The Edna G. Kynett Memorial Foundation funds programs located in the Delaware Valley Region, including Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, Berks, and Lehigh Counties, as well as Camden County, New Jersey and New Castle County, Delaware.

The Foundation currently accepts proposals in any of three broad areas: community health, professional education, and research. The Board particularly encourages proposals that: (1) Aim to improve cardiac health and wellness among populations with a higher-than-average risk of heart disease, especially those underserved by our current healthcare system, or (b) Incorporate innovative approaches that emphasize prevention, demonstrate a significant return on investment and demonstrate evidence of efficacy and sustainability.

Community health programs should focus on cardiac health and well-being along the life spectrum, particularly in underserved, high risk communities. The Board is particularly interested in proposals that incorporate one or more of the following approaches:

1. Increasing physical activity and/or healthy eating;
2. Evaluating the effectiveness of using social media and/or digital tools among parents, teachers, health care providers, and community health workers to improve cardiovascular health;
3. Linking to clinical settings to support health literacy and compliance;
4. Providing community screening for, education about, and interventions addressing cardiovascular risk factors;
5. Addressing individual compliance with prescribed medical care; and
6. Engaging both parents/primary caregivers and children (for programs focused on children).

In the area of professional education, Kynett limits its funding to continuing professional education programs that focus on cardiovascular health and are provided to physicians and other health care and social service professionals who work with high risk, underserved populations.

Proposed research should address cardiovascular health and wellness, particularly prevention and risk factors affecting women, children, minorities, and economically disadvantaged populations, as well as healthcare delivery in underserved communities. The Board seeks proposals that apply rigorous research methods to develop and measure the efficacy of community-based programs and interventions.

Internal Concept Paper due: 02/10/2026, 11:59 pm
Application due: 04/15/2026
Link to FOA Here

PI Eligibility: Individuals with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as a Principal Investigator (PI) are invited to work with their organizations to develop an application. Individuals from underrepresented groups as well as individuals with disabilities are always encouraged to apply.  

Institutional Limit: An applicant may not submit more than one proposal for any particular program in any calendar year.

Application Information: Interested PIs should submit a CV, Current & Pending, and a concept paper (up to 2 pages) identifying to which program they are applying and describing their proposed project.