The Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (SCMR) is seeking support to expand the scholarship and mentorship programs at its 19th Annual Scientific Sessions. The SCMR was founded in 1994 by a group of cardiologists, radiologists, and scientists to be the leading international representative and advocate for physicians, scientists, and technologists working in CMR and to improve patient outcomes through excellence in education, training, standards, research, and development. The SCMR annual meeting delivers state-of- the-art information on the science of CMR imaging and spectroscopy and compares CMR methods to other imaging approaches. The information provided by this meeting is designed to help physicians, scientists, engineers, and allied healthcare professionals to recommend and utilize the best imaging modality to diagnose cardiovascular disorders and to assess the efficacy of new and current cardiovascular therapies and devices. As such, the meeting is directly in line with the mission of the NIBIB to promote research and development of new biomedical imaging and bioengineering techniques and devices to fundamentally improve the detection, treatment, and prevention of disease; enhancing existing imaging and bioengineering modalities; encouraging research and development in multidisciplinary areas; supporting studies to assess the effectiveness and outcomes of new biologics, materials, processes, devices, and procedures; developing technologies for early disease detection and assessment of health status; and developing advanced imaging and engineering techniques for conducting biomedical research at multiple scales. The proposal seeks to expand on already existing mentorship and scholarship programs at the SCMR Annual Meeting. In particular, an informal speed mentoring program will be provided as well as the one-on-one mentorship opportunities that have been provided and will continue to be provided at the SCMR meeting. The proposal also seeks to expand an existing scholarship program to encourage and enable more women and underrepresented minorities to attend the scientific sessions. These travel scholarships will be awarded to individuals based on scientific merit of peer-reviewed abstract submissions, the indicated financial need of early career trainees, and demographics. The proposal will also seek an invited speaker to discuss career opportunities and hurdles for women and minorities in leadership roles in medicine and to encourage them to see cardiovascular magnetic resonance as an attractive field to pursue as physician-investigators, scientists, and engineers. Through the mentorship and scholarship opportunities provided by this proposal, SCMR will have the potential to create a significant positive impact on the number of highly qualified trainees, with an emphasis on women and underrepresented minorities, who seek careers in science as well as in the clinical diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease.
Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) is a new and rapidly evolving technology for the diagnosis of heart disease that has many potential advantages over other methods, and, as a new technology, it is vitally important that latest scientific advances are disseminated. The Annual Scientific Sessions of the Society for Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance provides a unique opportunity for scientists, medical doctors, and trainees to hear about current research. This project will provide support for individuals, who otherwise may not be able to attend this meeting, with a major emphasis on encouraging more women and under-represented minorities into this exciting field.
