Arthritis Research Funding Opportunities

Clinical Fellowship Request for Proposals (RFP)

Application Deadline: Wednesday, December 6, 2023 by 5 PM ET

The Arthritis Foundation is seeking applications from institutional program directors. The RFP is particularly interested in innovative approaches in training to prepare the next generation of rheumatologists to meet the evolving needs of the community.

For application and instructions, please log into ProposalCentral, click the Grant Opportunities tab, and search for Arthritis Foundation. The instructions can be downloaded by clicking the paper icon to the right of the words “Rheumatology Fellowship Training”. After reviewing the criteria, those who intend to apply should email the Arthritis Foundation with the subject line: “Fellowship – Yes” and in the body of the email indicate Adult, Pediatrics, or Med-Peds. 

The Arthritis Foundation’s Rheumatoid Arthritis Request for Proposals (RFP)

LOI Deadline: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 by 11:59 PM ET | Application Deadline: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 by 11:59 PM ET

The Arthritis Foundation has previously supported ground-breaking research that led to the development of early biologics used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In conjunction with the Rheumatoid Arthritis Expert Working Group, AF is releasing a Request for Proposals (RFP).  This opportunity is available to experienced postdocs, clinical fellows and early and mid-career investigators at academic, nonprofit institutions in the United States. Full professors are not eligible to apply. Please see the RFP for detailed eligibility criteria. 

This RFP invites applications that seek to better understand and predict the varied responses patients have to RA medications, including projects that aim to characterize disease control, remission, flare, and non-response, as well as ideas for potential novel interventions that could improve treatment response and control disease. The long-term goal of this AF research program is to improve therapeutic outcomes for individuals living with RA. 

Review the RFP here.

DEI Request for Proposals (RFP)

LOI Deadline: Monday, April 24, 2023 by 5 PM ET | Application Deadline: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 by 5 PM ET

This RFP invites applications for planning grants aimed at supporting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in cultivating a new generation of Health Care Professionals (HCPs), including clinical rheumatologists, to serve all patients with arthritis. 
 
For application and instructions, please visit Proposal Central and search for Arthritis Foundation. The RFP details can be downloaded by clicking the paper icon to the right of the words “DEI with LOI”. After reviewing the criteria, those who intend to apply should email the Arthritis Foundation with the subject line: 2023 DEI – Yes.  

Summer Science Internship Request  for Applications (RFA)

Application Deadline: Monday, April 17, 2023 by 11:59 PM PT

The Arthritis Foundation is seeking applications from high school juniors, seniors, and college undergraduates with an interest in the fields of rheumatology and immunology, with a focus on arthritis and related autoimmune diseases. This 8-week internship offers experience in basic laboratory (bench) research, clinical epidemiological/translational (patient oriented) or bioinformatics (computational) research at UCSF and affiliated institutions. For application and instructions, please click here. 

AF-AOFAS Ankle Arthritis Think Tank Grant Request for Proposals (RFP)

LOI Deadline: Wednesday, March 1, 2023 by 11:59 PM ET | Application Deadline: Saturday, April 1, 2023 by 11:59 PM ET

This Request for Proposals (RFP) invites applications for funding to support innovative clinical research that advances knowledge toward treatments to stop or slow ankle osteoarthritis (OA). A goal of this funding mechanism is to support research that will build data needed to secure funding from large institutional sources.

The funding for this initiative is provided through the Arthritis Foundation and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society. Additional support from Paragon 28.
 
For application and instructions, please visit Proposal Central and search for “Arthritis.” The instructions can be downloaded by clicking the paper icon to the right of “AF-AOFAS Ankle Arthritis Think Tank Grant.”

Clinical Fellowship Request for Proposals (RFP)

Application Deadline: Wednesday, December 7, 2022, 5:00 PM ET

The Arthritis Foundation is seeking applications from institutional program directors. The RFP is particularly interested in innovative approaches in training to prepare the next generation of rheumatologists to meet the evolving needs of the community.

For application and instructions, please visit Proposal Central and search for Arthritis Foundation. The instructions can be downloaded by clicking the paper icon to the right of the words “Rheumatology Fellowship Training”. After reviewing the criteria, those who intend to apply should email the Arthritis Foundation with the subject line: “Fellowship – Yes” and in the body of the email indicate Adult, Pediatrics, or Med-Peds. 

FastOA Interventional Pilot Studies Request for Proposal (RFP)

LOI Deadline: Monday, July 1, 2022 by 5PM ET | Application Deadline: Monday, September 1, 2022 by 5PM ET

This Request for Proposals (RFP) invites applications for clinical research proposals to investigate interventions to stop or slow post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) after knee injury.  Studies are encouraged to utilize aspects of the risk calculators to identify patients at high risk for rapidly progressing PTOA to guide patient enrollment.  The goal of this funding mechanism is to support research that would highlight innovative interventions that may be advanced to Phase II clinical trials for knee PTOA patients. 
 
For application and instructions, please visit Proposal Central and search for Arthritis. The instructions can be downloaded by clicking the paper icon to the right of “FastOA Interventional Pilot Studies”.

OACTN Clinical Trial Unit Request for Application (RFA)

LOI Deadline: Monday, June 13, 2022 by 5PM ET | Application Deadline: Monday, August 1, 2022 by 5PM ET

This Request for Applications (RFA) invites applications for clinical trial units (CTUs) to serve as clinical sites for Osteoarthritis Clinical Trials Network (OACTN) trials.  The CTUs will serve several key functions to advance OACTN randomized clinical trials, including identifying, screening, enrolling, randomizing, and conducting follow-ups on trial participants as well as gathering data, samples, images, and other materials to send to the OACTN coordinating center or other storage sites.

The overall goal of this funding mechanism is to support a network model that will test innovative interventions in Phase IIb or Phase III clinical trials for patients after ACL injury at risk for knee PTOA. For application and instructions, please visit Proposal Central and search for Arthritis. The instructions can be downloaded by clicking the paper icon to the right of “OACTN Clinical Trial Units.”

The Arthritis Foundation’s Rheumatoid Arthritis Request for Proposals (RFP)

LOI Deadline: Monday, May 16, 2022, 5:00pm ET Application Deadline: Monday July 18, 2022, 5:00pm ET

The Arthritis Foundation has previously supported ground-breaking research that led to the development of early biologics used in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). In 2021, the Arthritis Foundation Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee formed an Expert Working Group of academic and government RA experts to prioritize the unmet medical needs and potential research areas of interest for funding in RA research. Based on their recommendations, AF is releasing this Request for Proposals (RFP), which is open to investigators affiliated with US academic institutions and hospitals who are committed to improving the outcomes of the RA patient community through biomedical and/or health outcomes research.

A substantial portion of all RA patients are not responsive to the currently available therapies. The reasons for such variation in outcomes are not well understood but are most likely the result of a combination of factors. Recent advances in development of experimental tools and approaches applicable to the study of blood and tissue of RA patients, along with availability of clinical and demographic data linked to biologic data, provide an opportunity to gain novel insights. These insights have the potential to reveal the underlying causes of therapeutic response and non-response in RA.

For application and instructions, please visit Proposal Central and search for The Arthritis Foundation. The instructions can be downloaded by clicking the paper icon to the right of the words “Rheumatoid Arthritis Research Program.”

Fellowship DEI Request  for Proposals (RFP):

Application Deadline: Monday, June 6, 2022, 5:00 pm ET 

The Arthritis Foundation is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) to support the training of a diverse generation of rheumatologists and to improve health outcomes for all patients with rheumatic diseases, especially those living with arthritis. Two complementary initiatives were launched in 2021 and will continue in 2022 to support our aspirations.
 
The first initiative aims to provide seed funding to support impactful and innovative research to improve health outcomes across different racial and ethnic groups, as well as among various categories of socioeconomic status. The second initiative has a goal to increase diversity in the next generation of rheumatologists, for those who are physicians or physician/scientists. The ability of proposed projects to have a lasting impact and to be sustained beyond the award period, with potential for their findings to lead directly to advocacy and to reduce structural barriers, are considered important for success. Focus on arthritis research and curriculum development is preferred.
 
For application and instructions, please visit Proposal Central and search for Arthritis. The instructions can be downloaded by clicking the paper icon to the right of the words “Fellowship DEI.”