Reaching out to young investigators.

I t is self-evident that the future of biomedical research depends on the development of the next generation of investigators. Supporting young investigators has always been a core mission of the American Heart Association, one of its most distinguished and noble accomplishments. As an official journal of the American Heart Association, the editors and I think that Circulation Research must also contribute to this mission. Our view that young investigators are a key audience of the journal has already resulted in several initiatives. 1 For example, a major reason for the introduction of Profiles in Cardiovascular Science was our desire to highlight role models that could inspire and guide early career investigators. 2 More recently, the introduction of New Leaders in Cardiovascular Science 3,4 was similarly motivated by our desire to offer outstanding examples to scientists who are beginning their journey in biomedical research. 5 To help young investigators, we have also published " How to Obtain a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute-Sponsored K08 and K99/R00 Grant in the Current Funding Climate. " 6 In addition, every year, we invite the finalists of the Marcus and Katz Awards to submit their articles to Circulation Research. In keeping with this tradition, we are pleased to publish, in this issue of Circulation Research, two Letters to a Young Investigator. The first, by Maria Kontaridis, 7 is a treasure trove of sage advice to early career scientists investigators who wish to apply for a K award. The second, by Yibin Wang, 8 deals with the difficult issue of rejection; this insightful and delightful essay teaches survival skills that are essential when investigators face the inevitable frustration of having a grant or an article rejected. Rejection is hard on everybody, but it is harder on younger individuals who are not accustomed to it and often do not have enough resources to overcome it. Both of these articles offer precious advice and practical suggestions that we think will be useful not only to young but also not-so-young readers. The idea of publishing Letters to a Young Investigator arose from presentations made at the 2013 meeting of the American Heart Association's Basic Cardiovascular Science Council in Las Vegas and thus highlights the close ties between the journal and Council it serves. As the official journal of the Basic Cardiovascular Science Council, Circulation Research strongly endorses the Council's focus on programs and initiatives targeted at young …