Grants

April 22, 2010, News Journal (Delaware) — AstraZeneca has pledged $25 million to be parceled out in grants to U.S.-based nonprofits that exhibit innovative ways to improve heart health, the pharmaceutical giant said Tuesday.

The company donated the money in December to the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation, a nonprofit it created, to fund the multiyear Connections for Cardiovascular Health program.

Grants will be at least $150,000, and applications for this year's awards are due by July 31. Grant winners will be notified in November. The foundation expects to hand out at least $1 million this year to nonprofits with creative ways to address unmet needs in heart health, said Dr. James W. Blasetto, chairman of the AstraZeneca HealthCare Foundation.

The $25 million pledge is the largest corporate contribution in AstraZeneca's history, the company said.