Career Development Award
Career Development Award supports early-career investigators through mentored cardiovascular and brain health research and pilot studies to build research skills and advance toward independence.
Browse similar grants
Funder: American Heart Association
Due Dates: December 1, 2026, at 3 p.m. Central Time (Proposal deadline)
Funding Amounts: $231,000 over three years ($77,000 annually, including 10% institutional indirect costs), non-renewable
Summary: Supports early-career investigators conducting mentored cardiovascular and brain health research and pilot studies to build research skills and independence.
Key Information: Applicants must be AHA Professional Members and cannot have previously received NIH K99/R00 or R01 funding.
Description
The American Heart Association’s Career Development Award supports healthcare and academic professionals in the early years of their first professional appointment. It funds innovative questions and pilot studies in basic, clinical, or population research that generate preliminary data and provide training for future success as a research scientist. Research should advance knowledge relevant to cardiovascular and brain health and address barriers to longer, healthier lives.
Mentored research and a structured career development plan are central to the award. The program encourages bold ideas and risk-taking while assessing feasibility, institutional support, and the pathway toward independent investigation and future funding. Career goals need not follow a traditional academic research or health-profession track.
