The British Heart Foundation Clinical Research Collaborative (BHFCRC) has opened a new round of its Research Development Fund (RDF), a fantastic opportunity for British Society of Echocardiography (BSE) members.
Echocardiographers remain under‑represented as clinical academics, chief investigators, and grant holders, despite their central role in cardiovascular care. This call aims to change that by providing targeted support to help non-medics develop early‑stage research ideas, collaborations, and the foundations of future Fellowship applications.
What the fund offers
Awards are designed to be accessible for busy clinical teams and those new to research. The RDF provides flexible support to help clinicians progress research ideas, including:
Who should apply
Whether your interest is AI in imaging, workforce innovation, service redesign, patient experience, or clinical outcomes, the RDF can help you take the next steps. This grant call is ideal for BSE members who:
- Have an emerging idea in echocardiography or cardiovascular care
- Want to build academic or clinical collaborations
- Are preparing for future fellowship applications
- Are early in their research journey or returning after time in practice
BSE support for applicants
The BSE Research and Audit Committee is committed to supporting members to develop strong, competitive applications. We can assist with:
If you are considering applying and need further support, please contact the Committee early. Even very early‑stage ideas are welcome.
Applications are open until Monday 17 August 2026 but should be submitted to the Research and Audit Committee for consideration by Friday 17 July 2026.
Applications require a short online form, a brief CV, and confirmation of organisational support.
Examples of BSE supported success
BSE members have previously been supported by the BSE and successfully secured RDF funding for impactful projects, including:
- Dr Sam Straw – The BETTER Study: Investigating the impact of early echocardiography in acute heart failure.
- Dr Andrew Fletcher – NED‑UK Development: Establishing national infrastructure for echocardiographic data extraction and linkage.
- Mrs Emily King – NHS echocardiography database for hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy patients on cardiac myosin inhibitors (HOCM-CMI): Establishing a multisite NHS dataset with echocardiography data from patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy receiving cardiac myosin inhibitors.
- Mrs Sadie Bennett – AI in echocardiography: A systematic review supporting career development and informing BSE strategy.
Find out more