The American Heart Association (AHA) Council on the Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease (KCVD) presents The Role of the Kidney in Cardiovascular Disease Educational Tools Contest—an initiative to promote the development of innovative, high-impact educational resources that bridge the knowledge gap between heart and kidney health.
While the connection between kidney dysfunction and cardiovascular disease is well recognized by nephrologists, it remains underemphasized in medical education, including medical school, residency training, and primary care practice. As novel therapies such as sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 inhibitors and glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists continue to reshape the clinical landscape, it is critical to develop accessible, far-reaching teaching tools that highlight the role of chronic kidney disease in cardiovascular outcomes.
The contest supports the creation of educational materials aimed at informing clinicians, trainees, and students about the significant impact of chronic kidney disease on cardiovascular disease, with the goal of improving awareness and ultimately, patient care.
The teaching tool must enhance the learner's understanding of kidney and cardiovascular disease to impact clinical decision-making or awareness. For example, the tool can be a video series, interactive website, or podcast.
The teaching tool must teach some aspect about the connection between the kidney and cardiovascular disease.
One member of the submitting team must be an AHA member. Teams can consist of undergraduate, medical, or PhD students; trainees (resident, fellow, and postdoctoral); faculty; practicing physicians; researchers; or other health professionals. Each member of the team can only be involved in one submission. A corresponding member must be denoted.
One member of the team must be a faculty member (i.e., they have completed all training and have a faculty position in either private practice or an institution).
The teaching tool will be submitted to and judged by the KCVD Scientific & Clinical Education Lifelong Learning (SCILL) Committee based on the following merits:
Kidney and cardiovascular disease must be featured.
The tool must be easily accessible.
The tool must have feasibility for creation (i.e., it can be developed).
A prototype of the tool should be submitted (does not have to be the final product).
Up to three teaching tools will be selected as winners:
Each team will receive up to $2000 for further development of the tool.
AHA's Council on the KCVD will publicize the tool.
Winners will be announced at Scientific Sessions 2025 in November (https://professional.heart.org/en/meetings/scientific-sessions).
The tool will be linked on the AHA website with a description.
Each winner will make a video describing the tool.
All applications are due by August 8, 2025. For more information on the contest, scan the QR code.
