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 Opportunities

Open Topic Research Funding Opportunities
Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships in Brain Health Proposal deadline: Thursday, January 30, 2025 Jointly funded by the American Academy of Neurology and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association, with funds from a generous bequest by Dr. Ralph L. Sacco, this program enables early career trainees to undertake a mentored two-year research project targeting various aspects of brain health. The 2025 awards are for MD or PhD (or equivalent doctoral degree) applicants in postdoctoral fellowship training with a focus on brain health as of July 1, 2025. Projects for this cycle must focus on prevention.
International Visiting Professorship Award Applications due: Tuesday, February 4, 2025 Novel pilot program to bring internationally based scientists to the U.S. for one week to foster scientific exchange -- to expand research experiences and collaborative opportunities for the awarded Visiting Professor and their U.S.-based host in research that aligns with the AHA mission.
Implementation Science Award Proposal deadline: Wednesday, February 5, 2025 For early and mid-career investigators proposing innovative implementation science studies that align with AHA’s mission and provide optimal approaches to improving public health. Implementation science uses evidence-based theories and frameworks to identify strategies that facilitate the uptake of evidence to improve health. Implementation science studies can use qualitative studies, mixed-methods, quasi-experimental designs, randomized controlled trials, and community-based participatory research.
Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Science Proposal deadline: Thursday, February 6, 2025 To enable current AHA awardees to identify and serve as mentors for predoctoral and postdoctoral fellows from underrepresented groups in science and medicine.
Transformational Project Award Proposal deadline: Thursday, February 13, 2025 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.

AHA Predoctoral Fellowship Deadline has passed for funding in 2025 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.
AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship Deadline has passed for funding in 2025 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.
Institutional Award for Undergraduate Student Training Deadline has passed for funding in 2025 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.
AHA Institutional Research Enhancement Award (AIREA) Deadline has passed for funding in 2025 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.
Established Investigator Award Deadline has passed for funding in 2025 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.
Collaborative Sciences Award Deadline has passed for funding in 2025 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.
Merit Award Deadline has passed for funding in 2025 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.
Career Development Award Deadline has passed for funding in 2025 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.
Innovative Project Award Deadline has passed for funding in 2025 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.

Topic-focused Funding Opportunities

Topic Focused Research Funding Opportunities
Novel Artificial Intelligence Approaches to Advance Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular/Brain Health Required pre-proposal deadline: Thursday, February 27, 2025 A total of $12 million is available to fund three investigators / investigative teams proposing novel uses of Artificial Intelligence to revolutionize cardiovascular and cerebrovascular / brain health and health care delivery.
Health Care by Food™ Planning Grant Proposal deadline: March 11, 2025 The AHA's Health Care by Food™ initiative is building the evidence needed to show clinical and cost effectiveness so patients with acute or chronic disease or with risk factors for disease can access cost-effective food is medicine programs as a covered benefit through public and private health insurance. Funding will support development of a detailed trial protocol and grant on creating and testing ways in which food is medicine (FIM) interventions are efficacious for improved health outcomes. Funded investigators will receive salary and other support for one year as they work to optimize and finalize trial design, draft a grant proposal to a federal agency or other major funder, establish a research team, develop tools for data management and research oversight, and prepare other items needed to submit and conduct a rigorous trial of a FIM intervention. The primary deliverable is a competitive proposal for funding from a government agency or other major funder. Download the Request for Proposals (PDF).
Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN) Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic Syndrome: Heterogeneity in Women Required pre-proposal deadline has passed This initiative will support a collaborative network of researchers whose collective efforts will address critical questions and stimulate significant advances in our understanding of Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome in women and the related contributing factors. CKM Syndrome is a health disorder due of connections among heart disease, kidney disease, diabetes and obesity. Health outcomes are poor and affect multiple organ systems, and the considerable heterogeneity seen in CKM is not well understood. Outcomes from the SFRN should facilitate improved approaches for both prevention and treatment of CKM.

Data Science Grants

Pilot Grants to Explore Use of the AHA Protein Binding Atlas to Discover Novel Protein Interactions
Proposal deadline: May 1, 2025
For innovative pilot projects aimed at predicting and understanding protein-protein and protein-small molecule interactions involved in key biological processes associated with cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic diseases, including obesity. Proposed projects are encouraged to utilize the AHA Protein Portal.

Using AHA Get With the Guidelines® Research Data in the Precision Medicine Platform to further address current gaps in our understanding of cardiovascular disease
*For invited applicants only
Two opportunities to apply: Deadlines on January 15, 2025 and April 4, 2025

Applicants will leverage one of the AHA Get With The Guidelines (GWTG) datasets (AFib, CAD, Stroke, HF, or Resuscitation) in the Precision Medicine Platform to ask new and innovative questions regarding the role of social determinants of health in cardiovascular disease and stroke.

*Sign up to attend an upcoming GWTG Data Bootcamp at the International Stroke Conference 2025. Add the GWTG Data Bootcamp to your conference registration under “Special Ticketed Events”.

Supplemental Grants for Research Goes Red Awardees
Application deadline (invited participants): May 1, 2025
For past and current Research Goes Red Awardees to recruit individuals into Research Goes Red and establish a research study utilizing validated survey instruments focused on Life’s Essential 8^TM. The purpose is to better understand participants' needs, perceptions regarding the risks of cardiovascular health and disease, and other areas that provide key pieces of information towards improving cardiovascular health using a framework of Life’s Essential 8.

Identifying Predictors of Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Among Individuals with Obesity and Cardiovascular Disease on GLP-1 Medications
Deadline has passed for this grant program

We invite proposals focused on identifying predictors of cardiovascular risk reduction among individuals with obesity who are using GLP-1 receptor agonist medications, such as semaglutide and tirzepatide. Proposals are encouraged to leverage data sources including de-identified claims data, electronic health records and prospective cohort studies.

AHA Registry Research

National Level Program Data Research Opportunities

*Sign up to attend an upcoming GWTG Data Bootcamp at the International Stroke Conference 2025. Add the GWTG Data Bootcamp to your conference registration under “Special Ticketed Events”.

2025 Holidays

AHA offices will be closed:
Jan. 1	Sept. 1
Jan. 20	Nov. 27 & 28
May 26	Dec. 22-26
July 4

Altum/Proposal Central will be closed:
Jan. 1	July 4
Jan. 20	Sept. 1
Feb. 17	Oct. 13
May 26	Nov. 27 & 28
June 19	Dec. 22-26

Email our applications team >

Investigator-Initiated Research

Topic-focused Funding

Data Science Grants

AHA Registry Research

Investigator-initiated Research Opportunities

Topic-focused Funding Opportunities

Data Science Grants

AHA Registry Research