The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) invites early-career investigators (postdoctoral and early-stage investigators [ESIs]) in biomedical research to apply to attend the RURAL Heart and Lung and ALA-LHC Studies Workshop from February 24–26, 2027, in Bethesda, MD. This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on mentoring directly with senior investigators of the RURAL and the ALA-LHC cohort studies.

Objectives: 

1. Foster interest among postdoctoral fellows and ESIs in research on some of our most vulnerable populations; 

2. Increase opportunities for early-career investigators to become involved in NHLBI-supported cohort study datasets focusing on rural-living individuals, early indicators of lung health, and NHLBI-mission areas; 

3. Enhance the utility of NHLBI longitudinal cohort study datasets by developing collaborations between young investigators and NHLBI cohort study principal investigators; and

4. Provide career development opportunities for young investigators to draft a manuscript through the collaboration of study mentors. This workshop will bring in new, young investigators to achieve these objectives. 

RURAL

The NHLBI RURAL Cohort Study aims to address critical gaps in our knowledge of heart and lung disorders in rural counties in the southeastern United States. This study is recruiting 4,600 participants between the ages of 25 and 64 years old in 10 rural counties throughout Alabama, Kentucky, Louisiana, and Mississippi to better understand health and disease of those living in these rural areas.  

ALA Lung Health

The ALA-LHC study is conducted in partnership with Northwestern University and Johns Hopkins University, and is the first-ever federally funded U.S. longitudinal cohort of millennials. ALA Lung Health is enrolling 4,000 young and healthy adults, ages 25 to 35 years old, to investigate modifiable exposures and risk factors associated with lung disease.  

This is an opportunity for early-career scientists to gain mentorship from leading senior investigators and to develop manuscripts using data from these invaluable rural and lung health cohort studies. Over the course of this workshop, you will be able to network with other early-career investigators interested in developing a research program investigating rural health disparities and/or mechanisms of lung diseases, and established investigators with a successful research program in these areas. You will participate in an in-depth overview from each study on data collection, how you might participate in these cohort studies as a co-investigator, learn from NHLBI staff members about preparing National Institutes of Health grant applications, and importantly, receive one-on-one and group mentoring in preparation of a manuscript leveraging data from RURAL and ALA-LHC.

What To Expect

Early-career scholars will be paired with a mentor from these cohorts to provide feedback on a proposed manuscript leveraging data from one or both of these cohort studies. Due to the hands-on mentoring structure of this workshop, space is limited. If you are interested in participating, please:

1. Visit the study websites and become familiar with studies and data collection domains.

2. Complete the application form along with supporting documents.

3. Consider a novel question that could be answered, using one or both of the study’s datasets and complete the manuscript proposal. Scholars will work closely with their assigned mentors to develop a manuscript for publication using the studies’ rich data.

4. Submit all documents by September 3, 2026.