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Translational Awards

British Heart Foundation

Translational Awards aim to progress the development of novel, innovative technologies towards benefits to human cardiovascular health. This scheme aims to drive fundamental cardiovascular discovery science along the translational pathway, first into human studies, through to phase II trials, towards patient benefit and/or commercialisation.

Proposals are expected to demonstrate a strong intellectual property position and a development proposition that could attract follow-on investment.

Projects can start and finish at any point along the translational pathway from initial development, through pre-clinical studies to early-phase clinical trials (up to and including phase II).

The finishing point must represent a significant scientific and/or value inflection point.

Award budget

There is no limit on the amount of funding that can be applied for, but it should be justified and appropriate to the project.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to contact the BHF Translational Awards Team to discuss potential application.

Grant duration

Grants can last up to 3 years. Applicants must justify the timescale in the context of the proposed work.

Projects should have clearly defined progression milestones (typically 3 to 5 milestones). Continued funding will be subject to the achievement of the relevant milestones.

We do not expect milestones to overlap. However, we may be prepared to consider overlapping milestones if they can be appropriately justified in exceptional circumstances.

Milestone success criteria

Your project’s milestones should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and timely (SMART), and detail any robust GO/NO-GO criteria, with an estimate of costs per milestone. Failure to meet these criteria will result in the early termination of the project.

It is advisable to structure all projects so that the critical question(s) are addressed as early as possible in the plan.

What we are looking for

Your project should:

be novel and inventive, addressing an unmet clinical need within the BHF remit
result in a product, technology or intervention that is ready for market development
be milestone-driven and have a credible delivery plan.

The scheme covers any type of technology, including:

novel therapeutics (small molecules or biologics)
drug repurposing
devices
surgical techniques
diagnostics
imaging technologies
digital solutions
cell therapy and regenerative medicine
early-phase clinical studies evaluating efficacy and safety.

The scheme does not support funding for investigative research focussed on open-ended questions and late-phase clinical trials. For those purposes, refer to either Project Grants or Clinical Studies funding schemes.

Your application should provide clear and compelling information on the following:

an unmet healthcare need in heart and circulatory diseases
the advantages of the proposed technology over competing solutions
supporting proof of concept data
a structured project with no overlapping milestones
the intellectual property position
a proposed route to market and commercialisation
a strategy to navigate the relevant regulatory processes
long-term aims beyond the BHF Translational Award.

Work with your Institution's Technology Transfer Office (TTO) to develop the intellectual property strategy and commercial case for the application.
It’s important to consider the entire route to commercialisation for your technology and not just what may be funded by the particular Translational Award requested. Providing this information gives BHF and subsequent investors the confidence that the project is well designed and has the best chance of success.

The MHRA Innovation Office provides a free, informal service that can help with your regulatory queries.

Please contact a member of the Research Translation Team if you’re unsure whether your research is at the appropriate stage of development or is eligible for funding.

What we will fund

The award can be used flexibly. We will consider funding:

staff salaries (excluding PhD studentships)
consumables and essential research equipment
consultancy fees
outsourcing to contract research organisations
other fee-for service providers.

Outsourcing

We will consider providing funds to outsource project work to companies who undertake specifically defined piece(s) of work on a contracted/out-sourced basis (e.g. contract research organisations (CROs)). Such parties will not have a potential claim as an inventor over any arising intellectual property.

Project management

Successful Translational Awards require efficient management and reporting to ensure that the project stays on target. An experienced project manager (salary grade 7 or 8) may be appointed for up to 0.2 FTE per annum to assist with this. They will be responsible for managing and coordinating project activities and communications within your organisation and between collaborators and sub-contractors, as well as regularly reporting to the BHF.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Some of BHF’s main funding mechanisms (current or forthcoming) are:

Early Career Research Fellowship (ECRF) – for non-clinician researchers within ~4 years post-PhD or in final year of PhD, or re-entry, etc.

Clinical Early Career Research Fellowship – for clinically qualified doctors in specialist training to get protected research time.

Project Grants – up to ~£500,000, 4 years, for UK institutions, for postdoctoral or above PIs.

Programme Grants – large, ambitious, longer-term grants (5 years, renewable) for senior or strong mid-career PIs, to address strategic cardiovascular themes.

Special Project Grants – large, imaginative research programmes with senior PIs and strong track record.

Infrastructure Grants – institutions can apply for large sums (up to ~£1 million) to support infrastructure (equipment, facilities) for cardiovascular science. Senior investigators needed, plus institutional contribution.

Clinical Study Grants – for large observational studies or late-phase clinical trials.

Predictors of Success in BHF Grant Applications

From BHF’s own rules, past funding rounds, and what BHF says is important, here are what seem to correlate with successful applications (strong predictors):

Predictor	Why It Helps / How It Shows Up in BHF’s Criteria
Strong track record (past publications, relevant experience)	Even for early-career fellowships, applicants are expected to show “evidence of exceptional research ability.” For senior grants, you need an internationally competitive profile.
Clear cardiovascular relevance / theme	All BHF funding is tied to heart & circulatory disease. Even if you’re transitioning from another discipline (e.g. data science, engineering), you must clearly show how you apply it to cardiovascular research.
Institutional support / host environment	For Fellowships, project or infrastructure grants, BHF asks for proof of institutional commitment (facilities, mentorship, governance of project, etc.). The infrastructure grants require co-funding locally from institution.
Feasibility and pilot/preliminary data / detailed project plan	Project grants, special project grants are rejected if hypothesis poorly described, lack of pilot data, weak experimental detail or power calculation.
Ambition / Novelty / Strategic Impact	BHF is increasingly emphasizing ambitious proposals (especially in Programme Grants), interdisciplinary or cross-disciplinary projects, novel approaches, translational potential.
Value for money and cost justification	Because BHF is a charity, proposals that use funds efficiently, justify costs, avoid unnecessary overhead, and deliver high impact per £ tend to score well.
Good mentorship / advisor support	For early career fellowships particularly, you must name a “Primary Academic Advisor,” show letters of support, show that host institution provides what is needed.
Flexible working / handling career breaks / diversity	BHF allows for part-time work, accommodates people returning from industry or taking career breaks; they encourage or allow such cases when justified.
Translational potential or clinical relevance	Especially in Clinical Fellowships, Clinical Studies, and large programme grants: showing that the work has potential to move toward patient benefit or influence clinical practice adds weight.
Well-justified budget	Especially for expensive items, equipment, staffing—when you request, the budget must be sensible, and for big items may need cost sharing or justification.

What Weaknesses / Common Pitfalls Hurt Applications

Also worth noting what often leads to weaker success chances (things to avoid):

Vague hypothesis or aims; poor conceptual clarity.

Lack of experimental detail, power/sample size justification or preliminary data.

Weak institutional support or unclear mentorship.

Overscope / too ambitious for requested funding/time period.

Poor cost justification or too high budget without justification.

Not aligning with BHF’s strategic priorities.

Failing eligibility criteria (for example, being too senior or too junior for a particular fellowship; wrong host institution; insufficient cardiovascular relevance).

Practical Tips / Strategy to Improve Your Chances

Based on the above, here are some actionable tips if you plan to apply:

Match the correct scheme to your career stage — don’t apply for a senior grant if you’re early career; aim for ECRF or Clinical ECRF, etc.

Demonstrate a strong cardiovascular theme — if your background is outside, make sure you explain relevance very clearly.

Prepare strong preliminary data / pilot work / at least proof-of-concept if possible — even early career.

Secure good letters of support / mentorship / institutional backing — include letters that detail what resources the institution will supply, how you’ll be supported scientifically.

Ensure your proposal is feasible given time and budget — don’t ask for extremely ambitious scope if resources/time are constrained.

Innovate — think cross-disciplinary or new approaches, novel technologies, or translational angles.

Think about impact — clinical, public health, patient benefit, or at least how your findings could lead to further work or translation.

Be explicit about diversity, flexibility, career breaks if applicable — many schemes are now more accommodating; stating this clearly can help.

Read the peer review / guidance documents — BHF publishes review guidelines, forms, etc. Use those to shape your application. British Heart Foundation

Talk to existing or past BHF grantees — see examples of what worked, get feedback on your draft.

Specialties

Cardiothoracic Surgery

Cardiovascular Diseases

Eligibility Requirements

The principal investigator will be a researcher working in an established research institution in the UK.

Individuals or teams from commercial organisations can apply as collaborators.

Eligible Countries:

United Kingdom

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: British Heart Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Greater London House, 4th Floor, 180 Hampstead Road, London NW1 7AW

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