NHLBI Catalyze Program

The NHLBI Catalyze Program is the institute's translational route for moving basic discoveries in heart, lung, blood, and sleep research toward human testing. It combines funding with technical services, training, and mentorship, and it is intended for investigators working across the path from product definition to preclinical development. The original 2023 cohort used five FOAs spanning enabling technologies, target identification and validation, lead series identification, and device prototype design and testing. Those FOAs expired in December 2024, but the program remains listed as ongoing on the NHLBI landing page. The mechanism mix included R33 and phased R61/R33 awards. Catalyze fits investigators who need more than a standard grant and can benefit from structured support around translational execution. The strongest applications usually have a defined candidate, a clear technical hurdle, and a credible plan for moving that candidate toward first-in-human readiness. Because the program sits between basic science and later-stage development, it favors teams that can show both biological insight and product discipline.

Each grant below is a distinct funding opportunity with its own eligibility, scope, and deliverables.