AHA Research Grant Funding Opportunities

The American Heart Association is the largest non-profit, non-governmental funder of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular research in the U.S. Many research programs are offered annually and others are one-time grants. Some programs require pre-proposals, with full proposals by invitation only. Watch this page for updates on funding opportunities and proposal deadlines.

Please visit the Application Resources page for answers on AHA policies and restrictions, application preparation, and general guidelines.

Investigator-Initiated Research

For these funding opportunities, applicants initiate the research focus. Qualification for these awards is largely based on the principal investigator’s career stage.
See investigator-initiated research opportunities

Topic-focused Funding

These programs support specific areas of science deemed critical to achieving our mission and strategic objectives. The AHA co-funds some projects with other organizations to advance common goals.
See current topic-focused research opportunities

Data Science Grants

These opportunities fund researchers from anywhere in the world working in the field of data science. Grants support investigators in all career stages, from trainees to senior scientists.
See data science grant funding

AHA Registry Research

AHA/ASA Quality Programs produce data from millions of patient records in vast databases for advancing scientific research. Investigators can submit proposals to conduct research using this data.
See AHA Registry Research Opportunities

Investigator-initiated Research Opportunities

Open Topic Research Funding Opportunities
Program* Pre-proposal Deadline Proposal Deadline** Award Start Date
AHA Predoctoral Fellowship
Enhances the training of promising students in pre-doctoral or clinical health professional degree training programs and who intend careers as scientists, physician-scientists or other clinician-scientists, or related careers aimed at improving global health and wellbeing.
   Wed.,
Sept. 6, 2023		 Jan. 1, 2024
AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship
Enhances the training of postdoctoral applicants who are not yet independent. The applicant must be embedded in an appropriate investigative group with the mentorship, support, and relevant scientific guidance of a research mentor.
   Thurs,
Sept. 7, 2023		 Jan 1, 2024
Institutional Award for Undergraduate Student Training
This award is made to qualified institutions that can offer a meaningful research experience that supports the AHA mission that encourages undergraduate college students from all disciplines to consider research careers.
   Wed.,
Sept 13, 2023		 Jan 1, 2024
AHA Institutional Research Enhancement Award (AIREA)
Stimulates research at educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees related to scientific research training. Eligible institutions may not have been major recipients of NIH support. Awards provide funding for small-scale research projects related to cardiovascular diseases and brain health, enhancing the research environment at eligible institutions, and exposing students to research opportunities.
   Thurs.,
Sept. 14, 2023		 Jan 1, 2024
Collaborative Sciences Award
Fosters innovative collaborative approaches to research projects that propose novel pairings of investigators from at least two broadly disparate disciplines. The proposal must focus on the collaborative relationship, such that the scientific objectives could not be achieved without the efforts of at least two co-principal investigators and their respective disciplines.

Wed.,
Oct. 4, 2023

Wed.,
Jan. 10, 2024

 April 1, 2024
Established Investigator Award
Supports established investigators in rapid career growth phase, with records of accomplishments and showing extraordinary promise. Candidates will have a demonstrated commitment to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular science disciplines that support the AHA’s mission, as indicated by funding and publication history and scientific accomplishments. Candidates should propose an innovative/novel research direction that challenges existing paradigms and employs novel concepts, approaches, or technologies.

Thurs.,
Oct. 5, 2023

Thurs.,
Jan 11, 2024

 April 1, 2024

Career Development Award
Supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals in the early years of first professional appointment to assure the applicant’s future success as a research scientist in the field of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular disease research.

   Wed,.
Dec. 6, 2023		 April 1, 2024
Transformational Project Award
Supports highly innovative, high-impact projects that build on work in progress that could ultimately lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will accelerate the field of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular research. Research deemed innovative may be built around an emerging paradigm, approaching an existing problem from a new perspective, or exhibit other uniquely creative qualities.		   Thurs.,

Feb. 15, 2024

 July 1, 2024
Merit Award
Funds investigators with stellar track records of accomplishment, demonstrated by federal or equivalent funding from multiple sources and excellent publication records with substantial impact, who have the potential to move a field of science forward with creative approaches that are aligned with the AHA's mission.
 Closed Tues.,
Sept. 5, 2023
 Jan. 1, 2024
Innovative Project Award 
Supports highly innovative, high-impact research that could ultimately lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will accelerate the field of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular research. The idea proposed here should not have been submitted in whole or in part in a previous proposal for AHA support.
 Friday,
Dec. 1, 2023		 Friday,
March 8, 2024
 July 1, 2024
Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Science
Under the mentorship of current AHA awardees, this mechanism supports research experiences for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in science		   Tues.,
Dec. 5, 2023
 April 1, 2024

Topic-focused Funding Opportunities

 

Topic-Focused Research Funding Opportunities
 

AHA/Enduring Hearts Translational Research Awards in Pediatric Heart Transplantation
Enduring Hearts and the AHA provide funding for research on improving the life expectancy and quality of life of pediatric heart transplant recipients.
Pre-proposal deadline: Thurs., Sept. 28, 2023

The following funding is offered via existing AHA  award programs:
AHA/CHF Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards
A multi-year commitment between the AHA and Children’s Heart Foundation (CHF) to jointly support Predoctoral Fellowship or Postdoctoral Fellowship trainees actively conducting basic, clinical, population, or translational congenital heart defects research.
AHA/VIVA Physicians Research Awards
Postdoctoral Fellowships and Career Development Awards fund meritorious clinical research that advances vascular science and fosters the development of early-career scientists. Training and mentorship are offered to potential future leaders in the domain of patient-oriented vascular research ranging from health services, to epidemiology, to clinical and translational research.
Barth Syndrome Foundation
This funding supports a Predoctoral Fellowship or Postdoctoral Fellowship for an investigator proposing innovative basic, clinical, or translational research relevant to the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, treatment, epidemiology, and/or prevention of Barth Syndrome.

California Walnut Commission
Funding is available for observational or clinical research trials that will improve understanding and expand knowledge promoting healthy dietary patterns (for example, Mediterranean-style diets, plant-forward or food modeling) that include walnut consumption through AHA Predoctoral Fellowships, Postdoctoral Fellowships, and Career Development Awards.

 

 
AHA/ASA/ABF Lawrence M Brass, MD Stroke Research Awards
The American Heart Association and American Brain Foundation provide funding for postdoctoral trainees embarking on careers in clinical neurology, stroke and neurocritical care. Award recipients receive supportive mentorship and conduct introductory pilot studies that will guide future strategies for reducing cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular disease.		  

Data Science Grants

Data Science Grants
Pre-proposal Deadline Proposal Deadline Award Start Date
Assessing Race in Clinical Research Models
To take a fresh look at risk prediction models and algorithms in the field of cardiovascular and stroke science that have been adjusted for race, and reevaluate based on potential downstream inequities in disease outcomes and treatments. This award is targeted to early-trainees (predocs, postdocs, and fellows).		 - closed - -closed- July 1, 2023
Migraine as a Risk Factor for Stroke and Cardiovascular Disease
To use large currently available databases (studies or electronic health record data) with information on migraine and cardiovascular disease, in combination with data science approaches, to assess migraine as a risk factor for cardiac disease and stroke.		 - closed - -closed- July 1, 2023

AHA Registry Research

 
Due Date

AHA/ASA Early Career Investigator Database Research Seed Grant
These grants serve as steppingstones to future opportunities in research, collaboration and scientific advancement. Recipients will receive AHA/ASA national level oversight as well as valuable GWTG Committee leadership and mentorship from key volunteer physicians.

Mon..,
Oct. 16, 2023

AHA/ASA Early Career Investigator Database Research Seed Grant - GWTG-Resuscitation
These grants serve as steppingstones to future opportunities in resuscitation research, collaboration and scientific advancement. Recipients will receive AHA national level oversight as well as valuable GWTG-Resuscitation Research Task Force leadership and mentorship from key volunteer physicians. One Early Career Investigator research award is available for the adult patient population and one for the pediatric patient population.

 Mon.,
Oct. 16, 2023
  

2023 Holidays

AHA offices will be closed on the following days:                                    Altum/Proposal Central offices will be closed on the following days:
Jan. 2 July 3 & 4    Jan. 2 Sept. 4
Jan. 16 Sept. 4   Jan. 16 Oct. 9
Mar. 31 Nov. 23 & 24   Feb. 20 Nov. 23 & 24
May 29 Dec. 26 - Jan. 2   May 29 Dec. 25 - 29

    July 4
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