Cardiovascular Center Funding Opportunities

The Women’s Cardiovascular Health Award is made possible by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s Cellene and Brian Byrne Fund through MCW’s CVC and from the Dean’s FY24 DPD 109 funds awarded to the Department of Medicine-Cardiovascular Medicine’s Cardiovascular Academic Initiative (CAI). The overall goal of this funding mechanism is to support vascular and heart disease research (basic, preclinical, clinical, or translational) to improve women’s cardiovascular health. There is one award of $50,000 for one year. CVC faculty (assistant, associate, or full professor) are eligible to apply. The goal of this award is to acquire pilot data related to women’s cardiovascular health and/or disease that will lead to the successful submission of an extramural grant application within the next two years. Examples of research topics include fetal/maternal medicine and other cardiovascular diseases disproportionately affecting women.

The Michael Keelan, Jr., MD, Research Foundation Award is for early-stage investigators (assistant professors without current R01-equivalent funding). This award is made possible by a generous gift, managed by the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, to the CVC by the Tendick Family in honor of Dr. Michael Keelan. One award is available. This is a one year, $50,000 grant. Previous Keelan Scholars include Caitlin O’Meara, PhD, Jacquelyn Kulinski, MD, Brian Smith, PhD, Carmen Bergom, MD, PhD, Oleg Palygin, PhD, Tammy Kindel, MD, PhD, and Lu Han, PhD. Over the last five years, the Keelan Award has leveraged over $10 million in funding.

The T32 Pilot Awards allow postdoctoral fellows (sponsored by CVC member) who are appointed to the CVC’s T32 Program at some point between March 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024 to acquire preliminary data, reviewer-requested data, to fund high risk/high reward projects, early-stage ideas, proof-of concept, and/or answer important research questions related to cardiovascular health or disease. These awards are funded by a grant given to the Cardiovascular Center by the A. O. Smith Foundation for the A. O. Smith Fellowship Scholars Program, a program designed to support talented cardiovascular researchers and physicians to overcome the barriers that exist in launching and sustaining a successful research career. Up to 6 one-year awards are available for awards up to $5,000 each.

The Sally Bentley ESI Pilot Awards supports early-stage investigators, allowing assistant professors without R01-equivalent funding to acquire preliminary data, reviewer-requested data, to fund high risk/high reward projects, early-stage ideas, proof-of concept, and/or answer important research questions related to cardiovascular health or disease. Funding is made possible by the Sally Bentley Endowed Cardiovascular Venture Fund for New Researchers. The fund was established in 2011 with a gift to the CVC from Ms. Bentley and We Energies. One one-year award is available of $15,000.

The Pilot Awards allow a postdoctoral fellow (sponsored by CVC member), clinical fellow or resident (sponsored by CVC member), or faculty to acquire preliminary data, reviewer-requested data, to fund high risk/high reward projects, early-stage ideas, proof-of concept, and/or answer important research questions related to cardiovascular health or disease. Funding is made possible by generous donations of community members and select business sponsors of the 2018 and 2019 MCW and Froedtert Heart of the Matter Food and Wine Event, the CVC and DOM-CV’s signature summer fundraising event, and Dean’s FY24 DPD 109 funds. Up to 2 one-year awards are available for awards up to $15,000 each.