National and Affiliate Research Programs of the American Heart Association

Rajini Reddy Mudhasani, PhDType of Award: Postdoctoral Fellowship

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Mission and Goal

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Mission

Building healthier lives, free from cardiovascular diseases and stroke

Michaela GagneMiss Massachusetts and AHA Volunteer

I truly appreciate how fortunate I am to have escaped potential fatality. It’s because of

American Heart Association-funded research that I am alive, well and physically active today. It’s also the reason I’m doing everything in my

power to motivate others to support the heart association’s cause

and lead a heart healthy life.

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Goal of the AHA Research Programs

The goal of the American Heart Association Research Programs is the acquisition of new knowledge broadly related to the normal function of the cardiovascular system and the causes, prevention, treatment or control of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

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Milestones in AHA Research

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1985. Drs. Joseph Goldstein and Michael Brown, funded by the Association in 1972, '73 and '75, are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their research on the role of low-density lipoprotein receptors in controlling blood cholesterol levels.

Their research provides new insights into the ways cholesterol enters body cells and why cholesterol levels may become too high.

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1992. Drs. Edwin Krebs and Edmond Fischer win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of how proteins are switched on to perform functions within cells.

Dr. Krebs, whose research was supported in part by the American Heart Association, received the Association's Research Achievement Award in 1987.

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1998. Three Americans are awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for their discovery of nitric oxide, a colorless gas that makes blood vessels dilate by relaxing the vessels' smooth muscle. The American Heart Association funded one of the awardees, Dr. Robert Furchgott, from 1952 to 1954.

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2003. Dr. Peter Agre is awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his discovery of aquaporins, proteins that govern the movement of water in and out of cells. Dr. Agre received American Heart Association Established Investigator funding from 1987-92.

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The Importance of AHA Research

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The AHA’s Investment in Research Compared to Other Major Health Agencies

In 2007, the AHA invested more in research funding than any other health agency.

Organization 2007 Research Expense

A American Heart Association 147,500,000B American Cancer Society 146,933,000C Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation 146,614,000D American Diabetes Association 54,341,000E National Multiple Sclerosis Society 50,940,905F March of Dimes (includes research and medical support) 46,323,000G Alzheimer’s Association 37,593,000H Muscular Dystrophy Association 37,313,847

Source: Respective Health Agencies’ 2007 Annual Reports

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Life Cycle of a Research ApplicationLife Cycle of a Research Application

HmmHmm……

Application Application submittedsubmitted

An idea beginsAn idea begins

Peer Review Peer Review CommitteeCommittee

E-mail E-mail notificationnotification

Research Research completedcompleted

Yea!Yea!

Reports Reports PublishedPublished

Findings Findings translatedtranslated

Assigned to Assigned to reviewersreviewers

Critique Critique developeddeveloped

Rank-Rank-ordered listordered list

Research Research CommitteeCommittee $$ Funded Funded

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The AHA Research Program

Today

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• To avoid losing a generation of scientists, the AHA now awards about two-thirds of its research dollars to early career investigators.

• Successful early career investigators then go on to secure NIH and other grants.

Zoltan Ungvari, M.D., Ph.D.Type of Award: Scientist Development Grant

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Types of Research:Basic• Basic Research is a synonym for fundamental research,

which is the study of life processes that are universal in their application to scientific knowledge.

– Example of Basic Research on Childhood Obesity:• Early life determinants of metabolic syndrome in animal

models: interaction of perinatal environment and genetic predisposition

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Types of Research: Clinical• Clinical Research addresses important questions of

normal function and disease using human subjects.

– Example of Clinical Research on Childhood Obesity:• Binge Eating, Purging, and Cardiovascular Risk in

Adolescents; The Effect of Weight-Loss Diets Varying in Protein and Carbohydrate Content on Markers of Cardiovascular Risk

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Types of Research: Population Health• Population Health Research is the science of studying

the distribution and determinants of health status as influenced by social, economic and physical environments, human biology, health policy and services and of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health at the population levels.

– Example of Population Health Research on Childhood Obesity:• Walking School Bus Approach to Increase Physical Activity

And Attenuate BMI of Elementary School Children

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Our National and Affiliate Investigator-Initiated Research Programs

Investigator-Initiated Research investigates a question or hypothesis that the researcher has defined. The AHA's publicly donated dollars are used to support this type of research.

Joseph M. Miano, PhDType of Award: Grant-in-Aid

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Greater Southeast Affiliate Research Programs

Program Target Audience

Annual Minimum

Duration

Health Science Student

Fellowship

Predoctoral health sciences students

$13,500/year2 years to the

institution

Predoctoral PhD, MD students $21,770/year stipend 2 years

Postdoctoral PhD, MD students, not yet independent

Sliding scale, $35,568 - $51,036

year stipend2 years

Clinical Research Program*

*New in 2009

MA, MD, DO or PhD not yet independent

$75,000/year

2 years

Beginning Grant in Aid

1st Faculty/Staff appt. through Asst.

Prof.

$66,000/year

2 years

Grant in Aid

Faculty/Staff pursuing

independent research

$82,000/year 2 years

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Success Rates GSA- July 08

• Grant-in-Aid 18.89%• Beginning Grant-in-Aid 14.29%• Postdoctoral Fellowship 20.39%

Predoctoral Fellowship 34.92%• Health Sciences Fellowship 100.00%

• Total for Greater Southeast Affiliate$11,341,448.00 22.63%

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National Investigator-Initiated Research Programs

Program Description Award Amount

Duration

Fellow-to- Faculty

Transition Awards

To provide funding for beginning physician-scientists with outstanding potential for

careers in cardiovascular and stroke research

$593,000 over 5 years

5 years

Clinical Research Program

To encourage early career investigators who have appropriate and supportive mentoring

relationships to engage in high quality introductory and pilot clinical studies that will

guide future strategies for reducing cardiovascular disease and stroke while

fostering new research in clinical and translational science, and encouraging

community- and population-based activities

$100,000($50,000/

year)2 years

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National Investigator-Initiated Research Programs

Program DescriptionAward

Amount Duration

Scientist Development

Grants

To support highly promising beginning scientists in their progress toward

independence; bridges the gap between completion of research training and readiness for completion as an independent investigator

$308,000($77,000/

year)4 years

Established Investigator

Awards

To support mid-term investigators with unusual promise, a rapidly growing research

career and an established record of accomplishments; candidates have a

demonstrated commitment to cardiovascular or cerebrovascular science as indicated by

prior publication history and scientific accomplishments

$500,000($100,000/

year, project

support)

5 years

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National Investigator-Initiated Research Programs

Program Description Award Amount

Duration

Innovative Research

Grant

To support highly innovative, high-risk, high-reward research that could

ultimately lead to critical discoveries or major advancements that will accelerate

the field of cardiovascular and stroke research.

$150,000

($75,000/ year)

2 years

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Success Rates AHA National- Jan 09

• Scientist Development Grant 21.33%• Established Investigator Grant 14.78%• Clinical Research Program 25.58%• Innovative Research Grant 2.90%

• Total AHA National Research Program $30.56 Million 11.12%

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AHA Affiliates

Pacific Mountain

Western States

Midwest

South CentralGreater Southeast

Great Rivers

Mid-Atlantic

Founders

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AHA Research Consortia

The AHA’s peer review system is divided into four regional consortia. Consortia are groups of funding compo-nents that conduct peer review together. Individual consortium review committees review applications in specific science areas.

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Peer Review

• Formal process for reviewing and ranking applications

• Peer Reviewers volunteer their time and expertise

• At least 12 reviewers on each peer review committee

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Funded and Unfunded Meritorious Grants

Satoshi Komatsu, PhD (right)

Type of Award: Scientist Development Grant

• All reviewed applications are scored and ranked.

• We would fund all applications deemed highly meritorious (above the 30th percentile) if we had the resources to do so.

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All the Information You WantExtensive information about our Research Program can be found on our website. The website also offers a glossary of the types of research that we fund.

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Questions