HIP Resident Award Key Information

The HIP Resident Award Program supports first- and second-year medical residents from communities underrepresented in hematology across the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. As part of the Hematology Inclusion Pathway, the HIP Resident Award provides participants with funds to conduct blood science research under the mentorship of an ASH member. Residents also receive career development mentorship from ASH members, gain valuable hematology knowledge, and benefit from complimentary ASH membership. Recipients also receive a stipend to attend the ASH annual meeting to present their research.

Eligible candidates include those in internal medicine, pathology, pediatric residencies, resident physicians, and residents who have applied to or matched early into a hematology-oncology fellowship program.

Program Benefits

Participants receive a $5,000 stipend to support their research project, $1,000 for attending the ASH annual meeting, $1,000 after the meeting for presenting their research at the annual meeting, and complimentary ASH membership throughout residency.

Eligibility Requirements

At the time of application, the applicant must:

• Provide a response to the HIP question articulating how the applicant advances the goals of the initiative.
• Be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States, Canada, or Mexico, J1 Visa holder, 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 Mexico with an ASH member mentor.
• Be enrolled in an internal medicine, pathology, or pediatric residency program in the United States or Canada that is approved by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or Royal College Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC).
• Be within the first two years of their residency program.

Eligible applicants may not hold other ASH awards during the HIP Resident Award term. Applicants in four-year residency programs (Internal Medicine and Pediatrics) are eligible to apply in year one through three of their programs.

Supported Research

Applicants must submit proposals to conduct research in blood sciences. 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.

Program Mentorship

Each HIP Resident Award applicant must have a research mentor who is an ASH member in good standing. Once accepted to the program, participants are paired with a career development mentor.

Research Mentors

Research mentors are ASH members who assume the responsibilities of overseeing a participant's work and progress. Research mentors will receive a $2,000 allowance for research supplies and a $1,000 travel stipend to attend the ASH annual meeting with the student the year the work is presented at the HIP Presentations and Reception Event.

The research mentor's responsibilities are primarily to:

• Assist the applicant with the completion of the program application
• Support the participant in the establishment of his/her research experience following award disbursement
• Complete and submit an evaluation form describing the research experience and providing suggestions regarding program enhancements
• Assist in the preparation of a short presentation of the participant's research which the participant will present at the ASH annual meeting
• Attend the ASH annual meeting and the participant's presentation in the year of the participant's research experience
• Encourage the student to continue to explore hematology as a career option

Career-Development Mentors

HIP Resident Award career-development mentors are ASH members available to provide professional guidance, career development, and positive role modeling to participants for the program's duration through training and completion of residency..

Career-development mentors receive a $1,000 travel stipend to attend the ASH annual meeting with the student. The mentor receives this stipend each year that they travel to the ASH annual meeting with the student during the student's remaining years of medical school and residency.

Volunteer to Be an Award Mentor

ASH is seeking members to serve as research and career-development mentors for the HIP Resident Award Program. To sign up to be an award mentor visit our Get Involved page.

Application Process and Required Materials

The HIP Resident Award application is part of ASH's universal application process. This application, along with 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.
• NIH Biographical Sketch of the applicant
• NIH Biographical Sketch of the mentor
• Applicant Research Proposal
• Applicant Personal Statement
• Two letters of recommendation submitted on official letterhead:
  • One (1) letter from the institution of the applicant’s residency program
  • One (1) letter of recommendation from the research mentor

ASH-Roland B. Scott HIP Resident Award

The ASH-Roland B. Scott Award, named for the late Roland B. Scott, MD, is an award that honors Dr. Scott’s legacy and pioneering contribution to sickle cell disease research.

Roland B. Scott, MD, was an American pediatrician and internationally known researcher known for his work on Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) and his advocacy on behalf of patients impacted by the illness. Despite not being a hematologist, in 1948 Dr. Scott published a report on the incidence of red cell sickling in newborn infants which helped to change the modern understanding of the disease and would eventually lead to the implementation of newborn screening tests that are now standard practice.

In addition to conducting research and treating patients, Dr. Scott led other physicians in lobbying Congress to pass the Sickle Cell Anemia Control Act of 1971, which provides federal funding for research and treatment of the disease. After the Act’s passage, Dr. Scott opened the Howard University Center for Sickle Cell Disease in 1972 and remained its Director until his retirement in 1990. Until his death in 2002, Dr. Scott was frequently cited as the premier authority on sickle cell diseases.

The ASH-Roland B. Scott Award recognizes the highest-scoring HIP Resident award recipient whose research project is focused on Sickle Cell Disease. The award provides a $16,000 stipend to support their research, $2,000 for mentor research supplies, and an additional $2,000 for travel to the annual meeting.

Evaluation, Selection, and Notification

Applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the ASH HIP Subcommittee and will be evaluated on the following criteria:

• Applicant: interest in hematology and commitment to research and/or health disparities
• Mentor: prior mentoring experience, general record of funding, mentoring plan (proposed project), and NIH biosketch
• Research Project: feasibility, quality of project description, and evidence of applicant’s understanding of proposed project and its relevance

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

There is no limit to the number of applications that an institution and its affiliates may submit. For purpose of fairness and balance, institutions will be limited in the number of awards granted. For this purpose, ASH’s definition of “medical school” encompasses all affiliate institutions (e.g. University of Washington would include the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children’s Hospital, etc.)

Terms and Conditions

All awards will be activated on July 1 and will conclude on June 30 of the following year (off-cycle exceptions may be allowed with explanation). Payment will be made prior to the start date of the award. Funds are paid directly to the awardee and are non-transferable.

As a condition of acceptance of the HIP Resident Award, it is required that:

• All funds must be used to provide the award recipient with a stipend and any supplies for conducting the research submitted in the application. Indirect costs (e.g., facilities and administrative costs) are not allowed.
• The recipient must arrange for their own health insurance either through their institution or independently.
• The applicant is responsible for any visa and/or citizenship restrictions applicable to receiving the award.
• The recipient must attend the ASH annual meeting, including Hematology Inclusion Pathway specific events (luncheon, presentation, and reception) and present their research.
• The recipient must cite support from the American Society of Hematology in any publication or poster describing research conducted during the award period.
• 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 may be allowed and must be submitted to ASH for approval prior to change.

CHANGING MENTORS

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

FINAL REPORT

After the award period, recipients must complete a final report and survey about their award experience. The report should include a summary of research, manuscript submissions during the award period related to the funded research, presentations (locally and nationally) of the funded research during the award period, educational goals met, and a summary of the usage of funds.  

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].