“The Foundation is in a unique position to respond to the shifting funding landscape in a way that will directly impact investigators and supports sound scientific progress,” said Eryn Marchiolo, MPH, executive director of the Foundation. “While this funding will not solve the current challenges, it may be the difference between a promising researcher continuing vital rheumatic disease research and abandoning promising discoveries due to a lack of funding.”   

As one of the largest private funding sources for rheumatology research and training in the United States, the Foundation's board of directors unanimously approved to expand funding for the K and R Bridge awards to support early and mid-career investigators and independent investigators conducting innovative research. 

These awards will help prevent the loss of promising rheumatology research by supporting investigators who show great potential for future success, giving them time to gather additional data needed to revise and resubmit applications for future federal funding. Applications are due on Dec. 1.  

“Each year, we conduct a rigorous peer-review process to evaluate research proposals addressing the cause, prevention, and treatment of dozens of rheumatic conditions,” said Ed Behrens, MD, chair of the Foundation’s Scientific Advisory Council (SAC), and chief of the Division of Rheumatology and the Joseph Lee Hollander Chair in Pediatric Rheumatology at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.  

“We see firsthand the potential for scientific breakthroughs. Our hope is that providing this additional funding will help sustain the research pipeline, protect innovation, and ultimately improve the lives of patients,” Dr. Behrens concludes.  

The emergency funding comes as, to date, $20 million for arthritis and lupus research has been cut from the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs for its fiscal year 2025 budget compared to fiscal year 2024. Another $17 million was eliminated from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases budget, and the Healthy Aging branch of the Centers for Disease Control’s arthritis program was shuttered. Furthermore, it is anticipated that another $4 billion will be cut from the Department of Health and Human Services, impacting a variety of rheumatology-focused research.     

"Over the last 40 years, the Foundation has committed $243 million to 4,982 awards toward advancing research and training to improve the health of patients," Marchiolo continued. "We believe this is the right time to invest in hope for patients with additional financial support for our researchers.” 

Visit https://www.rheumresearch.org/career-development-research-awards for more information. 

About the Rheumatology Research Foundation  
The Rheumatology Research Foundation is one of the largest private funding sources of rheumatology research and training programs in the U.S.  Established in 1985, the Foundation is focused on advancing patient care and accelerating discoveries in rheumatic diseases. More information about the Foundation can be found at rheumresearch.org.