We have awarded £28 million to seven university-led consortia to deliver the latest round of our 4‑year PhD programme. The funding will support 141 students to begin their 4-year PhDs between 2026 and 2029.
For the first time, funding for our 4-year PhD programme has been awarded to consortia of universities, which include collaborations with industry. The seven successful applications have leveraged an additional £22.6 million through university and industry partnerships, supporting an extra 109 PhD studentships.
This brings the total number of students supported by the scheme to 250, backed by a total investment worth nearly £51 million.
Refreshed model
This latest round of funding represents one of the largest commitments that we have ever made to PhD programmes. It embodies a refreshed model that unites leading expertise across cardiovascular research, through incorporating traditional bench based biomedical sciences with data science, engineering and a range of other disciplines.
Funding has been awarded to seven consortia led by the University of Cambridge, the University of Manchester, King’s College London, Imperial College London, the University of Oxford, the UK Dementia Research Institute (which will be hosted by University College London), and the University of Edinburgh. Four additional universities join as consortia partners: the University of Glasgow, the University of Liverpool, the University of Bristol and the University of Leicester.
Each programme is focused on a specific theme:
- Cardiovascular disease prevention through multimodal data-driven approaches in diverse populations
- Connecting Hearts and miNds (CHAIN): Unravelling the heart-brain axis
- Vascular contributions to dementia and neurodegeneration
- Next generation human models of cardiovascular disease
- Technology and data-driven solutions for effective prediction, prevention and management of cardiovascular disease
- Vascular Rewind: Secondary prevention of vascular dysfunction and disease
- Vascular niche in health and disease
Each institution will now begin recruiting PhD students to take up these funded positions from the 2026/27 academic year.
Exceptional researchers
This major investment is a central part of our new strategy to accelerate scientific discovery and improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of heart and circulatory diseases. By equipping early‑career researchers with the skills and multidisciplinary environment they need to thrive, and by strengthening collaboration across sectors, we aim to help deliver breakthroughs at a pace not previously possible.
Professor Bryan Williams, our Chief Scientific and Medical Officer, said: “Our refreshed PhD programme exemplifies the bold, collaborative and forward‑thinking approach at the heart of the BHF’s new strategy.
"It will bring together exceptional researchers in the foothills of their scientific careers with world‑leading experts across disciplines, sectors and institutions, creating an environment where fresh ideas can thrive.
“Through our new strategy we are strengthening the foundations for the next generation of discoveries. These efforts will not only deepen our understanding of cardiovascular disease but also help pave the way for new technologies, treatments and prevention strategies that can transform lives for decades to come.”