Research grants

The Heart Foundation is New Zealand's leading independent funder of heart research. With the generous support of our donors, we've invested more than $95 million into heart research since 1968.

Back in 1968, a dedicated group of cardiologists and business people founded the Heart Foundation, with a clear vision to foster heart-related education and research in New Zealand.

Their dream was to improve the heart health of every Kiwi. Since then the Heart Foundation has invested more than $95 million into ground-breaking heart research, and over this time, there has been a drastic reduction in the number of deaths from heart disease.

However, cardiovascular disease is still the number one cause of death in New Zealand and many of these deaths are premature and preventable. That's why research remains so important.

"We have a long and proud record of research investment, which has improved the heart health of all New Zealanders for more than 50 years, but we still have much more work to do," says Heart Foundation Medical Director, Dr Gerry Devlin.

"Heart disease is New Zealand's single biggest killer. With our ongoing commitment to supporting research, we can keep saving lives and improve the quality of life for the 180,000 New Zealanders living with heart disease."

Our research history

The Heart Foundation has been able to invest $95 million into groundbreaking research projects and cardiology training since 1970.

Read our research history

About our grants

The Heart Foundation offers project grants, fellowships and scholarships in the following areas each year. 

For further information on each grant please visit our grants portal.

Research grants portal

Grant-in-Aid 

The purpose of a Grant-in-Aid is to fund a wide variety of research-related activities designed to further the aims of the Heart Foundation that are not within the categories of a Project Grant or other grant type. The maximum value for a Grant-in-Aid award is NZ$20,000. 

Māori Fellowship 

The Māori Fellowship is intended to support the development of Māori health research capacity and capability. It is expected that applicants will be engaged in research work relevant to the improvement of cardiovascular health for Māori in New Zealand. It is tenable in New Zealand for up to three years. 

Nurse Practitioner Training Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease 

This Fellowship is intended to support nurses registered with the Nursing Council of New Zealand to complete an approved clinical master’s degree programme for the nurse practitioner scope of practice in the field of cardiovascular disease. This fellowship is normally tenable for two years and awards NZ$20,000 per annum and up to NZ$5,000 plus GST for university fees. 

Overseas Training and Research Fellowship 

This Fellowship is intended to support medical graduates who propose to engage in further clinical training and research in the field of cardiovascular disease. This fellowship is usually tenable for one year only and awards NZ$100,000 per annum and up to NZ$10,000 plus GST for travel and insurance. 

Postgraduate Scholarship 

This Scholarship is intended to provide personal support for selected graduate students at New Zealand universities whose proposed programme of research for a higher degree will further the aims of the Heart Foundation. It is tenable only in New Zealand and normally within a faculty of medicine. The Postgraduate Scholarship is usually awarded for three years and is NZ$35,241 per annum and up to NZ$3,000 plus GST per annum for university fees. 

Project Grant 

A Project Grant provides short-term support for a single individual or small group working on a clearly defined research project. The usual term for a Project Grant is one or two years, with a maximum of three years. The maximum value awarded is up to $250,000. Applicants are invited to firstly submit an Expression of Interest (EOI) using the Project Grant EOI form on the Heart Foundation research grant portal. 

Research Fellowship 

This Fellowship is designed to support graduates who propose to engage in research related to the aims of the Heart Foundation. It is available for medical graduates or non-medical graduates who are normally at a post-doctoral level. This fellowship is tenable only in New Zealand for up to three years. 

Senior Fellowship 

The Senior Fellowship is intended to support trained New Zealand cardiologists or scientists working in the cardiovascular field as established and independent investigators, pending the availability of appointments in universities, hospitals and health services or similar institutions in New Zealand. It is tenable only in New Zealand for a maximum duration of three years. 

Small Project Grant 

A Small Project Grant supports emerging researchers including, but not limited to, registrars, post-doctoral students, general practitioners and public health practitioners. It is expected that the research projects cover a wide variety of areas related to the aims of the Heart Foundation. They could be a small research project or a small part of a wider research project. The maximum value awarded is NZ$20,000. 

Summer Studentships 

Summer Studentships are offered annually through the Medical Schools at the University of Auckland and the University of Otago. The Studentships will cover projects related to cardiovascular research and have a value of $6,750 each. These studentships are administered through each Medical School. Please contact your Medical School for further information or to apply. 

Travel Grant 

The purpose of Travel Grants is to fund a wide variety of research-related activities which support the aims of the Heart Foundation. Travel Grants are awarded to enable health professionals and researchers to travel in New Zealand or overseas to attend conferences. The maximum value for a Heart Foundation Travel Grant award is NZ$5,000. 

Pacific Research Fellowship 

This Fellowship is intended to support the development of Pacific health research capacity and capability. It is open to Pacific graduates in health or social sciences, both clinical and non-clinical. It is expected that applicants will be engaged in research work relevant to the improvement of cardiovascular health for Pacific people in New Zealand. It is tenable in New Zealand for up to three years. 

A. H. Couch Trust Heart Foundation Scholarship 

The Heart Foundation and the A. H. Couch Trust are working in partnership to support promising cardiology trainees and researchers to carry out cardiovascular research in New Zealand. This Scholarship is focused on New Zealand researchers and is intended to support individuals planning to do cardiology research for between six months and three years. It awards up to NZ$110,000 per annum and up to NZ$10,000 per annum plus GST towards tuition fees. 

Heart Foundation Scientific Committee

The Heart Foundation Scientific Committee reviews and evaluates grant applications. The collective expertise of the group covers a wide range from basic sciences, clinical medicine and cardiology to public health. The Chief Executive of the Heart Foundation is an ex-officio member of the Scientific Committee as is the Medical Director.

Ethical research

We are committed to our purpose to stop all people in New Zealand from dying prematurely of heart disease and enable people with heart disease to live full lives by funding research to prevent, treat and cure heart and circulatory diseases.

As part of this life-saving work, we fund research that uses various methods, including laboratory or benchtop work, computer models and simulations, and human participants. Where these methods are not satisfactory or feasible, some of the research we fund involves animals to address specific and significant questions.

Funding animal research is something we take very seriously and is only supported when alternatives are not available to help researchers make life-changing discoveries in the fight against heart disease.

Any research we fund involving human participants or animals must conform to relevant legislation and be approved and monitored by a properly established ethics committee.

In New Zealand, the use of animals in research, testing and teaching is strictly controlled by the Animal Welfare Act 1999. Every researcher using animals in New Zealand must follow an approved code of ethical conduct and comply with legislation.

The ethical principles of animal research (the 3Rs) promote efforts to replace animals as subjects for research as much as possible, reduce the number of animals used in research, and refine techniques used in any research to ensure welfare standards are as high as possible. Applicants to the Heart Foundation for research grants understand the need to use alternatives to live animals wherever possible.

The Heart Foundation signed the Openness Agreement on Animal Research and Teaching in New Zealand, committing to better inform people about the use of animals in research or teaching through our website and communications. We acknowledge our fellow signatories, which include all the research institutions that host Heart Foundation-funded researchers and projects. The agreement was initiated and led by the Australia and New Zealand Council for the Care of Animals in Research and Teaching (ANZCCART).

Over the past 50 years, we’ve seen a 75% reduction in the rate of death caused by heart disease in New Zealand. We’re making good progress, but heart disease is still the single biggest killer of men and women. Funding heart research is essential if we’re to continue making the discoveries that will improve and save the lives of the many people living with heart and circulatory diseases in New Zealand and around the world.

Grants awarded

Heart Foundation research grants are awarded in July and November of each year. Click on the links below to view pdfs of the grants awarded.

View grants awarded in August 2024

View grants awarded in August 2023

View grants awarded in August 2022

View grants awarded in August 2021

View grants awarded in July 2020

View grants awarded in July 2019

View grants awarded in November 2018

View grants awarded in July 2018

View grants awarded in November 2017

View grants awarded in July 2017

View grants awarded in July 2016

View grants awarded in November 2016

Visit the research grants portal

The Heart Foundation manages all research funding applications, grant awards and grant reporting processes, through our Heart Foundation research grants system (portal). Click on the button below to submit an application through this portal.

2025 Research funding opportunities