The Children's Heart Foundation is partnering with Izak Szymczak Research Fund to issue an RFA for the Izak Szymczak Research Fund Award. This award will be at $100,000 per year for two years. 

The Izak Szymczak Research Fund Award, through The Children's Heart Foundation, will support research that focuses on durable mechanical support in patients with single-ventricle congenital heart disease. 

2025 Process and Schedule

Researchers seeking funding must submit an initial Letter of Intent (LOI). The deadline to submit LOIs is May 21, 2025. Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application no later than June 13, 2025. 

Award Amount

• Izak Szymczak Research Fund Award
  • Up to $100,000 per year for two (2) years. 

All applicants for the Izak Szymczak Research Fund Award must submit an LOI through our online application portal: https://proposalcentral.com/GrantOpportunities.asp?GMID=273

Timeline:

• April 11, 2025 – Call for Research Proposals opens
• May 21, 2025 – Letter of Intent due by 5:00 pm CDT
• June 13, 2025 – Applicants notified as to whether or not they may submit a full application
• September 10, 2025 – Full Application (invite only) due by 5:00 pm CDT
• December 15, 2025 – Applicants notified as to a decision regarding funding
• January 2026 – Funds released for awardees

Directions

LOIs should be single-spaced and formatted in 11-point font with 1-inch margins. All applicants will first submit an LOI that will be reviewed and scored by the Foundation’s Research Leadership Committee, which consists of selected members of our Medical Advisory Council and several lay members.

Applicants will be notified via email as to whether or not they are invited to submit a full application. For those invited to submit a full application, the due date will be September 10, 2025.

The LOI is limited to a maximum of two (2) pages (including references). Areas of research in congenital heart disease include clinical, translational, population, behavioral, bioengineering, biotechnology, or public health.

 LOIs should be no more than two pages and must include:

1.     Identifiers

• Title of project
• Name, address, email, and telephone number of the Principal Investigator(s)*
• Names, titles, and institution of other key personnel – ex. mentors
• List of participating institution(s)

2.    Research Project

• Scientific summary, including key details, such as a brief background and rationale (i.e., what is known and what is unknown), primary aims, summary of methods and data sources.
• Indicate whether the project will be basic science, translational, or clinical (or some combination thereof).
• Anticipated impact and prospects for future funding sources.
• References

*The PI (only) should also submit his/her NIH bio-sketch (not counted in the 2-page LOI limit).

Need help or assistance using Proposal Central? Their help center information is below:

• 8:30am - 5:00pm Eastern Time (Monday through Friday)
• by phone (toll-free): 800 875 2562 (Toll-free U.S. and Canada) by or +1 703-964-5840 (Direct Dial International) 
• by email: pcsupport@altum.com