Joint Partnership Research Funding Scheme

Cardiovascular disease is a global problem, which is why the DZHK collaborates with researchers around the world.

Since 2018, the DZHK has been running a joint funding programme with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), in which the Dutch Heart Foundation (DHF, in Dutch: Hartstichting) has also been involved since 2019.

In 2024, investigators based in France are invited to apply for the first time, as the Lefoulon-Delalande Foundation has joined the programme as a fourth funding partner. The BHF-DHF-DZHK collaboration is now called the International Cardiovascular Research Partnerships Awards, or ICRPA 2024 for short.

Each project must be co-led by at least three independent, mid-career Principal Investigators, each based in one of the four participating countries – France, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Our aim is to foster international collaboration between mid-career researchers who aspire to become leaders in their field of cardiovascular research. Multidisciplinary approaches are particularly encouraged.

The focus of the funding line is on preclinical research that contributes to the improvement of clinical diagnosis, prevention or treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

After five successful rounds, which resulted in 16 jointly funded collaborative projects, the ICRPA Call 2024 marks the start of a sixth round of the competition. Scientists from Germany who are members of the DZHK are eligible to apply.

Projects can be funded for up to four years and with a total budget of up to €2 million. The DZHK will provide a maximum of €500,000 for projects with DZHK participation and for a maximum of two projects.