Deutsche Herzstiftung (German Heart Foundation) organises campaigns and scientific projects to promote cardiovascular research and improve the quality of life for cardiac patients.

The Special Research on Congenital Heart Defects (Sonderforschung Angeborene Herzfehler) programme supports research in the field of congenital heart defects and provides funding for innovative research projects (basic research, clinical studies and health services research), particularly in the field of diagnostics, therapy and prevention of congenital heart defects. Research projects from paediatric cardiology and adult cardiology centres can be submitted. This also explicitly includes research projects on interventional and surgical therapy in children and adults. Applications from anaesthesiology centres that are involved in the care of patients with a congenital heart defect can also be submitted.

Eligible to participate are both individual working groups and research associations from several academic institutions in Germany.

The projects should not exceed a period of two years. The total funding of €500,000 will be divided between the selected projects.