AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship

AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship

Offers postdoctoral cardiovascular fellowships for investigators entering independent research to strengthen real-world implementation.

The American Heart Association (AHA) Postdoctoral Fellowship supports early-career researchers who have completed doctoral training and seek to deepen their independent research in cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, or brain health. The AHA, founded in 1924, has invested more than $6 billion in cardiovascular and cerebrovascular research and is the largest non-government funder of such research in the United States. The 2027 Postdoctoral Fellowship carries an August 5, 2026 deadline, with awards starting January 1, 2027 and award notification in December 2026.

Annual award value ranges from approximately $78,680 to $92,276, comprising a stipend of $63,480 to $77,076 (scaled by years of postdoctoral experience), a health insurance allowance of $12,200, and $3,000 in project support, of which at least $1,500 must go toward national conference travel. Awards run one or two years initially and are renewable for a second two-year term, allowing up to four years of total support. Applicants must hold a post-baccalaureate doctoral degree (PhD, MD, DO, DVM, PharMD, DDS, or equivalent in nursing, public health, or clinical health sciences), earned no more than five years before the award start. At least 80% research effort is required; concurrent pursuit of another doctoral degree is disqualifying. AHA Professional Membership and eligible U.S. citizenship or visa status are required at proposal submission.

Applicants bear primary responsibility for writing their five-page research plan — mentors may advise but not draft it. The mentor-mentee framework is central to evaluation, and applicants should demonstrate how the fellowship advances toward independent research careers. For-profit institutions are ineligible; accredited U.S. universities and research organisations are the eligible host environments. The two-stage award structure (initial term plus optional renewal) rewards applicants who articulate a coherent multi-year research arc.