AHA Supporting Undergraduate Research Experiences (AHA SURE)

Through a partnership with the American Heart Association, mentored 10-week summer research experiences are available for at least four students.

The AHA SURE Summer Program is an excellent way for undergraduate students to garner a mentored research experience under guided mentorship from experts in the field of cardiovascular and brain research.

AHA BU faculty members awardees will serve as mentors for this program. The program will occur in the broader context of multilevel mentoring available via the BU STARS program, which is out of BU’s Graduate Medical Sciences. The AHA SURE Program will be in-person in 2025.

Applications for the 2025 program are now closed.

Eligibility Requirements

Candidate may be pursuing a degree in any field but must have expressed an interest in a healthcare-related field.
Candidate must be a full-time undergraduate, a rising sophomore, junior or senior.
Candidate must have exemplary academic performance.
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.
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.
- U.S. citizen
- PR- Permanent resident
- 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)
- E-3 Visa – specialty occupation worker
- F-1 Visa – student (for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows only)
- G-4 Visa – family member of an international organization employee
- H1-B Visa – temporary worker in a specialty occupation
- 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)
- O-1 Visa – temporary worker with extraordinary abilities in the sciences
- 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.
- TC- formerly referred to as the “Trade Canada” visa or “TC,” was filed with the predecessor to the USCIS, the Immigration Naturalization Service (INS).
- DACA – Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
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.

Program Benefits

Read Program Dates & Application

Current & Past Participants

Professional Development Series

Contact Directory

BU intends that its facilities, programming, and academic offerings will be accessible, inclusive, and diverse. Your experience in this event is important to us. If you require communication access services for the deaf or hard of hearing or require an accommodation for another reason, please contact Teresa Acosta (tacosta@bu.edu) to discuss your needs. Please see Event Accessibility for details on accommodations.