HKASLD / AASLD Limited Outbound Faculty Exchange Opportunity

Program Overview  

As part of our shared efforts to foster and connect a global network of investigators and clinicians, AASLD will select one (1) early-career clinician to participate in a limited outbound faculty exchange opportunity with the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.  

The selected member will receive complimentary registration and travel support, provided by HKASLD, to participate as meeting faculty for the HKASLD’s 38th Annual Scientific Meeting, to be held November 30th, 2025, in Wan Chai, Hong Kong. During the meeting, the AASLD faculty will participate in educational sessions as both a presenter and moderator, and attend required social activities for the program faculty.    

Program Benefits  

HKASLD will provide one (1) eligible AASLD member an honorarium of $1,000 and travel support for to attend the HKASLD 38^th Annual Scientific Meeting, to be held November 30^th, 2025, in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.   

Travel support includes the following:  

• Round-trip travel to/from the meeting city 
• 3-nights of hotel accommodations  
• Complimentary meeting registration  

All travel support logistics will be managed by HKASLD. The participant is responsible for adhering to HKASLD payment policies and procedures and should direct all questions related to monetary benefits for this opportunity to the appropriate contact in the HKASLD administrative office.   

Eligibility

To be eligible for this opportunity, the applicant must: 

1. Reside in the United States, Canada, or Mexico and be a member in good standing of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) at the time of application and maintain their membership through the event.    
2. Be a Junior Faculty member (First Year Instructor - Assistant Professor or equivalent) within the first 5 years of their first faculty appointment at a medical or research institution within North America (U.S., Canada or Mexico) at the time of application.    
3. Be able to travel to and attend the Hong Kong Association for the Study of Liver Diseases Annual Meeting, to be held November 30, 2025, in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.   
4. Be committed to and demonstrate success as an early career academic hepatologist.

The official language of HKASLD’s 38^th Annual Scientific Meeting is English. Proficiency in Chinese, Cantonese, and/or Mandarin is not required.   

AASLD members are eligible to apply and be considered for the AASLD/HKASLD Faculty Exchange, AASLD/EASL Masterclass program, or the AGA / AASLD Academic Skills Workshop in the same calendar year. However, if they are selected for multiple programs, they may only participate in one of these programs in a single calendar year. Candidates that accept a seat in one of these programs will be withdrawn from consideration in another. Previous Masterclass or Academic Skills Workshop participants are eligible to apply. 

Selection Criteria 

Applicants will be evaluated based upon their training, commitment to hepatology, academic/research accomplishments, letters of support, and their potential as a future leader in hepatology. Review criteria will include:  

• Academic and/or research past accomplishments and future potential 
• Leadership potential as an academic hepatologist 
• Quality of abstract submitted for presentation 

Applications will be reviewed based on the written materials submitted. Incomplete applications and applications that fail to adhere strictly to the instructions (including the submission deadline and page limitations) will not be reviewed. All decisions are final.   

How to Apply 

1. Review the Required Documents section below.  
2. Assemble all application materials into a flattened, single PDF (no portfolios) in the order listed in the Required Documents section. Applications that do not meet the requirements, in content or format, will not be reviewed.  
   • Formatting 
     • Responses must be typed. Include only the required documents and provide signatures as requested.  
     • Use half-inch margins. Do not use lettering smaller than 10 point. 
     • Adhere to page limits and complete all sections.  
     • PDFs must be flattened prior to submission and cannot be locked or have any password protection. To flatten a PDF, you can use the options to “print to PDF” (Windows) or “save as other...flatten” (Mac). If you need further assistance to flatten your PDF, please contact us at awards@aasld.org.  
     • Name the PDF file as follows:  2025 HKASLD Exchange_Last name, First name (Example: 2025 HKASLD Exchange_Smith, Jane)    
3. Submit your application at www.liverresearchawards.org. You will be sent an email confirmation that the application was received. If an email confirmation is not received in two (2) business days, please contact awards@aasld.org to confirm receipt.  
   • The application deadline for this opportunity is 11:59 pm Eastern time on July 28, 2025. Applications received after the deadline will not be reviewed. 

Required Documents 

The following documents must be combined into a flattened, single PDF (no portfolios) and submitted as part of your application at www.liverresearchawards.org.  

1. Applicant’s CV 
   • Provide a copy of your comprehensive Curriculum Vitae, including any publications, abstracts, presentations, and extracurricular activities. 
2. Personal Statement (Limit two pages) 
   • Describe the benefits of this opportunity to your academic/research career and your motivation for participation.  
   • Describe your background, previous accomplishments, and both short and long-term career development goals. 
3. Two Letters of Recommendation (Limit one page each)  
   • One letter must be provided by the applicant’s current mentor or an individual who has recently acted in a mentor role for the applicant. The mentor’s letter should: 
     • Confirm and describe their personal support of the candidate and commitment to their success. 
     • Provide specific examples of why the candidate has a potential career in academics and is motivated and self-directed. 
     • Describe the candidate’s role in any active research projects (if applicable). 
   • A second letter of recommendation must be provided from a peer who knows the applicant well, can evaluate their strengths, and can attest to their qualifications.   
4. Abstract (150-250 words) 
   • Provide a structured abstract of the research that would be presented.  
     • The abstract must include the following sections: Background, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. 
     • The abstract may have been previously presented or published. 

Questions 

Any questions should be sent to awards@aasld.org.