With the goal to foster research that advances the technical and translational application of CMR, the SCMR annually awards a Seed Grant. Through the Seed Grant, the SCMR encourages young investigators to break new ground on novel topics and share their work with the SCMR community.

The SCMR encourages early career investigators to identify pilot projects for which Seed Grant funding will directly foster competitive research applications to larger scale governmental (e.g. US NIH, EU, British Heart Foundation) and/or other grant programs.

Award Amount

• One seed grant, basic [technical] and/or clinical [translational] in focus, up to $40,000 will be awarded per year.

Submission Deadlines

• The SCMR submission site will close on October 15, 2026 at 1:00pm US Eastern Time. Please note the submission deadline will not be extended.

Submission Guidelines

Applicants are encouraged to clearly delineate how research proposals address key knowledge gaps and/or needs in patient-focused CMR. Examples of possible topics include (but are not limited to) proposals to develop and/or validate novel pulse sequences, or demonstrate incremental diagnostic and/or prognostic utility of innovative CMR approaches as applied to population-based clinical cohorts. Seed grant proposals may be either single center or multicenter in scope.

• A cover letter (1-page maximum) from the applicant describing their employment position and how the seed grant funds will be used to advance the field of CMR, a justification on how the award will make a difference in the delivery of the project, by covering costs otherwise not paid for, is required. The cover letter should indicate if the application falls exclusively in the “basic” (technical) or “clinical” (translational) science category, or entails both basic and clinical components.
• A letter from the applicant’s supervisor or department head (1-page maximum). This letter should include a mentoring and training plan and confirm that the applicant will have the time and resources (e.g. access to images, databases, scan time), needed to accomplish the proposed research project.
• If multiple institutions are involved, then a letter of support indicating the role of collaborators at other institutions.
• Biosketch (CV) of the applicant in NIH or equivalent format (4-page maximum).
• Research plan (3 pages maximum): Description of the pilot research project including specific aims, significance, current knowledge/preliminary data, innovation of proposed research, and approach/study design. The application should also include a timeline and expected outcomes for a one-year project. This plan should clearly state how this project addresses current knowledge gaps in CMR, and how SCMR seed funding will facilitate acquisition of pilot results for applications to established peer-reviewed funding programs.
• A detailed budget justification should be provided (1/2-page maximum). The funds from the award cannot be used for personal salary support or facilities & administrative costs. Eligible budget items include funds for pilot studies including generating data (e.g. scan time, equipment and/or supplies, software, associated trainee support) and/or accessing/analyzing existing databases. Funds for travel expenses to facilitate collaborations with other institutions / research groups are also eligible, up to 25% of the total award amount.
• Describe any potential conflicts of interest (1/2 page maximum)
• All application items should be consolidated into one PDF for submission.
• Please click here to submit your Seed Grant Application. You will need to set up a Reviewr account. If you have questions, please email hq@scmr.org.  No applications will be accepted through email.

Peer Review Criteria

Grant applications will be reviewed by the Science Committee, which will recommend the award recipient to the Executive Committee for approval.

• Criterion 1 – Applicant (30%)
  • Academic accomplishments (publications, awards, grants)
  • History with SCMR involvement
• Criterion 2 – Research Plan (70%)
  • Significance
  • Innovation
  • Scientific rigor & study design
  • Environment (equipment, patient volume, mentorship)

Award Process

• The winner(s) will be announced at the Awards Ceremony during the SCMR Annual Scientific Sessions with a project start date of March 1st the same year, and will be highlighted in the SCMR Newsletter.
• The winners will be invited to present the results of their work within the next two following SCMR Annual Scientific Sessions.
• The winners will be offered one (1) complimentary registration to the Annual Scientific Sessions of the year in which they received the award, and one (1) complimentary hotel night stay.

Grant Funding Disbursement Process

Grant funding will be disbursed in two stages to ensure efficient financial management and project completion. Below is a detailed outline of the disbursement process:

1. Initial Funding Allocation (80%) Upon approval of your grant application, 80% of the total funding will be provided upfront. This initial disbursement is intended to support the launch and execution of your project, allowing you to cover necessary expenses and operational costs.
2. Final Funding Allocation (20%) The remaining 20% of the grant funding will be awarded upon successful completion of the final report and presentation within the next two following SCMR Annual Scientific Sessions. This final installment ensures that all required documentation and outcomes are presented in accordance with the grant guidelines.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct CMR relevance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the most fundamental predictor of fit.

SCMR Seed Grants explicitly support research that advances the technical and translational application of CMR. Applicants are encouraged to address key knowledge gaps or needs in patient-focused CMR.

High-fit areas include:

• Cardiovascular MRI
• Cardiac function
• Myocardial tissue characterization
• Cardiac ischemia
• Cardiomyopathy
• Myocarditis
• Cardiac amyloidosis
• Heart failure
• Coronary disease
• Congenital heart disease
• Valvular disease
• Cardiac masses
• CMR biomarkers
• Quantitative CMR
• Advanced imaging
• CMR physics
• AI in CMR

A general cardiovascular study that does not meaningfully use or advance CMR would have weak alignment.

2. Important CMR knowledge gap ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The proposal should clearly identify what is not yet known or adequately validated in CMR.

Examples:

• Current CMR technique lacks sufficient diagnostic accuracy
• Prognostic value remains uncertain
• A CMR biomarker has not been validated
• A pulse sequence has technical limitations
• CMR findings are not sufficiently integrated into clinical decision-making
• The clinical utility of a CMR measurement is unclear
• CMR's cost-effectiveness has not been established

SCMR specifically asks applicants to explain how their project addresses current knowledge gaps in CMR.

3. Clinical significance and patient impact ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A competitive proposal should demonstrate why the CMR research matters to patients.

Potential outcomes include:

• Earlier diagnosis
• More accurate diagnosis
• Better risk stratification
• Prediction of adverse cardiovascular events
• Better treatment selection
• Monitoring treatment response
• Improved prognosis
• Reduced unnecessary procedures
• Improved clinical decision-making

For Outcomes Research Grants, SCMR specifically seeks evidence concerning the prognostic role of CMR in patient care.

4. Innovation ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Innovation is an explicit SCMR review criterion.

Technical innovation

Potentially strong topics include:

• New pulse sequences
• Faster CMR acquisition
• Quantitative mapping
• Motion correction
• Improved image reconstruction
• Novel contrast techniques
• 4D flow
• Automated image analysis

SCMR specifically gives novel pulse-sequence development/validation as an example of an appropriate Seed Grant topic.

Clinical innovation

• New CMR biomarkers
• New diagnostic algorithms
• CMR-based risk prediction
• AI-assisted interpretation
• CMR-guided treatment strategies
• Multimodality imaging approaches

5. Scientific rigor and study design ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is explicitly scored by SCMR.

The research plan should demonstrate:

• Clear specific aims
• Strong hypothesis
• Appropriate study design
• Appropriate comparator
• Adequate sample size
• Validated CMR measurements
• Appropriate statistical analysis
• Clearly defined primary outcomes
• Reproducibility
• Appropriate handling of confounders

The review criteria explicitly include scientific rigor & study design.

6. Feasibility and research environment ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SCMR explicitly evaluates the research environment, including equipment, patient volume and mentorship.

A competitive application should demonstrate access to:

• CMR scanner
• Appropriate scan time
• CMR technologists
• Relevant patient population
• Existing imaging databases
• Image-analysis software
• Computing resources
• Biostatistical expertise
• Clinical collaborators

For Seed Grants, the supervisor/department-head letter must confirm that the applicant has sufficient time and resources, including access to images, databases and scan time, to complete the project.

7. Clear translational/clinical value ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

SCMR supports both technical/basic and clinical/translational research. The Seed Grant application specifically asks applicants to identify whether the project is basic/technical, clinical/translational, or combines both.

A particularly strong pathway is:

CMR innovation → validation → clinical utility → improved cardiovascular care

For example:

Novel myocardial-mapping technique → improved fibrosis detection → improved risk stratification → better treatment decisions.

8. Applicant's academic record and SCMR involvement ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

Applicant factors account for 30% of SCMR Seed and Outcomes Grant review, compared with 70% for the research plan. Academic accomplishments include publications, awards and grants, while history of involvement with SCMR is also explicitly assessed.

Therefore, competitive applicants should demonstrate:

• Relevant publications
• CMR research experience
• Previous presentations
• Appropriate scientific training
• SCMR membership
• Participation in SCMR activities
• Emerging independence

This is especially important because SCMR's Seed Grant is designed for early-career investigators.

9. Mentorship and collaboration ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆

The Seed Grant requires a project mentor who will guide execution of the science.

A strong mentor should provide:

• CMR expertise
• Technical expertise
• Clinical expertise
• Statistical support
• Access to infrastructure
• Career-development guidance

For multicenter projects, clearly defined collaborator roles strengthen feasibility.

10. Preliminary-data and future-funding potential ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is one of the most important strategic features of the SCMR Seed Grant.

SCMR explicitly encourages early-career investigators to use Seed Grant projects to generate pilot results for competitive applications to larger governmental or other grant programs.