Global research challenge to address women's cardiovascular health

The British Heart Foundation, alongside 11 leading research funders around the world, is inviting researchers to compete in a new research challenge that aims to transform the landscape of women’s cardiovascular health.

The announcement follows a statement from world-leading experts, published in Heart, outlining how women continue to be underdiagnosed, undertreated and underrepresented in cardiovascular research. Despite cardiovascular disease being one of the leading killers of women in the UK, women’s voices remain unheard, with research failing to sufficiently address factors that uniquely affect women’s risk.

Taking strides to bridge this gap and improve women’s cardiovascular health around the world, the International Research Challenge on Women’s Cardiovascular Health will fund a world-class international research program of up to US $10 million over five years.

The grant will be awarded by the Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum (GCRFF) – an international alliance of the 12 largest funders of cardiovascular research across the world – to address areas of unmet clinical need within women’s cardiovascular health. This is the first significant joint investment from the GCRFF to support research on the international stage.

Opportunity for global collaboration

Through funding a network of the brightest minds and the best science, the challenge represents an opportunity for international, multi-disciplinary and multi-institution collaboration. Combining global expertise, the winning network’s research program will aim to deliver real-world impact in women’s cardiovascular health that would not otherwise be possible.

With the consensus statement highlighting the lack of representation of women in research, as well as the biological and societal factors that affect women’s risk of cardiovascular disease, the International Research Challenge is encouraging proposals in areas that are under-researched and/or that require greater understanding.

Relevant research areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

1. Risk factors and prevention of cardiovascular disease across women’s life stages
2. Clinical diagnosis and treatment of conditions more prevalent, or with worse outcomes among women
3. Sex-specific underlying mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in women

The successful research program must demonstrate a clear path to impacting and improving patient outcomes, and research outcomes must be applicable to GCRFF member countries and have the potential for wider global application.

Letters of intent are due by January 15, 2025. Find out more and apply via the link below.

'Unravelling mysteries'

Dr Charmaine Griffiths, our Chief Executive. said: "Cardiovascular disease is the world’s biggest killer, taking the lives of one in four in women here in the UK. As we have seen, women are all too often overlooked throughout their heart journey, and it’s time for change.

"There is so much we need to understand to save our mums, sisters and loved ones. At the BHF, with the help of our generous supporters, we're proud to be driving this global challenge to do just that.

“The International Research Challenge on Women’s Cardiovascular Health will back the world's best scientists to unravel mysteries that have shrouded women’s heart health for generations. By joining forces with other world-leading funders, this challenge promises to make real progress, saving and improving more women's lives worldwide.”

The GCRFF is a coalition of major international cardiovascular research funders whose aim is to improve cardiovascular health worldwide by catalysing, supporting and promoting transformational international research efforts in heart, stroke and circulatory diseases. 

Find out more and apply