British Heart Foundation
BHF
The leading UK funder of cardiovascular research, covering heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia and related conditions. Funds project and programme grants, clinical study grants, fellowships and BHF Centres of Research Excellence.
- Kind of funder
- Charity
- Where it funds
- UK-wide
- Indicative award size
- £50k – £2.5m
- Approx. annual research spend
- £100m
- Who can apply
- Universities, Research institutes, NHS & healthcare providers, Individual researchers
- Career stages
- PhD / doctoral, Postdoctoral, Early career, Established researcher
Research areas
Named schemes (30)
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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11BHF Project Grant ↗
Up to three years of support for a defined cardiovascular research question, the BHF’s main response-mode route, with several assessment rounds a year.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current round£100k – £400k per awardchecked 2026-05-01Cardiovascular Grand Challenges ↗
BHF’s Cardiovascular Grand Challenges is a new research funding competition designed to solve the biggest problems in cardiovascular health. Over the next 5 years, we will launch a series of challenges with up to £10 million in funding, each focussed on a distinct theme where scientific opportunity, patient need and the potential for impact clearly align.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Career 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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Clinical Early Career Research Fellowships ↗
To support PhD/MDRes qualified resident doctors in higher specialist clinical training to secure protected postdoctoral research time.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Clinical Future Leaders Fellowships ↗
To provide long-term support to outstanding clinical researchers, as they transition to independence, leading their own research projects and teams.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Clinical Research Training Fellowships ↗
To provide training in research leading to completion of a PhD after Foundation Year two and before consultant status.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Clinical Senior Research Fellowships ↗
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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Clinical Study Grants ↗
For clinical trials and some observational studies of specific patient groups, usually costing more than £500,000, or lasting more than 4 years. Research Professorships
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Consultant Research Awards ↗
To allow NHS consultants with a recent research record to carry out research.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Discovery Research Early Career Fellowships ↗
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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Discovery Research Future Leaders Fellowships ↗
To provide long-term support to high-potential scientists as they transition to independence, leading their own research projects and teams.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Discovery Research PhD Studentships ↗
To provide a foundation training in research for discovery science graduates.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Discovery Research Senior Fellowships ↗
To support leaders in cardiovascular research in their progression towards leading larger scale research programme grants and securing professorship funding.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Infrastructure Grants ↗
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11International 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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11International 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 .
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11MBPhD Studentships ↗
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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11New Horizons Grants ↗
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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Programme Grants ↗
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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Project Grants ↗
For research projects (basic science and clinical) costing up to £500,000.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Research 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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Returning from a career break ↗
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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Small Meeting Funds ↗
Up to £3,000 towards the support of small meetings in the UK on focused areas of cardiovascular science.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11Special Project Grants ↗
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.
Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11