Research

ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION RESEARCH GRANTS
REQUESTS FOR APPLICATIONS

Applications Available on proposalCENTRAL May 1, 2012
Application Deadline August 1, 2012 (5:00 pm Eastern)
Peer Review August – October 2012
Funding Notification November 1, 2012
Funding will begin January 2013 – March 2013

All applications must be submitted through proposalCENTRAL
(https://proposalcentral.altum.com/)

INNOVATIVE RESEARCH GRANTS
The Arthritis Foundation is pleased to announce a new round of Innovative Research Grants for
funding in 2012. This request is for specific targeted research projects in Rheumatoid Arthritis
(RA), Osteoarthritis (OA), Juvenile Arthritis (JA), and for selected projects related to the needs
of all people with arthritis.

Applicants for these IRGs should keep in mind that the goals of our research program are to:

• Promote development of personalized medicine (i.e., best practices) for individual people with RA and JA;
• Encourage discovery and development of new interventions for OA;
• Ensure applicability of research to humans with arthritis.

These goals have been selected on the basis of what is perceived by people with arthritis as
having the greatest potential for improving their lives. Proposals should be responsive to these
primary goals and address one or more of the specific objectives listed below.
These IRGs are for the support of research projects that can be accomplished within a period of
up to two years. Funding is provided up to a level of $100,000 per year for no more than two
years. The award amount includes indirect costs not to exceed 8 percent per year. These grants
typically cover the cost of salaries, consumable supplies, equipment, travel and other items to
conduct the proposed research. Applicants must be independent, self-directed researchers for
whom the institution provides space and other resources.

Project duration and funding levels should be appropriate to the research described but should
not exceed these limits. Multi-institutional collaborations are encouraged. These multiinstitutional
proposals may include collaborators from outside the United States but the lead
institution must be based in the USA.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA
Individuals with doctoral degrees (MD, PhD, DO or equivalent) at the assistant professor level or
higher at any nonprofit U.S. institution are eligible to apply. Evidence of independence is
required. Individuals at the NIH and CDC are not eligible to apply.

CITIZENSHIP
Principal Investigator must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident at the time of application.

TARGETED PROPOSALS

• Proposals that advance personalized medicine for people with RA and JA or propose innovative new interventions for OA are requested. Studies that accomplish the following and are regarded as responsive to this RFA are especially encouraged:
• Develop and/or assess new approaches to pain management for RA, OA or JA.
• Assess the role of the microbiome in RA, OA or JA.
• Develop and validate biomarkers that predict disease outcome, measure response to treatment, or assist in identification of specific subsets of people with RA, OA or JA.
• Develop and/or assess novel pharmacologic agents and non-pharmacologic methods that modulate development or progression of RA, OA or JA.
• Assess comparative effectiveness of different interventions for JA using the CARRA network.
• Advance the application of stem cells for joint regeneration.
• Applications must include a statement that describes why the proposed project is truly innovative and how it advances the field toward personalized medicine for RA or JA, or leads to new interventions that will ameliorate arthritis.

PEER REVIEW
All research proposals funded through the Arthritis Foundation undergo a national peer review
process in which proposals are ranked according to scientific merit. An online review
mechanism is used to assign an initial priority score. Each grant will be evaluated and scored by
at least three experts in the field. A secondary review by lay members of the Arthritis Foundation
will also evaluate proposals to assess how closely proposed projects align with the research
goals of the Foundation. Applicants will be provided with a very brief critique listing reasons for
the assigned score.

ASSISTANCE WITH APPLICATIONS
For questions regarding eligibility, policies, terms and conditions or application instructions,
please contact the Arthritis Foundation Research Department at Grantsupport@arthritis.org or
404.965.7537. For technical assistance with proposalCENTRAL, please call 1.800.875.2562