Independent Call for Research Proposals
Independent Research Awards
The Children’s Heart Foundation will be issuing its 2023 Request for Applications (RFA) soon! Stay tuned for more information.
For further details about our timeline and process, along with a series of frequently asked questions (FAQs), please see visit: Independent Grant FAQs.
The Cortney Barnett Research Award
Simultaneously, The Children's Heart Foundation is also issuing an RFA focusing on the evaluation and management of children and adults with Fontan physiology. Supported by generous funding from Cortney Barnett, her family, and their many supporters. The Cortney Barnett Research Award will support research intended to prolong longevity and improve quality of life in patients who have undergone the Fontan procedure. Examples of proposals that are of particular interest include research focusing on medications, devices, surgeries and procedures intended to improve Fontan circulatory physiology, the evaluation and management of Fontan-Associated Liver Disease (FALD), arrhythmia therapies, and the timing, evaluation, and conduct of cardiac transplantation.
2023 Process and Schedule
In contrast to prior years when a full application was initially required, researchers seeking funding for either RFA must now submit an initial Letter of Intent (LOI). The Children’s Heart Foundation made this change to reduce the initial time and effort required by applicants, their collaborators, and administrative research staff to apply for funding. The LOIs are due on April 28, 2023. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application no later than June 8, 2023.
Timeline:
- March 29, 2023 – Independent Call for Research Proposals opens
- April 28, 2023 – Letter of Intent due by 5:00pm CST
- June 8, 2023 – Applicants notified as to whether or not they may submit a full application
- September 7, 2023 – Full Application (invite only) due by 5:00pm CST
- December 21, 2023 – Applicants notified as to a decision regarding funding
- January 2024 – Funds released for awardees
Award Amount
Independent Research Awards and the Cortney Barnett Research Award will fund up to $100,000 per year for two (2) years. However, for The Cortney Barnett Research Award, exceptionally meritorious proposals that require a greater amount or duration of funding will be considered, up to a total award of $500,000.
The Children’s Heart Foundation recognizes disparities based on race, ethnicity and gender exist in all areas of healthcare. For patients with congenital heart disease, it is well-known that certain racial and ethnic groups have worse outcomes. Among researchers, underrepresented minorities face additional challenges in obtaining research funding. These are important issues for the Children's Heart Foundation. Starting this year, we will begin collecting data on gender, race, and ethnicity for investigators who apply for research funding, as a part of our larger efforts to help address these disparities. We strongly encourage applications from underrepresented minority investigators and/or applications that focus on investigating disparities in patients with congenital heart disease.
All applicants for the Independent Research Awards and The Cortney Barnett Research Award must submit an LOI through our online application portal: https://proposalcentral.com/GrantOpportunities.asp?GMID=273
AHA/CHF Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards

The American Heart Association and The Children’s Heart Foundation joint RFA is now open. The application deadline is September 21, 2022.
- CLICK HERE for more information about the 2022 American Heart Association and Children’s Heart Foundation Request for Applications (RFA).
- CLICK HERE for additional information about the AHA/CHF Congenital Heart Defect Research Awards.