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Funding callMedicine and clinical research · United States

2027 AHA Career Development Award

The 2027 American Heart Association Career Development Award provides $231,000 over three years to early-career faculty-level researchers, with a deadline of 1 December 2026. This guide covers research areas consistent with the scheme, eligibility and readiness checks, project ideas and points to confirm in the official programme documents.

Pubrica InsightsEditorial team, reviewed by a subject specialist
Next deadline
1 December 2026
Last checked
10 November 2026
Funder
American Heart Association
Sources
1
Apply through the official call

Key dates

Application deadline
1 December 2026
Details last checked
10 November 2026
Apply through the official call

About the call

Funder
American Heart Association
Country
United States
Scheme type
Fellowship
Funding
$231,000 over three years
Eligibility
Early-career faculty-level researchers with a doctoral degree (MD, PhD, DO, DVM, DDS or equivalent) who are AHA Professional Members and have not previously held a Career Development Award or Scientist Development Grant.
Scope
Medicine and clinical research

Topics consistent with the call

  • Mechanisms of atherosclerosis, heart failure and cardiac remodelling
  • Stroke prevention, acute care and recovery research
  • Cardiovascular risk factors, including hypertension, diabetes and obesity
  • Clinical and population studies of cardiovascular outcomes
  • Vascular biology, endothelial function and thrombosis
  • Cardiovascular health disparities and prevention strategies

Based on the published scope; the official page sets out the full themes and requirements.

Is your work a fit? Check before you apply

  1. The applicant holds a doctoral degree such as an MD, PhD, DO, DVM or DDS, or equivalent.
  2. The applicant is at an early-career faculty level and is an AHA Professional Member.
  3. The applicant has not previously held an AHA Career Development Award or Scientist Development Grant.
  4. The project relates to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular science within AHA’s mission.
  5. A complete, institutionally approved application is submitted before 1 December 2026.

Why This Funding Call Matters

Cardiovascular disease and stroke remain leading causes of illness and death, and progress depends on a steady supply of independent investigators. The early faculty years are a critical point at which researchers must establish their own programme and generate data for larger grants. The Career Development Award is designed for this transition, giving early-career investigators protected funding to develop a research niche within the AHA’s mission.

Who Should Apply

Academic backgrounds

  • Cardiology and cardiovascular medicine
  • Neurology and stroke research
  • Vascular biology
  • Epidemiology
  • Nursing and allied health research

Institutions and sectors

  • US universities and medical schools
  • Academic medical centres
  • Research institutes
  • Teaching hospitals

What Reviewers Typically Value

  1. A clear research question with potential impact on cardiovascular or brain health.
  2. A project that helps the applicant establish an independent research programme.
  3. Sound methods and feasible aims within the three-year award period.
  4. A strong institutional environment that supports the applicant’s development.

Ideas You Could Develop

Inflammation in heart failureA project examining inflammatory signalling pathways contributing to cardiac remodelling in models of heart failure.
Blood pressure control after strokeA study evaluating a home blood pressure monitoring programme for secondary stroke prevention.
Wearables and atrial fibrillationA project assessing wearable device data for detecting atrial fibrillation in high-risk populations.

Your Plan to the Deadline

A suggested schedule working back from 1 December 2026. Adjust it to the stage your work has reached.

  1. By 6 Oct 2026

    Read the call documents; confirm eligibility, budget limits, assessment criteria and institutional requirements.

  2. By 20 Oct 2026

    Agree the research question, aims, team and partners; contact your research office.

  3. By 3 Nov 2026

    Draft the case for support, methods, impact and budget.

  4. By 17 Nov 2026

    Obtain internal review, letters of support and institutional sign-off.

  5. By 26 Nov 2026

    Final checks against the funder’s guidance and formatting rules.

  6. By 1 Dec 2026

    Submit through the funder’s system before the deadline.

What you gain

  • Funding for the research, team and resources it needs.
  • Recognition from a competitive, peer-reviewed process.
  • Reviewer feedback that strengthens future applications.
  • A track record for larger grants and fellowships.

What happens after you apply

  1. Eligibility check: the funder confirms the application meets the call rules.
  2. Peer review: external reviewers assess the proposal against the published criteria.
  3. Panel: a committee ranks proposals; some schemes include an interview.
  4. Decision: outcomes are released on the funder’s timetable.
  5. Award: successful applicants agree terms and reporting requirements before starting.

What the Funder Are Looking For

The American Heart Association is looking for promising early-career faculty-level investigators whose research advances cardiovascular and cerebrovascular science and supports their path to independence. Applications are likely to be assessed on the applicant’s potential, the quality of the research plan and the strength of institutional support. Applicants should confirm eligibility, membership requirements and application components in the official programme guidance.

Read the official pageThis guide summarises the opportunity. Confirm deadlines, eligibility and requirements on the official page before you plan your work, and record the date you checked it.Open the official page

Expert help

How Pubrica Can Help

Pubrica’s subject specialists can help you prepare a competitive proposal, planned back from the deadline. You remain the author of your work.

Grant writingProposal writing structured to the funder’s guidance and assessment criteria. Literature review and gap analysisThe evidence base and the gap your proposal addresses. Study designStudy design and methods that reviewers can assess. Statistical analysis planSample size and analysis plans for the proposal. Data management planData management and sharing plans to funder requirements. Proposal editingEditing of the full proposal for clarity and consistency.
Go to the official page

FAQs

Questions Researchers Ask

The next published deadline is 1 December 2026. Dates can change, so confirm them on the official page before you plan your work.

Eligibility excludes those who have held a Career Development Award or Scientist Development Grant, but other prior awards may be treated differently. Applicants should check the official programme guidance or contact the AHA before applying.

Early-career faculty-level researchers with a doctoral degree (MD, PhD, DO, DVM, DDS or equivalent) who are AHA Professional Members and have not previously held a Career Development Award or Scientist Development Grant. Confirm the full eligibility rules in the call documents.

Yes. Pubrica’s specialists can review, write, edit and format your proposal. You remain the author and the person responsible for the submission.

Sources

  1. American Heart Association. (2026). 2027 AHA Career Development Award. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://professional.heart.org/en/research-programs/aha-funding-opportunities/career-development-award

How to cite this page

Pubrica Insights. (2026). 2027 AHA Career Development Award. Pubrica. https://pubrica.com/insights/calls-and-conferences/2027-aha-career-development-award/

  • American Heart Association
  • Career development
  • Cardiovascular research
  • Early-career funding
  • Stroke

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2027 AHA Career Development AwardNext deadline 1 December 2026

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