HIP Fellow Award Key Information

The HIP Fellow Award, part of the Hematology Inclusion Pathway, supports first and second year early-career researchers in the United States, Canada, and Mexico to pursue a career in academic hematology. The HIP Fellow Award provides participants with salary support and funding to support blood science-focused research projects and present their research at the ASH Annual Meeting. The funds give fellows in training more time to generate sufficient expertise to be competitive when applying for other awards, such as the ASH Scholar Award, which targets applicants with more extensive research experience and preliminary data.

Program Benefits

The HIP Fellow Award provides each recipient with $100,000 over a two- to three-year period (at the selection of the recipient) to guarantee protected time for clinical or laboratory-based blood science research projects, to develop additional skills in the conduct of research, generate preliminary data, and present their research at the ASH Annual Meeting.

Eligibility Requirements

At the time of application, applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify:

• Provide a response to the HIP question articulating how the applicant advances the goals of the initiative.
• Be citizens or permanent residents of the United States, Canada, or Mexico, J1 Visa holders, or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status.
• Be planning and committed to conducting the relevant research project in the United States, Canada, or Canada with an ASH member mentor.
• Possess an MD/DO, PhD, or MD/DO and PhD degree.
• Be in their first or second year of fellowship at the time of application and planning to pursue a career in hematology research.
• Propose research focused on blood sciences or a hematologic condition.
• Have fewer than three years of research experience after completion of their degree (PhD Postdoctoral Fellow Award applicants only).
• Have clear and documented support of an established mentor who has active funding (e.g., NIH, federal, foundation, or private) and will remain funded for the duration of the award term, or who is recognized through national clinical leadership (if the project is clinical). The mentor must be an ASH member in good standing for the duration of the award term. If the mentor is not in a hematology-related field, a supporting letter from an ASH member is required.
• Provide documented support from the program director for dedicated research time during the award period.

Eligible applicants may not hold other ASH awards during the HIP Fellow Award term. Please note, assistant professors and National Institute of Health employees are not eligible to apply.

You should consider applying for the HIP Fellow Award if:

• You are still in fellowship training.
• You have limited to no research experience.
• You still have the clinical portion of your fellowship to complete.

Supported Research

Applicants must submit proposals to conduct research in blood science. Proposals that fall within any of the below categories are encouraged:

• Basic Research
• Translational Research
• Patient-Oriented Clinical Research
• Outcomes-Based Research

For additional details on eligible research categories, please consult the Research Definitions page.

Should you have questions about determining eligibility, please contact [email protected].

Application Process and Required Materials

The HIP Fellow Award application, as well as all supporting documents outlined below, must be submitted through the ASH online awards system.

All applications must include the following:

• A response to the HIP question articulating how the applicant advances the goals of the initiative.
• Applicant NIH Biographical Sketch
• Research Mentor NIH Biographical Sketch
• Applicant Career Development Plan
• Applicant Research Proposal
• Applicant Personal Statement
• Mentor Letter of Support
• Institutional Commitment Letter from Training Program Director on Official Letterhead

For more information about the required materials, please see the Required Documents PDF.

Evaluation, Selection, and Notification

Applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the HIP Study Section. Applicants will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Alignment with the goals of the HIP initiative
• A focus on blood science research
• The applicant’s qualifications and experiences; factors to be considered include, but are not limited to, the potential for future independent investigation and commitment to a career in blood science research
• Quality of the mentor and the plan for mentor-applicant interaction and career development
• The significance, feasibility, and originality of the proposed hypothesis, research, and methodology
• Availability of institutional resources to support the proposed project

Accepted applicants and their mentors will receive official notification of acceptance by April/May.

ASH-ASTCT Career Development Award

ASH has partnered with the American Society for Transplantation and Cellular Therapy (ASTCT) on the ASH-ASTCT Career Development Award to increase the number of hematologists from underrepresented backgrounds in medicine pursuing careers in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) and cellular therapy.

In addition to HIP Fellow Award benefits, award recipients will participate in the following ASTCT focused opportunities:

• Attendance at the annual Tandem Meetings of the ASTCT and the Center for International Blood and Marrow Transplant Research (CIBMTR)
• Travel costs should be included in the proposed budget for the project
• Meeting registration will be complementary
• Participation in an ASTCT Special Interest Group (SIG).
• Preferential consideration for an ASTCT Leadership Course or Clinical Research Training Course (must apply for consideration).
• Membership on the ASTCT Diversity and Inclusion SIG.

Eligibility and Application Instructions

The ASH-ASTCT Career Development Award is designed for clinical and translational researchers who intend for clinical care of patients to be a part of their future career. Applicants must meet the eligibility requirements for the HIP Fellow Award and have a research project related to hematopoietic stem cell transplantation or other cellular therapies. Applicants will indicate their desire to be considered for the ASH-ASTCT Career Development Award when submitting the HIP Fellow Award application through the ASH online awards system.

Terms and Conditions

All awards will be activated on July 1 and will conclude on June 30 of the final year. Payment will be made to the appropriate financial officer for the institution as indicated on the proposed budget form. As a condition of acceptance of the HIP Fellow Award, it is required that:

• All funds be used for the research project specified in the application submitted to ASH in strict compliance with the budget included with the application or any subsequent budget approved by the Society.
• Funds may not be used toward salary/benefits for the mentor or toward an institution's overhead or indirect costs.
• The applicant is responsible for any visa and/or citizenship restrictions applicable to receiving the award.
• The award recipient cites support from the American Society of Hematology in any publication describing research conducted during the period of the award.
• The award recipient dedicates at least 75 percent of his/her full-time professional efforts to research during the funded period.
• The recipient must attend and present their research at the ASH annual meeting, including Hematology Inclusion Pathway specific events (luncheon, presentation, and reception).
• The recipient must respond to all requests from the Society for information about their career progress following the award period.

Transfers/Reallocation Requests

Students may request a reallocation of funds from one expense category to another. This written request must specify the dollar amount, which categories are impacted, and a justification as to why this change is necessary. Mentor changes and transfers are allowed and must be submitted to ASH for approval prior to change.

In the event the fellow transfers to another institution during the funding period, continuation of the funding at the new institution may be allowed with prior approval from ASH.

In addition, fellows may request a reallocation of funds from one expense category to another.

All transfer and/or reallocation requests must be sent to [email protected].

Changing Mentors

Please contact [email protected] if you need to change primary mentors. This must be approved by the chair of the ASH subcommittee.

Progress and Final Reports

HIP Fellow Award recipients are required to submit an evaluation form at the end of their award’s first year. Failure to submit the progress/evaluation report, after the first year, will render the recipient ineligible for the second year of funding. A final written and financial report (not to exceed four pages) is expected within 60 days of the end of the award period.

Evaluation Form

The evaluation form is a series of short questions. The form should be accompanied by a letter from a division head or department chair requesting second year funding. It should also provide assurances that the fellow’s work has progressed and that both appropriate facilities and the mentor will continue to be available.

Fellows with two-year awards will need to submit an evaluation form at the end of the first year of their award. Fellows whose award is spread over three years should submit an evaluation at the end of both the first and second year.

Failure to submit the evaluation report, including the letter, after the first and/or second year will render the fellow ineligible for the second or third year of funding.

Final Reports

A final written report (not to exceed four pages) is expected within 60 days of the end of the award period.

HIP Fellow Award recipients, along with the financial officers from their institutions, must also submit a financial report detailing how the funds were used over the two-or three-year period. This report must be submitted within 60 days of the end of the award period.

Both final reports must be sent to [email protected].

Unused Funds

Funds are paid directly to the awardee and are non-transferable. Any funding not spent by the end of the award term must be returned to the Society when submitting the final report. A check made out to “American Society of Hematology” must be sent to the address listed below:

American Society of Hematology - ASH - Administration
P.O. Box 37580 (Truist Lock box ID: 9478)
Baltimore, MD 21297-3580

Have a Question?

If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].