The Research Development Fund was launched in February 2021 to fund projects that contributed to the development of clinical research, in turn leading to further research activity. Applications in this first round of funding were scored on the importance and relevance of the clinical question being developed, methodological rigour, likelihood of completion and their potential to develop future research activity.

The BHF CRC are pleased to announce that 7 applications were successful, covering a variety of clinical cardiovascular specialities and themes.

The successful projects included:

• A Cochrane Network Meta-Analysis of available evidence for oral antithrombotic agents in adults undergoing first-time CABG to assess their clinical effectiveness in reducing all-cause mortality after CABG surgery
• A systematic review and data analysis to strengthen a grant application for a multi-centre randomised control trial to determine the safety and cost-utility of out-patient management services for acute heart failure compared to conventional in-patient management
• Preparatory work to apply for funding for a cardio-oncology, multi-centre study of fluoropyrimidine cardiotoxicity to understand baseline cardiovascular risk and relationship with incident events and the role of pharmacological cardioprotection
• Retrospective data analysis to determine whether the timing of echocardiography following admission with heart failure affects the risk of re-admission with heart failure and death
• A comparative study of the accuracy and reproducibility for absolute blood flow and resistance measurements in coronary heart disease
• Retrospective data analysis to identify which rhythm control option leads to better clinical outcomes (stroke, heart failure, and all-cause mortality) in the AF population in the UK and which intervention(s) is(are) more cost-effective for the whole population and specific patient groups.
• Preparatory work for a grant application to the National Institute for Health Research/British Heart Foundation that will investigate the benefits of cardiac rehabilitation in people with non-obstructive coronary artery disease.

The next round of funding for the Research Development Fund will open later in 2021