Applying for research funding with the Heart Foundation

What you need to know before applying

Heart Foundation funding is available for research in cardiovascular fields. Research must be conducted primarily in Australia with funding administered by approved NHMRC Administering Institution.

Heart Foundation grant recipients are responsible for safeguarding the rights and welfare of human subjects involved in research and maintaining high standards for the humane treatment and welfare of animals used during the tenure of a Heart Foundation grant.

Research funded by the Heart Foundation shall be conducted in accordanc with the Australian Code for the Responsible Conduct of Research (2018).

The Heart Foundation does not fund researchers, research groups or institutions that have accepted money from the tobacco industry or persons connected with the tobacco or related industries.

All applicants must meet specific eligibility criteria to apply for funding. Before applying, please read the Heart Foundation Funding Guidelines for these criteria.

Applying for funding

Our new Grants Management Portal will launch on 22 April 2024. To enhance our grants application process and progress reporting while minimising data entry for applicants and grant recipients, we are integrating ORCID (Open Researcher and Contributor ID) into our Grants Management Portal. This will enable professional information to be imported into your grant applications and progress reports.

What does this mean?

If you are planning on applying for Heart Foundation funding this year (and going forward), it will be necessary to register for an ORCID ID and create or update your ORCID record. The following table explains which sections of ORCID must be populated to complete the corresponding track record questions in relevant applictions in the Grants Management Portal.

Download our ORCID Guide for Research Applicants.

To learn more and sign up for ORCID, visit the link below:

Application review 

All applications undergo a rigorous peer and consumer review process, as explained in detail in the Research Program Funding Guidelines.

The Peer Review process is conducted by independent committees consisting of eminent cardiovascular researchers with broad research experience in areas including biomedical, clinical, public health and health services research. 

In the final stage of review, applications are also assessed by consumers, with this review running concurrently with peer review. Committees will consist of consumers of differing backgrounds, from those living with a heart condition, to their carers/family or friends, and health professionals.

The details and assessment of all applications are subject to privacy policies and laws, which we uphold.

For more information, read the Research Program Funding Guidelines on the process for individual funding opportunities and our Consumer Guide for Researchers to assist you incorporating consumer involvement in your research plan.

Notification of results 

All funding recommendations are endorsed and approved by our Heart Foundation Research Advisory committee. After this process notifications are sent to all successful and unsuccessful applicants and their Administering Institutes. Funding is announced publicly via media release with successful results detailed on our website.

Successful applicants will receive a Letter of Offer which they will need to accept via the Grants Management Portal. Following acceptance, a funding agreement will be drafted by the Heart Foundation and will be available in the Grants Management Portal for the applicant and Administering Institution for signing.

Funding commences in the year following application rounds.