AHA Research Grant Funding Opportunities

Redefining Women’s Health: From Heart to Head to Hormones
Pre-proposal deadline: Tuesday, January 6, 2026
American Heart Association Studio Red invites researchers, clinicians, entrepreneurs and innovators to submit ideas to advance groundbreaking research and novel solutions in conditions that disproportionally or distinctly impact women’s health. Four priority areas of focus are described in the program details.

Rapid Impact Research Award
Proposal deadline: Thursday, January 22, 2026
For early- and mid-career investigators proposing innovative science studies aligned with sudden cardiac arrest/resuscitation science, Cardiovascular Kidney Metabolic (CKM) Syndrome, or stroke and/or vascular dementias.

Ralph L. Sacco Scholarships in Brain Health
Proposal deadline: Thursday, January 29, 2026
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, with a clear connection to either neurological or mental/behavioral health.

Career Development Award
Proposal deadline has passed for funding in 2026
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.

Within this award, additional collaboration money has been designated through the California Walnut Commission and the AHA/VIVA Physician Research Award.

AHA Predoctoral Fellowship
Proposal deadline has passed for funding in 2026
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, Autism Speaks, the Barth Syndrome Foundation and the California Walnut Commission.

AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship
Proposal deadline has passed for funding in 2026
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 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 has passed for funding in 2026
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 has passed for funding in 2026
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.

International Visiting Professorship Award
Proposal deadline has passed for funding in 2026
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.

Innovative Project Award
Required Pre-proposal deadline has passed for funding in 2026
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.

Within this award, additional collaboration money has been designated through the American Headache Society.

Cardiac Arrest Research Team (CART) Network
Required pre-proposals due: Tuesday, December 16, 2025
The American Heart Association and the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada and its funding partners will establish a cross-border, collaborative research network to address critical gaps in cardiac arrest and its consequences.

Strategically Focused Research Network (SFRN) on Earlier Detection and Delaying Progression of Valvular Heart Disease
Required pre-proposal deadline has passed.

Using AHA Get With the Guidelines® Research Data in the Precision Medicine Platform to further address current gaps in our understanding of cardiovascular disease
Proposal deadline: Thursday, January 15, 2026
The purpose of this RFP is to test the role of social determinants of health in cardiovascular disease and stroke. Eligible applicants must have attended a GWTG data bootcamp.

Using Real-World Data to Address Prevalence and Treatment of Cardiovascular, Kidney and Metabolic Disease in Cancer Patients and Survivors
Required Pre-proposal deadline: Monday, January 19, 2026
For multidisciplinary research teams with expertise in two or more of these areas: Cardio-oncology; CKM Syndrome; health economics; epidemiology; biostatistics with experience in causal inference methods, machine learning, and CV research.

Identifying the Effects of GLP-1 Medications Among Individuals with Cardiovascular, Kidney and Metabolic Disease
Required letters of intent due: Monday, January 19, 2026
Research focused on evaluating the effects of GLP-1 and/or GIP agonists among individuals with cardiovascular, kidney, and metabolic disease (CKM) and/or obesity. Applicants should have experience in causal inference methods, machine learning, and cardiovascular research. Collaborative proposals involving multidisciplinary teams are encouraged. Proposals are encouraged to leverage data sources including de-identified claims data, electronic health records and prospective cohort studies.