The Big Beat Challenge
A single research award of up to £30 million for the world’s greatest minds to tackle the world’s biggest killers.
Find out who wonCatalyst for change
The Big Beat Challenge was a global competition that culminated in a single research award of up to £30 million. We challenged researchers to form international, multi-disciplinary teams to solve the most urgent problems for those suffering from heart and circulatory diseases.
- Why is it time for the Big Beat Challenge
- As a world-leading research funder, we’ve helped to advance the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of many heart and circulatory diseases. But there is so much more work to do.
- Who was on the shortlist?
- From 75 applications, four shortlisted international teams submitted full applications in the hope of being awarded the grant. Hybrid Heart, iMap, Echoes and CureHeart all presented to the Patient and Public Panel and the International Advisory Panel.
- What were the application criteria?
- Applications were assessed against six main criteria: Transformation, management and governance structures, foundations for success, clear patient relevance, the need for funding and innovative collaboration.
- International advisory panel
- We brought together leading figures from science, medicine and government from around the world to help us choose a Big Beat Challenge winner.
- Patient and public panel
- The patient and public panel, including cardiovascular patients and patient advocates from around the world, assessed the applications.
- Special panel
- Our initial advisory panel convened scientific experts, including Professor Fiona Watt, Professor David Adams and Professor Nishi Chaturvedi, to select the most promising projects out of 75 teams from around the world.