Research Impact


Sharing Results

of Novel Research

Explore results of the research funded by the American Heart Association. The projects featured on this page highlight completed work of initiatives that responded to global challenges and accelerated discoveries deemed critical to advancing the Heart Association's mission. Among these are Strategic Networks, which are multi-disciplinary teams working together to deepen our understanding of specific science topics. Full details on projects funded since 2001 can be found on the reSEARCH@Heart interactive portal.


Science Summaries

These projects have been completed and their initial results are summarized. The findings of research funded by the Association inform other researchers through publication in journals, presentation at meetings, and as the basis of new scientific questions to answer.

Cardiology
Decorative Arrythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death summary cover illustration

Arrhythmias and Sudden Cardiac Death: Research Network Summary

2019-2023

  • Northwestern University
  • University of Michigan
  • University of Washington
  • Vanderbilt University
Decorative Atrial Fibrillation summary cover illustration

Atrial Fibrillation: Research Network Summary

2018-2022

  • Boston University
  • The Sarah Ross Soter Center for AFib at the Cleveland Clinic
  • Northwestern University
  • Vanderbilt University
  • The Joe and Linda Chlapaty DECIDE Center at Stanford University
  • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) - American Heart Association DECIDE Center at the University of Utah
Decorative Disparities summary cover page illustration

Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke: Research Network Summary

2015-2019

  • Medical University of South Carolina
  • Morehouse School of Medicine / Emory University
  • Northwestern University
  • University of Colorado Denver
Decorative Heart Failure summary cover illustration

Heart Failure: Research Network Summary

2016-2020

  • Duke University
  • Massachusetts General Hospital
  • University of Colorado Denver
  • University of Utah

Featured in Journal of the American Heart Association (September 2022).

Second Century of Science Grants

2023-2026

In celebration of the Association's 100-year anniversary, the Board of Directors created three novel research programs to foster solutions to critical research gaps:
  • Implementation Science
  • Early Faculty Independence
  • Clinical Fellow Research Education
Epidemiology/Prevention

Cardiovascular Consequences of COVID-19 and Long COVID

2022-2025

The Heart Association committed up to $10 million to fund research on understanding the mechanisms underlying cardiac, vascular and cerebrovascular effects of COVID-19 and Long COVID, and mechanisms that contribute to differential susceptibility to Long COVID.

Covid Virus

COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant

2020-2021

In March 2020, the Heart Association put out an unprecedented rapid response call for cardiovascular / cerebrovascular research proposals to address the growing crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of this issue's urgency, the focus was on innovative, highly impactful short-term proposals (9-12 months) that could show immediate progress.

Decorative Prevention summary cover page illustration

Prevention: Research Network Summary

2014-2018

  • Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
  • Northwestern University
  • University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
  • Vanderbilt University 
Hypertension/Kidney
Decorative Hypertension summary cover page illustration

Hypertension: Research Network Summary

2015-2019

  • Cincinnati Children’s Hospital
  • Medical College of Wisconsin
  • University of Alabama at Birmingham 
  • University of Iowa

Featured in Hypertension Journal (May 2021).

Lifestyle/Cardiometabolic Health

Cardiometabolic Health and Type 2 Diabetes: Research Network Summary

2020-2024

  • Brigham & Women’s Hospital
  • Johns Hopkins University
  • New York University
  • University of Iowa
Decorative Obesity summary cover illustration

Obesity: Research Network Summary

2017-2021

  • Johns Hopkins University
  • New York University Medical Center
  • The University of Alabama at Birmingham
  • Vanderbilt University Medical Center

Featured in Journal of the American Heart Association (February 2023).

Pediatrics
Decorative Children's summary cover illustration

Children's: Research Network Summary

2017-2021

  • Children’s National Research Institute
  • Duke University 
  • Northwestern University
  • University of Utah

Featured in Journal of the American Heart Association (February 2023)

Image of adolescents with banner calling for proposals that was a Tweet to promote the funding initiative

End Nicotine Addiction in Children and Teens (ENACT)

2020-2022

  • Boston University Medical Campus
  • The Ohio State University
  • Yale University

The Association committed $20 million to fund bold, ground-breaking research projects on the health impacts of nicotine and nicotine delivery products entering the market without essential safety information -- and to address the developing epidemic of nicotine addiction -- in children and youth. Learn more about the Youth Vaping and Nicotine Research Initiative.

Stroke
Decorative Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment summary cover illustration

American Heart Association/Allen Initiative in Brain Health and Cognitive Impairment

2019-2026

The AHA and Allen Frontiers Group, along with additional contributors including the Oskar Fischer Project and Henrietta B. and Frederick H. Bugher Foundation, have committed more than $43 million to disrupt the incremental trajectory of brain health science and open new frontiers of discovery.

Decorative Atrial Fibrillation summary cover illustration

Atrial Fibrillation: Research Network Summary

2018-2022

  • Boston University
  • The Sarah Ross Soter Center for AFib at the Cleveland Clinic
  • Northwestern University
  • Vanderbilt University
  • The Joe and Linda Chlapaty DECIDE Center at Stanford University
  • Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) - American Heart Association DECIDE Center at the University of Utah
Decorative Disparities summary cover page illustration

Disparities in Cardiovascular Disease and Stroke: Research Network Summary

2015-2019

  • Medical University of South Carolina
  • Morehouse School of Medicine / Emory University
  • Northwestern University
  • University of Colorado Denver
Womens Health
Decorative Go Red For Women summary cover illustration

Go Red For Women: Research Network Summary

2016-2020

  • Columbia University Irving Medical Center
  • Johns Hopkins Medicine
  • Magee-Women's Research Institute
  • New York University School of Medicine
  • University of California, San Diego

Featured in Journal of the American Heart Association (February 2021).

2026 American Heart Association holidays:
Jan. 1, Jan. 19, Mar. 27, May 25, July 3 & 6,
Sept. 7, Nov. 26 & 27, Dec. 21-25

2026 Altum/ProposalCentral holidays:

Jan. 1, Jan. 19, Feb. 16, May 25, June 19, July 3,
Sept. 7, Oct. 12, Nov. 26 & 27, Dec. 28-Jan 1