International Research Challenge on Women's Cardiovascular Health

Media release: 26 September 2024

New international research challenge to tackle critical knowledge gaps in women’s cardiovascular health

This first network grant from the Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum will support transformative research up to a value of US $10 million.

The National Heart Foundation of Australia, alongside 11 other leading cardiovascular research funders from around the world, is inviting researchers to compete in a new research challenge that aims to transform the landscape of women’s cardiovascular health.

Taking strides to better understand and improve women’s cardiovascular health around the world, the International Research Challenge on Women’s Cardiovascular Health will fund a world-class international research program for up to US $10 million over five years.

The grant will be awarded by the Global Cardiovascular Research Funders Forum (GCRFF) – an international alliance of 12 major funders of cardiovascular research across the world – to address areas of unmet clinical need within women’s cardiovascular health. This is the first significant joint investment from the GCRFF to support research on the international stage.

Through funding a network of the brightest minds and the best science, the challenge represents an opportunity for international, multi-disciplinary and multi-institution collaboration. Combining global expertise, the winning network’s research program will aim to deliver real-world impact in women’s cardiovascular health that would not otherwise be possible.

The International Research Challenge will invite proposals focused on advancing women’s cardiovascular health in areas that are under-researched and/or require greater understanding.

Proposals that address three specific area gaps are also encouraged:

1. Risk factors and prevention of cardiovascular disease across women’s life stages
2. Clinical diagnosis and treatment of conditions more prevalent, or with worse outcomes among women
3. Sex-specific underlying mechanisms of cardiovascular disease in women.

The successful research program must demonstrate a clear path to impacting and improving patient outcomes, and research outcomes must be applicable to GCRFF member countries and have the potential for wider global application.

Letters of intent (LOI) are due by 16 January 2025, 7am AEDT.

To find out more and apply, visit International Research Challenge on Women’s Cardiovascular Health hosted by the British Heart Foundation.

About the GCRFF

The GCRFF is a coalition of major international cardiovascular research funders whose aim is to improve cardiovascular health worldwide by catalysing, supporting and promoting transformational international research efforts in heart, stroke and circulatory diseases. Forum members include the American Heart Association, the British Heart Foundation, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research – Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health, the Danish Heart Foundation, the Dutch Heart Foundation (Hartstichting), the German Centre for Cardiovascular Research (Deutsches Zentrum für Herz-Kreislauf-Forschung or DZHK), the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, the Leducq Foundation, the National Heart Foundation of Australia, the National Heart Foundation of New Zealand, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (USA), and the Swiss Heart Foundation.