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
Topic-focused Funding
Data Science Grants
AHA Registry Research
Investigator-initiated Research Opportunities
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AHA Predoctoral Fellowship Within this award, additional collaboration money has been designated through the AHA/CHF Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards, Autism Speaks, the Barth Syndrome Foundation and the California Walnut Commission. |
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AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship Within this award, additional collaboration money has been designated through AHA/CHF Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards, the AHA/VIVA Physician Research Award, Autism Speaks, the Barth Syndrome Foundation and the California Walnut Commission. |
| Institutional Award for Undergraduate Student Training Proposal deadline: Wednesday, September 10, 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) Proposal deadline: Thursday, September 11, 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. |
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Career Development Award Within this award, additional collaboration money has been designated through the California Walnut Commission and the AHA/VIVA Physician Research Award. |
| Merit Award Required pre-preproposal deadline: TBD 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. This award will begin on January 1, 2026. |
| Collaborative Sciences Award Deadline for 2026 funding to be announced 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. |
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Established Investigator Award |
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Innovative Project Award |
| International Visiting Professorship Award Deadline for 2026 funding to be announced 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 |
| Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships in Brain Health Deadline for 2026 funding to be announced 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. |
| 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. |
Topic-focused Funding Opportunities
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Novel Artificial Intelligence Approaches to Advance Cardiovascular and Cerebrovascular/Brain Health 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. |
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Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN) Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic Syndrome: Heterogeneity in Women 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. |
AHA Registry Research
2025 Holidays