Nine Aboriginal-led researchers have been awarded funding to support research projects under the NSW Government's Aboriginal Heart Health Grant program.

The financial support, totalling more than $4 million, has been provided for three-year research which aim to reduce heart disease and improve heart health outcomes for Aboriginal communities across NSW.

Among the successful recipients is Belinda Field and her team at Central Coast's Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services, who will work in close consultation with Darkinjung Community members to develop the Walk Strong Project.

"I know first-hand that Belinda Field and her team at the Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services do fantastic work on the Central Coast in partnership with Darkinjung, and are an excellent example of what this funding can achieve to improve the health and day-to-day lives of mob," Minister for Medical Research and Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty, David Harris, said.

A $750,000 grant will support Ms Field and her team address the disproportionately high rates of peripheral artery disease among Aboriginal people through a culturally responsive, community-led heart disease education and exercise program.

Ms Field, a proud Wiradjuri woman and chief executive officer at Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services, said the investment will assist to drive Aboriginal cultural distinctiveness.

"This NSW Government investment puts Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services at the forefront of elevating community knowledge and self-determination," she said.

"It will assist to drive Aboriginal cultural distinctiveness into research by embedding our ways of deep listening and two-way knowledge sharing to achieve greater outcomes for those affected by heart disease in our community here in Darkinjung country."

Strategy and operations manager at Eleanor Duncan Aboriginal Services, Paul Hussein, said the research project will utilise Aboriginal-led design and community participatory action research.

"The prevention and management of foot disease is a key priority for people in our community here in Darkinjung country, and the research project will utilise Aboriginal-led design and community participatory action research to develop and evaluate a community-led exercise and education program for people living with Peripheral Artery Disease," he said.

The grants are being delivered through two funding streams. One provides up to $750,000 to support the development of new cardiovascular interventions which were identified through extensive consultation with local communities, with a second offering up to $250,000 for early-stage developmental research projects, where consultation with Aboriginal communities will be undertaken to determine and identify needs, better understand causes, and gather local community input on potential solutions.

They are part of the NSW Government's Cardiovascular Research Capacity Program, a $150 million investment over 10 years, which aims to improve the cardiovascular health of people in NSW.

Research consultation and co-design will ensure the funded projects and outcomes are grounded in the knowledge and lived experience of Aboriginal communities and are aligned with Aboriginal cultural values, community priorities and local strengths, the government said.

"Heart disease continues to have a disproportionate impact on Aboriginal communities and I am proud to be part of a Government that is making this major investment in targeted research funding to support Aboriginal-led solutions to close this unacceptable gap," Mr Harris said.

"We know that Aboriginal communities understand their own health needs better than anyone and Aboriginal-led research is essential to ensure heart health initiatives to prevent disease, improve care and help save lives of Aboriginal peoples.

"Through this investment we are creating long-term foundations for healthier futures across Aboriginal communities in NSW."

Cardiovascular disease includes many different conditions affecting the heart and blood vessels. It disproportionately affects Aboriginal people at a rate 2.4 times higher than non-Indigenous Australians.

The disease also develops, on average, more than 10 years earlier in Aboriginal people. Despite improvements in health outcomes, coronary heart disease remains the leading cause of death for Aboriginal people.

Grant recipients are located in Sydney and regional areas across the state, including Mardi, Kempsey, Newcastle, Griffith and Bathurst.

Aboriginal Heart Health Grant program recipients

Dr Juanita Sherwood - Building a culturally relevant Model of Care for Cardiovascular Health

Professor Tony Dreise - Healthy Mouth, Healthy Heart: Co-designed action research project to improve integrated First Nations care models between heart and oral health

Amy Thompson - Re-imagining F.A.S.T: Community-led co-design of a culturally responsive early warning stroke message, to improve stroke outcomes

Lisa Curry - Marrambidya Murrayalalinya: Sound as a Cultural Determinant of Health for Aboriginal People

Cassia Lindsay - Elders in Wellness: A culturally grounded healthy ageing journey

Mandy Debenham - Caring for Country's Hearts: A Collaborative Approach to Cardiac Health

Yeena Thompson - CIRCLE: Aboriginal Community-led initiative for Research on Cardiovascular Health Lived Experiences

Dr Liesa Clague - "Getting at the heart of it": Aboriginal community-led participatory action research using storytelling yarning.