UK Research Funding Directory
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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)

30 schemes
  • 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 2026-09-11
  • BHF 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 2026-05-01
  • Cardiovascular 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 2026-09-11
  • 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.

    Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11
  • Clinical 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 2026-09-11
  • Clinical 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 2026-09-11
  • Clinical 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 2026-09-11
  • Clinical 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 2026-09-11
  • Clinical 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 2026-09-11
  • Consultant Research Awards

    To allow NHS consultants with a recent research record to carry out research.

    Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11
  • Discovery 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 2026-09-11
  • Discovery 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 2026-09-11
  • Discovery Research PhD Studentships

    To provide a foundation training in research for discovery science graduates.

    Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11
  • Discovery 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 2026-09-11
  • Infrastructure Grants

    Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11
  • International 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 2026-09-11
  • 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 .

    Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11
  • MBPhD 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 2026-09-11
  • New 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 2026-09-11
  • Programme 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 2026-09-11
  • Project Grants

    For research projects (basic science and clinical) costing up to £500,000.

    Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11
  • 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.

    Rolling / recurringCheck funder site for current roundpulled from BHF 2026-09-11
  • Returning 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 2026-09-11
  • Small 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 2026-09-11
  • Special 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