Overview

This announcement provides information for U.S.-based investigators to apply for the American Heart funding opportunity.

The American Heart Association (“the Association” or “American Heart”) is pleased to announce a coordinated Cardiac Arrest funding initiative with the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada (“Heart & Stroke”) and its funding partners.  

Through this initiative, the Association and Heart & Stroke will establish a cross-border, collaborative research network (the CART Network) to address critical gaps in cardiac arrest and its consequences. American Heart is committing $3.4 million USD to fund two (2) U.S.-based Cardiac Arrest Research Team (“CART” or “Research Team”) grants in the priority research areas described below. Similarly, Heart & Stroke is committing $5 million CAD to fund three (3) Canada-based teams in the same topic areas. The five (5) awarded U.S. and Canadian teams collectively will utilize the CART Network structure to optimize impact though sharing of expertise, resources and approaches, and will be advised by a common Expert Advisory Panel.  

Purpose

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to establish a cross-border, team-based, network approach (i.e., the CART Network) to address the most pressing questions and evidence gaps in cardiac arrest, with the aim of improving prediction and early detection of cardiac arrest, increasing survival rates, and optimizing survivor health outcomes and quality of life outcomes for all affected.

To achieve this, the CART Network teams will focus on one of three priority research areas:

1. Prediction and Early Detection of Cardiac Arrest;
2. Accelerate Response and Increase Survival of Cardiac Arrest; or 
3. Optimize Brain Recovery After Cardiac Arrest.

In addition to the research projects, three required core activities (“cores”) have been identified in this funding opportunity to support collaboration and leveraging of resources among the funded Research Teams and across the CART Network: (1) Data Sharing & Management; (2) Knowledge Mobilization; and (3) Training & Capacity Development (details below).

The CART Network teams are expected to bring together multi-institutional, multi-sectoral, and multi-disciplinary health research teams (e.g., researchers, clinicians, health care providers, people with lived experience (PWLE), policy makers, nonprofit organizations, and/or industry) to create and mobilize knowledge that will improve survival and optimize recovery of individuals who experience a cardiac arrest, their families and caregivers. The specific objectives of this funding opportunity are to:

• Drive research and innovation to improve the prediction and detection of cardiac arrest.
• Develop sustainable and effective knowledge mobilization of current evidence and new research results into practice to improve cardiac arrest response and survival rates.
• Optimize rehabilitation and recovery of cardiac arrest survivors by prioritizing neurological, neurocognitive and/or mental health needs along with physical function using best and wise practices to bridge the gaps between research results, better health outcomes, and equitable access to care.
• Build, foster and strengthen a health research workforce focused on cardiac arrest through high-quality, multidisciplinary training, experiential learning, career development and mentoring environments that actively engage trainees and researchers at all career stages.

The Heart Association believes that including individuals of all backgrounds is an essential component to driving its mission. We strongly encourage applications by individuals who have faced special challenges or obstacles to their careers and those who have experienced varied and non-traditional career trajectories.

The Association encourages applications from institutions that are AREA eligible (as defined by the NIH) or to partner with an AREA-eligible institution or another non-research-intensive institution.

Minimizing systemic barriers and improving our understanding of cardiac arrest is essential. This ensures that all individuals have timely and equitable access to new advances in cardiac arrest prediction and detection, appropriate and personalized interventions, and long-term holistic care and rehabilitation. Meaningful engagement of PWLE, along with the inclusion of social determinants and broader contexts for those who experience a cardiac arrest, is expected to support more impactful research. This will optimize health outcomes and improve knowledge use, helping to ensure equity in health, healthcare and rehabilitation for cardiac arrest survivors, as well as their family and caregivers.

This current opportunity seeks to fund two (2) Research Teams, each within one of the identified priority research areas: Prediction and Early Detection of Cardiac Arrest, Accelerated Response and Increased Survival of Cardiac Arrest, and Optimization of Brain Recovery After Cardiac Arrest. Three additional Research Teams will be funded by the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada to establish the CART Network

Three required "cores" will  link the Research Teams together to support collaboration and leveraging of resources. Each Research Team must be interdisciplinary and include:

• an initiating Co-Principal Investigator (who is on faculty or staff at the sponsoring institution),
• a minimum of one (1) and maximum of three (3) additional Co-Principal Investigators, and
• a “Core Lead” for each of the three designated cores. (Note that the designated “Core Leads” may also serve as co-principal investigators or collaborating investigators.)

Collaborating investigators and consultants may also be included on the Research Team, as appropriate.
 
The three (3) cores, each with a designated Lead, include: Data Sharing & Management; Knowledge Mobilization; and Training & Capacity Development (below).

Additional considerations for Research Teams include a PWLE-centered approach and/or lifespan approach (below).

This competition seeks to fund two (2) interdisciplinary team grants with a total funding commitment of $3,400,000 USD (up to $1.7 million per awarded team). The maximum amount per team grant is $425,000 USD per year for a maximum of four (4) years.

Team Grant applications will have a primary focus on one of the following priority research areas:

1. PREDICTION AND EARLY DETECTION OF CARDIAC ARREST: To advance the ability to better predict and/or support early detection of cardiac arrest in the community or within a hospital setting through advancing our understanding of the underlying causes and/or biological mechanisms;
   
    
2. ACCELERATE RESPONSE AND INCREASE SURVIVAL OF CARDIAC ARREST: To accelerate response and increase survival through the development of sustainable approaches that address the know-do gap for evidence use as well as the incorporation of new evidence to inform effective out-of-hospital and in-hospital cardiac arrest response (including neuroprotection and care standards); or,
   
    
3. OPTIMIZE BRAIN RECOVERY AFTER CARDIAC ARREST: To develop and implement evidence-based, equitable approaches to care, rehabilitation and recovery for cardiac arrest survivors that specifically address neurological, neurocognitive, and/or mental health outcomes. This approach will prioritize brain recovery as a core component of survivorship, while also supporting whole-body rehabilitation. A holistic approach that includes the needs of survivors, families, caregivers, and communities to improve long-term health outcomes and quality of life after a cardiac arrest is encouraged.

As part of the full proposal each Research Team will be expected to develop plans for each of the three cores noted above. The funded Research Teams are expected to collaborate and leverage the developed resources related to each core.

Data Sharing & Management: Team Grant applicants are required to develop a Data Sharing and Management Plan that coordinates the collection, standardization, use, sharing, linkage, and management of data within and across funded Research Teams. The Data Sharing and Management Plan is to include standardized data collection methods for cardiac arrest and resuscitation (e.g. Utstein style definitions ) and leverage existing provincial, national and/or international data registries and platforms. The Data Sharing and Management Plan should use the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable). Additional requirements related to data sharing are described below.

Knowledge Mobilization (KM): Team Grant applicants are required to develop a KM Plan detailing the proposed activities and including relevant involved groups and individuals (e.g., researchers, clinicians, health care providers, PWLE, policy makers, nonprofit organizations, industry). KM activities should aim to mobilize existing knowledge and co-create new knowledge into better care policies, practices, procedures, products and services for cardiac arrest survivors, their families and caregivers. Applicants are also encouraged to incorporate strategies to support knowledge sharing with the other funded Cardiac Arrest Research Teams. Applicants are encouraged to detail their use of evidence-based KM planning templates and tools in their application.

Training & Capacity Development: Team Grant applicants are required to develop an interdisciplinary Training & Capacity Development Plan that includes cohesive training, mentoring, capacity building, and experiential learning opportunities. The plan must consider barriers and challenges faced by trainees and researchers across all career stages and provide activities for how to address them. Where appropriate, inclusion of cross-border internships and training opportunities with the funded cardiac arrest research teams in Canada is encouraged.

Additional Considerations

PWLE-Centered Approach: Applicants are encouraged to consider an approach which recognizes that cardiac arrest survivors, their caregivers and families have needs that change over time and extend beyond healthcare to all other aspects of life including functional, emotional, cultural, spiritual, educational, vocational, environmental and support needs. Understanding these changing needs, the values and goals of cardiac arrest survivors will be essential to improving overall outcomes and enhancing quality of life.

Lifespan Approach: Applicants are encouraged to consider a lifespan approach in the research design, methods, analysis and interpretation, and/or dissemination of findings where appropriate. As age, life stage, transitions and intergenerational factors have an impact on cardiac arrest survival and outcomes, a lifespan approach can provide insight to the wide variations of those affected by cardiac arrest and inform individualized care.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

These are factors that strongly correlate with AHA-funded applications:

⚠️ Common Weaknesses / Pitfalls

Weak linkage to cardiovascular/cerebrovascular/brain health (too generic biomedical).

Aims too broad, too many aims, or unrealistic deliverables for the award timeline.

Mentorship/training plan is shallow, institutional support unclear.

Preliminary data lacking when required and not justified.

Non-scientist summary unclear or too technical.

Failing eligibility (career stage, institution, membership) or missing required documents.

Budget disproportionate to proposed aims.

Not addressing diversity/inclusion or sex/biological variable when required.

✅ Summary

Successful AHA applications typically:

Directly address cardiovascular, cerebrovascular or brain health in a way that aligns with AHA’s mission.

Are led by investigators whose career stage and track record match the award type, within a strong institutional environment with protected time.

Have focused, feasible aims, rigorous methodology, and adequate preliminary support or justification.

Include a clear lay summary and articulate the broader impact on health, patients or populations.

Meet all eligibility and application requirements, including responsible research practices and budget justification.