We provide personal support for clinical and non-clinical cardiovascular researchers at all stages of their career.
We also provide grants for short and long term research projects, essential infrastructure and strategic awards.
Do you want more information and details on specific grant guidelines? Select the relevant grant type from the list below or the menu on the right.
Grant types
For research projects (basic science and clinical) costing up to £500,000.
For research projects costing more than £500,000. This grant type supports funding for basic science research. Also, funding for certain observational studies and studies using datasets only.
Programme grants provide longer term (up to 5 years) and renewable funding to leading research groups, to address significant research challenges through ambitious and impactful programmes of research.
For clinical trials and some observational studies of specific patient groups, usually costing more than £500,000, or lasting more than 3 years.
Research Professorships
We award professorships to individuals with outstanding cardiovascular research achievements and leadership qualities, to support and enhance their current and future research activities. The scheme aims to increase and diversify the capacity of cardiovascular research senior leadership across the UK.
Following a BHF strategy refresh, the New Horizons Grant scheme is no longer available. However, if you were considering applying for this scheme, your proposal could be eligible for a BHF Project Grant. Find out more about our new Research Strategy, and if you might be eligible for a Project Grant.
Infrastructure Grants
To fund essential infrastructure to support cardiovascular research in an academic institution.
To fund strategic capital needs or a strategic appointment.
Translational Pump Priming Awards
Access to smaller agile funding to support the development of innovative technologies in the field of heart, stroke, and circulatory diseases, including vascular dementia.
To support the pre-clinical and early phase clinical development of new cardiovascular medicines and technologies so that they are attractive for follow-on funding.
Fellowships
Discovery research fellowships
Discovery Research PhD Studentships
To provide a foundation training in research for discovery science graduates.
Until 29 October 2025
Immediate Postdoctoral Basic Science Research Fellowships
To provide an opportunity for the most promising newly qualified postdoctoral researchers to make an early start in developing their independent cardiovascular research careers in an established institution in the UK.
Intermediate Basic Science Research Fellowships
To fund talented individuals with the potential to become research leaders.
Senior Basic Science Research Fellowships
To fund outstanding individuals with a track record of internationally competitive research.
From 30 October 2025
Early Career Research Fellowship
To fund exceptional early career researchers. This scheme will provide candidates a platform to broaden their research horizons and start developing their own distinct research leadership.
To provide long-term support to high-potential scientists as they transition to independence, leading their own research projects and teams.
To support leaders in cardiovascular research in their progression towards leading larger scale research programme grants and securing professorship funding.
Clinical fellowships
To allow talented medical students to complete a PhD before the end of their medical degree. This is restricted to UK institutions that have recognised MBPhD programmes.
Clinical Research Training Fellowships
To provide a training in research after Foundation Year two and before consultant status.
To allow NHS consultants with a recent research record to carry out research.
Until 29 October 2025
Intermediate Clinical Research Fellowships
To fund individuals with an established research record who intend to become leaders in academic medical research. The individual may progress to consultant level during the fellowship.
Senior Clinical Research Fellowships
To fund outstanding individuals with a track record of internationally competitive research.
From 30 October 2025
Clinical Early Career Research Fellowship
To support PhD/MDRes qualified resident doctors in higher specialist clinical training to secure protected postdoctoral research time.
Clinical Future Leader Fellowship
To provide long-term support to outstanding clinical researchers, as they transition to independence, leading their own research projects and teams.
Clinical Senior Research Fellowship
To support outstanding clinician scientists who are looking to grow their research group and have recently been awarded or are on a trajectory to a professorship.
Fellowships for nurses and healthcare professionals
Research Training Fellowships for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals
To provide a foundation in research training for nurses and healthcare professionals. Leading to the award of a PhD.
Career Development Research Fellowships for Nurses and Healthcare Professionals
To provide a career opportunity for individuals with an established research record who intend to become leaders in academic nursing or allied health professional research.
Fellowship Opportunities
To support talented researchers returning from a career break of at least 6 months, BHF is opening Early Career Research, Future Leader and Senior Research Fellowship schemes to career re-entry applicants.
Transitioning from Industry to Academia
To support talented scientists returning from industry to academia, and to encourage greater mobility between sectors, BHF is opening fellowships to industry applicants.
To grow the strength, breadth and diversity of the UK’s cardiovascular research workforce, BHF is opening Early Career Research, Future Leader and Senior Research Fellowship schemes to international researchers who have been working outside the UK for a minimum of 3 years.
Other personal awards
To provide a foundation training in research for basic science graduates. Also, for projects specifically focused on the reduction, refinement and replacement of animals in cardiovascular research.
Springboard Award for Biomedical Researchers
To provide funds for cardiovascular scientists at the start of their first permanent academic position to launch their independent research careers.
Starter Grants for Clinical Lecturers
To provide start up funds to allow Clinical Lecturers to pursue cardiovascular research.
To fund a visit by an experienced researcher to a distinguished laboratory abroad. Either for a short period to acquire specialist expertise, or for a longer period to carry out research that cannot be done in the UK.
BHF - Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowships
To provide an opportunity for basic scientists to return to cardiovascular research at an established research institution in the UK, after a career break of two years or more.
Partnership Funding
The BHF works together with other national and international funders to support innovative cardiovascular research. More information about previous awards and how to apply can be found on our partnership funding pages.
International Cardiovascular Research Partnership Awards
The BHF runs a joint funding scheme in partnership with the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (DZHK), the Dutch Heart Foundation (DHF) and the Lefoulon-Delalande Foundation (LDF) to support innovative collaborative research projects where the cross-national dimension enables work of higher impact than can be carried out nationally. View more information about this scheme and a list of previous awards.
GCRFF Multinational Clinical Trials Initiative
The Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum (GCRFF) was established to promote dialogue and collaboration between major international cardiovascular research funders, in order to catalyse and support transformational international research efforts in heart, stroke and circulatory diseases. The Multinational Clinical Trials sub-group of GCRFF aims to support this mission by facilitating the coordinated consideration of investigator-led multinational clinical trials by national funders.
Other funding schemes
Research Excellence Awards
To provide flexible funding to help keep UK cardiovascular science at the forefront internationally, by allowing institutions to sustain areas of world-leading research.
Up to £3,000 towards the support of small meetings in the UK on focused areas of cardiovascular science.