$2 million Pacific Heart Health grants open

Pacific researchers, health providers and community groups are invited to a series of online Talanoa sessions during August, as part of the newly launched $2 million Le Alamea Pūtahi Manawa fund supporting heart health equity projects.

Grants ranging from $50,000 to $500,000 will be awarded for projects running from February 2026 to October 2028.

The Pacific Leadership Team at Pūtahi Manawa | Healthy Hearts for Aotearoa New Zealand welcomes prospective applicants to attend these sessions, designed to provide guidance and support for those interested in applying to the Le Alamea Pūtahi Manawa fund.

The fund supports high-impact, interdisciplinary projects that improve Pacific heart health equity through research excellence, community leadership and innovation.

A type of spiny sea star found in the Pacific, the alamea is known for its ability to regenerate. In Sāmoan culture, the proverb ‘E fofo le alamea le alamea’ – ‘the alamea heals itself’ symbolises resilience and self-healing.

Professor Sir Collin Tukuitonga from the Pacific Leadership Team says the latest research on Heart disease in Aotearoa shows Māori and Pacific peoples continue to be disproportionately affected, especially those living in areas of higher deprivation.

"This fund is one of the many needed approaches to address the heart health inequities that exist for Pacific people."

Co-Director Pacific, Soteria Ieremia, emphasises the importance of drawing on the strengths and resources within Pacific communities to advance heart health equity.

"Pacific peoples in Aotearoa face some of the highest rates of heart disease, with many experiencing serious heart conditions decades earlier than other groups," says Ieremia.

"This fund is about changing that story - by supporting Pacific-led solutions grounded in our communities’ strengths, knowledge and lived realities. We recognise the leadership that already exists within our Pacific communities.”

She says the Le Alamea Pūtahi Manawa fund honours the resilience and wisdom within Pacific communities to lead solutions for their own well-being.

“We believe that the answers to our heart health challenges lie within us and this fund is a way to uplift those voices and visions."

To assist potential applicants, the Pacific Leadership Team will host three online Talanoa sessions on Monday 11 August, Monday 18 August, and Monday 25 August.

They offer an opportunity to learn more about the fund’s purpose and priorities, clarify eligibility and application requirements, and explore how project ideas align with the fund’s goals.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Projects must be led by persons of Indigenous Pacific descent
• Must focus on improving heart health for Pacific Peoples
• Open to researchers, health providers and community organisations (e.g. NGOs, churches, sports groups)

Applicants must have the right to work in New Zealand; the principal investigator must be based in New Zealand

Project Scope – Eligible projects may include:

• Pacific community-led research (translational, preventative, interventional)
• Workforce development and Pacific entry into research
• Health promotion and education initiatives with a research component
• Creative projects with a clear link to heart health