The Office of Foundations Relations is pleased to share this open call for funding from the Wellcome Leap Program.
- UCSC Contact: Sarah Carle | sacarle@ucsc.edu
- Funder: Wellcome Leap
- Opportunity: VISIBLE: Women’s heart disease revealed
- Abstract Deadline: March 9, 2026
Overview:
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death for women. The goal of VISIBLE is to increase the proportion of women presenting with stable angina who receive effective diagnosis and treatment for coronary microvascular disease from less than 1% to more than 80%, without increasing the risk of missed diagnosis or treatment of obstructive coronary artery disease. In so doing, the program aims to demonstrate advances capable of reducing the burden of cardiovascular disease for millions of women worldwide.
Central to the program is the recognition that coronary microvascular disease encompasses multiple endotypes with distinct, yet overlapping, pathophysiological mechanisms, including functional and structural abnormalities. By refining and validating these endotypes, the program aims to move beyond empiric care toward mechanism-informed diagnosis and treatment.
- Thrust 1: Develop scalable approaches for diagnosis and monitoring of coronary microvascular disease.
- Thrust 2: Identify risk factors and evaluate prognosis of coronary microvascular disease endotypes.
- 2A: Identify risk factors for coronary microvascular disease (effect sizes ≥1.5) to define treatment targets.
- 2B: Define prognosis of coronary microvascular disease endotypes.
- Thrust 3: Build and validate multiscale human-relevant models of the coronary microvasculature to interrogate causal mechanisms of coronary microvascular disease.
- Thrust 4: Develop treatment strategies that improve both coronary microvascular function and patient-centered outcomes.
Please read the program announcement for additional information on the program goals and description of thrust areas.
Please refer to the list of FAQs.
Funding Information:
- Award sizes will vary based on the scope and requirements of the selected proposals. Collectively, all performer budgets will comprise the program’s total funding of up to $55 million.
- Full direct and government-certified indirect costs appropriate to the execution of the research are eligible.
Eligibility:
- Performers from universities and research institutions: small, medium, and large companies (including venture-backed); and government or non-profit research organizations are invited to propose.
Timeline:
- March 9, 2026 @ 8:59 pm PT Abstract deadline
- March 24, 2026 @ 4:00 am PT Abstract feedback sent
- April 23, 2026 @ 8:59 pm PT Full proposal due
- May 23, 2026 @ 4:00 am PT Decision
Special Instructions:
Please notify the Office of Foundation Relations if you are interested in applying to this opportunity (fr@ucsc.edu). For support developing your abstract, please contact the Research Development Specialist (RDS) or send a request to resdev@ucsc.edu. If invited to submit a full proposal, please submit a proposal intake form prior to UCSC’s internal Institutional Deadlines. Your RDS can also help you develop your proposal.
Call sent: February 9, 2026
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The Office of Foundation Relations is a unit of University Advancement. The FR team creates and maintains mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with private organizations, matching grant initiatives with educational and research programs and centers. FR supports faculty and staff to identify and approach these and other private foundations and corporations for funding, to assist in strategic positioning of the grant application, and to facilitate funder campus visits.
For a list of recent funding opportunities, please visit the FR website: FR Calls for Funding.