Application Information

2019-2020 AHA RESEARCH FUNDING APPLICATION DEADLINES*

*Subject to change.

Transformational Project Award

Application Deadline:  Wednesday, January 22, 2020

Represents the second phase of a new idea; proposals should include preliminary data. Proposed work should be the next logical step of previous work and should already be revealing a high probability of revealing new avenues of investigation, if successful.

Strategically Focused Research Networks (SFRN)

American Heart Association and Children’s Heart Foundation
Congenital Heart Defects Research Awards (CHDRAs)

Application Deadline: September 19, 2019
Award Start Date: January 1, 2020

The American Heart Association (AHA) and The Children’s Heart Foundation (CHF) announce this joint Request for Applications (RFA) to fund the AHA/CHF Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards (CHDRAs).  The AHA and CHF share common priorities and interests in investing in congenital heart defects (CHD) research.

Predoctoral Fellowships, Postdoctoral Fellowships, Career Development Awards, and Transformational Project Awards will be funded through this RFA.

In addition to the four funding mechanisms offered via this joint AHA-CHF Request for Applications, the AHA's Collaborative Sciences Award might also be of interest to applicants.

End the Lies: Youth Vaping and Nicotine Research Initiative 

Application Deadline:  January 7, 2020
Notification of Finalists: February 7, 2020
Invited Finalists Interviews: February 23, 2020
Announcement of Award(s): February 2020

The rapid pace of e-cigarette products entering the market without provision of essential safety information requires an equally rapid, ambitious, comprehensive response on the part of the research/scientific community. The AHA seeks to accelerate desperately needed answers about the health effects of e-cigarettes and other novel nicotine delivery devices (ENNDs) and how to prevent and/or reverse the developing epidemic of nicotine addiction, among children and youth (defined as 15-24 years of age). To that end, the AHA is committing up to $20 million to fund two or three (2-3) bold, ground-breaking research projects focused on the health impacts of nicotine and nicotine delivery products in children and youth.

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.

AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship

Enhances the training of postdoctoral applicants who are not yet independent. The applicant must be embedded in an appropriate research group with the mentorship, support, and relevant scientific guidance of a research supervisor.

Institutional Undergraduate Student Fellowship

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)

Supports small-scale research projects related to cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular disease at educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees but that have not been major recipients of NIH support. Supports the full range of research and development from very basic to clinical.

AHA Merit Award

Funds investigators with stellar track records of accomplishment, funding, and publications with substantial impact. Candidates have the potential to move a field of science forward with creative approaches that are aligned with the American Heart Association's mission: To be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives.

Collaborative Sciences Award

Fosters innovative, new collaborative approaches to research projects that propose novel pairings of investigators from at least two broad 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. The combination and integration of studies may be inclusive of basic, clinical, population and/or translational research. Applications by existing collaborators are permitted, provided that the proposal is for a new idea or new approach that has not been funded before.

Career Development Award

Supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals ,in the early years of one’s first professional appointment, to explore innovative questions or pilot studies that will provide preliminary data and training to assure the applicant’s future success as a research scientist in the field of cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular disease research.

Established Investigator Award

Support s mid-career investigators (typically at associate professor level) with unusual promise and established records of accomplishments; candidates have a demonstrated commitment to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular science disciplines that support the AHA’s mission to be a relentless force for a world of longer, healthier lives, as indicated by publication history and scientific accomplishments. A candidate's career is expected to be in a rapid growth phase.

Innovative Project Award

Funds ideas that may introduce new paradigms, challenge current paradigms, look at existing problems from new perspectives, or exhibit other uniquely creative qualities. Preliminary data is not required and not accepted as part of the proposal. However, a solid rationale for the work must be provided.

AHA Institute for Precision Cardiovascular Medicine (Institute) Awards

The Institute's Funding Opportunities Page lists grant mechanisms and deadlines.

All AHA grants share the following features, unless noted in the program description:

• AHA awards are open to an array of academic and health professionals. This includes but is not limited to all academic disciplines (biology, chemistry, mathematics, technology, physics, etc.) and all health-related professions (physicians, nurses, nurse practitioners, pharmacists, dentists,physical and occupational therapists, statisticians, nutritionists, etc.).
   
• American Heart Association research awards are limited to U.S.-based non-profit institutions, including medical, osteopathic and dental schools, veterinary schools, schools of public health, pharmacy schools, nursing schools, universities and colleges, public and voluntary hospitals and others that can demonstrate the ability to conduct the proposed research. Applications will not be accepted for work with funding to be administered through any federal institution or work to be performed by a federal employee, except (1) applications specifically related to the AHA’s Institute for Precision Cardiovascular Medicine, and (2) Veterans Administration employees.
   
• Clinical, translational, population, behavioral, and basic scientists are encouraged to apply.  AHA maintains dedicated Peer Review Committees by program type and science type.

• Scientists whose projects involve coding and/or use large amounts of data are encouraged to apply and will be given access to the AHA Precision Medicine  Platform, a cloud based solution for data analysis.

• AHA strongly encourages applications by  women, people in ethnic and racial groups underrepresented in science, and those who have experienced varied and non-traditional career trajectories.
   
• No minimum percent effort is required; however, the Principal Investigator must demonstrate that adequate time will be devoted to ensuring successful completion of the project.
   
• AHA project awards are fully transferrable to make the awardee a "free agent" who is empowered move to another qualified institution while retaining the award.
   
• Award budgets are unrestricted among allowable categories (salary/fringe of PI and essential personnel, supplies, equipment/computers, travel, human subjects, etc.).
   
• Funds may be re-budgeted between categories without prior AHA approval.
   
• Proposals for the Collaborative Sciences Award, Established Investigator Award, Innovative Research Award, Merit Award, and Strategically Focused Research Networks will follow a two-part application process. Part one is the submission of a letter of intent and applicant’s biosketch. Other preliminary documents may be requested, depending on the award type.
   
• An individual may hold more than one AHA award concurrently but may only hold one career development/recognition award (Career Development Award, Established Investigator Award, Merit Award, AHA Institutional Research Enhancement Award).
   
• Strategically Focused Research Network personnel may hold individual AHA awards.

Applications are created, submitted, and reviewed through the Grants@Heart electronic system. Grants@Heart is a web-based system for application preparation, submission, peer review and awards management. The system is available 24/7.

Video:  Research Opportunities from the American Heart Association

Steven R. Houser, PhD  and Ivor Benjamin, MD discuss a variety of initiatives planned for AHA research programs.

General

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• Information about Grants@Heart
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