13, 2011, all investigators who indicated their interest will be sent a link to a site to which they are to submit the additional necessary materials. Applicants will have until Wednesday, January 4, 2012 to submit their materials.

Highest Scoring Abstract in the Allied Professionals Category
The award will recognize the Presenting Author of the highest scoring abstract submitted to the Allied Professional category. Included with the award is a plaque and $1,000 from the Heart Rhythm Society to help cover the Presenting Author’s travel and housing expenses.

All Allied Professionals are automatically eligible for this award when submitting an abstract in the Allied Professional Category. Once the review process has been completed and all authors have been notified of their abstracts’ status in February, the winner of the Highest Scoring Abstract in the Allied Professionals Category award will be announced.

Fellow with the Highest Scoring Abstract
An abstract award of $1,500 is available to the eligible Fellow with the highest-scoring abstract. Fellows must be currently in a training program or no more than one year out of Fellowship training as of May 2012. The research for the eligible abstract must have been started during the Fellowship.

All Fellows who wish to be considered for this award must select the appropriate box on the Awards Page of the Abstract Submission Site. Late January, after abstracts have completed the peer-review process, the submitting authors of the top 5 highest scoring abstracts will be sent an award application to complete, as well as an eligibility form to be signed by their training director. Once the awards review process has been completed and all authors have been notified of their abstracts’ status in February, the winner of the Fellows Abstract Award will be announced.

The Eric N. Prystowsky Fellows Clinical Research Award
This award is supported by an unrestricted educational grant provided by the Eric and Bonnie Prystowsky Clinical Research fund.
To promote excellence in clinical research through the awarding of a $1,500 cash award, a plaque and complimentary registration to Heart Rhythm 2012 to the fellow with the highest scoring abstract in the Clinical Electrophysiology & Catheter Ablation or the Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices –abstract categories.

Abstracts must conform to the published abstract rules and procedures and be received by the published deadline in order for abstract First Authors to be considered for this award.

The award is open to Fellows currently in a training program or no more than one year out of Fellowship training. The research for the eligible abstract must have been substantially completed during the Fellowship period and must involve intact human subjects. Fellows who are selected as Young Investigator Award finalists will not be eligible to receive this award.

The Heart Rhythm Society Scientific Program Chair and Abstract Chair will select the award winner. The Scientific Program Chair will direct the award selection process. Award selection will be based on both relative abstract scores and relative subject matter.

All Fellows who wish to be considered for this award must select the appropriate box on the Awards Page of the Abstract Submission Site. Late January, after abstracts have completed the peer-review process, the submitting authors of the top 5 highest scoring abstracts in the Clinical Electrophysiology & Catheter Ablation and Cardiovascular Implantable Electronic Devices will be sent an award application to complete, as well as an eligibility form to be signed by their training director. Once the awards review process has been completed and all authors have been notified of their abstracts’ status in February, the winner of the Eric N. Prystowsky Fellow Clinical Research Award will be announced.