Highlights

• The 3 pillars that are effective in improving trainee performance and retention among busy early career investigators are companionship, light, and fuel.
• The research training process is a long-term journey where having companionship from peers and senior colleagues is essential.
• Strong mentorship provides light along the way whose successes can serve as lighthouses and beacons while illuminating the paths of early career investigators.
• Seed grants enable trainees to actually do research, applying what they have learned into practice to make a difference in global cardiovascular health.