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
Collaborative Sciences Award Required pre-proposals due: Wednesday, October 4, 2023 Award start date: April 1, 2024 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. Within this award, additional collaboration money has been designated through the AHA/VIVA Physician Research Award and by the California Walnut Commission .
Established Investigator Award Required pre-proposals due: Thursday, October 5, 2023 Award start date: April 1, 2024 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.
Innovative Project Award Required pre-proposals due: Friday, December 1, 2023 Award start date: July 1, 2024 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.
Research Supplement to Promote Diversity in Science Proposal deadline: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 Award start date: April 1, 2024 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.
Career Development Award Proposal deadline: Wednesday, December 6, 2023 Award start date: April 1, 2024 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.
Transformational Project Award Proposal deadline: Thursday, February 15, 2024 Award start date: July 1, 2024 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.
Submission deadlines have closed for 2024 funding for the following programs:
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. Within this award, additional collaboration money has been designated through the AHA/CHF Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards and by the Barth Syndrome Foundation and California Walnut Commission.
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. Within this award, additional collaboration money has been designated through the AHA/CHF Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards and AHA/VIVA Physician Research Award and by the Barth Syndrome Foundation and California Walnut Commission .
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.
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.
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.

Topic-focused Funding Opportunities

Topic Focused Research Funding Opportunities
AHA/Enduring Hearts Translational Research Awards in Pediatric Heart Transplantation Required pre-proposals due: Thursday, September 28, 2023 Enduring Hearts and the AHA provide funding for research on improving the life expectancy and quality of life of pediatric heart transplant recipients.
AHA's Second Century Early Faculty Independence Award Required pre-proposals due: Tuesday, October 3, 2023 For highly promising investigators in the early years of their first professional appointment as they address one of several possible areas of critical, emerging priority.
AHA's Second Century Clinical Fellow Research Education Program Application deadline: Thursday, November 2, 2023 Provides funding for cardiology and select neurology fellows in accredited fellowship programs to attend an AHA scientific meeting (Scientific Sessions or the International Stroke Conference, respectively) and gain other training and experience integral to development of research acumen.
Food is Medicine Initiative Proposals due: Monday, November 6, 2023 Funded in collaboration with the Rockefeller Foundation and other organizations, the AHA seeks proposals focused on feasibility and implementation science, specifically achieving high rates of enrollment and engagement, and testing ways to achieve significant short-term changes in healthy eating behavior. Equity is central to this initiative, and applicants are strongly encouraged to use a patient-centered approach to study design, and wherever possible, input from lived experience of patient participants and practitioners should guide program design. Ultimately, the initiative’s research aims to generate the definitive evidence needed to provide widespread coverage of food-based treatment options for the millions of Americans living with chronic disease. Informational webinar on Wednesday, October 4, 2023
Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN) on Inflammation in Cardiac and Neurovascular Disease Required pre-proposals due via email: Tuesday, November 28, 2023 This SFRN will consist of at least three centers, each of which will propose novel research studies to address this issue. Funded centers will be expected to collaborate on solving the core issues underlying this problem, including via development of a common network-wide collaborative project.
AHA and Additional Ventures Collaborative Science Awards in Single Ventricle Heart Disease Required pre-proposals due: Tuesday, December 19, 2023 Together, the American Heart Association (AHA) and Additional Ventures (AV) invite applications from multidisciplinary, multi-institutional research teams to support work advancing our understanding of biological mechanisms and drivers of end-organ complications and co-morbidities of single ventricle heart disease and the Fontan circulation. This jointly-funded opportunity seeks to bring together investigators who are enthusiastic about working in a highly collaborative network - one that includes field experts working with investigators with no previous record of SV research, who prioritize innovation over safe bets, and who are willing to risk testing unconventional ideas. The funders anticipate supporting five awards, which beyond generous funding, provides project management support, in-person meetings, and networking opportunities, at approximately $13.2M in total.
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. Application process is through the American Academy of Neurology.

Data Science Grants

Data Science Grants
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). Proposal deadline has passed for July 1, 2023 award funding.
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. Proposal deadline has passed for July 1, 2023 award funding.

AHA Registry Research

AHA/ASA Early Career Investigator Database Research Seed Grant Due date: Monday, October 16, 2023 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.
AHA/ASA Early Career Investigator Database Research Seed Grant - GWTG-Resuscitation Due date: Monday, October 16, 2023 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.

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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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