DoW Arthritis Clinical Research Award
Can you apply?
This grant is for researchers conducting clinical studies on arthritis prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, and disease management. Eligible applicants include academic institutions, research organizations, hospitals, and other entities capable of conducting rigorous clinical research. The program funds two research levels: early-phase/pilot clinical research and full-scale randomized controlled clinical trials. Community collaborators (patients, care partners, or community organizations) must be involved in research design and implementation.
Program description
Summary: The fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Arthritis Research Program (ATRP) Clinical Research Award (CRA) supports clinical research that evaluates disease-specific factors and interventions. Research is intended to generate clinically useful evidence with potential to optimize patient outcomes and inform clinical care or policy. Research addressing any and all types of arthritis is encouraged.
Applications must address one of two FY26 ATRP CRA Focus Areas: Prevention and Early Diagnosis, or Treatment and Mitigation of Disease Progression/Burden.
Distinctive Features: The FY26 ATRP CRA offers funding for two research levels. It is the responsibility of the applicant to select the level that aligns with the scope of the proposed research.
• Research Level 1: Applications proposing clinical research or early-phase/pilot clinical trials, to include new or emerging research that is not ready for a full-scale randomized controlled clinical trial.
• Research Level 2: Applications proposing a full-scale clinical trial.
Applications should include a community collaborator (e.g., patient/care partner, community-based organization consultant) who will provide advice and consultation during study design and throughout study planning and implementation. The ATRP encourages a community collaborator for Research Level 1 applications and requires a community collaborator for Research Level 2 applications.
Preliminary and/or published data are required.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- Research proposal/narrative
- Preliminary or published data
- Community collaborator letter or commitment
- Budget and budget justification
- Organizational capabilities documentation
Program contact
- 👤 JoAnn Martin Grantor
- 📧 help@eBRAP.org
- 📞 301-619-2594
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 12.420 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$2,265,729,366
-
$800,631,761
-
$74,531,880
-
$67,205,571
-
$53,718,832
-
$34,191,124
-
$24,907,742
-
$21,394,379
-
$19,100,256
-
$19,002,641
Top States by Funding
- MD 10 awards $3,150.1M
- NC 11 awards $132.3M
- FL 8 awards $99.8M
- CA 11 awards $99.3M
- MA 7 awards $75.2M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 12.420). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $1,483,968,520 | |
| 2025 | $1,201,153,417 |
FAQ
What types of arthritis research are eligible?
Any and all types of arthritis are encouraged. Research must focus on prevention, early diagnosis, treatment, or disease progression mitigation.
What are the two research levels?
Level 1 supports clinical research and early-phase/pilot trials not ready for full-scale testing. Level 2 funds full-scale randomized controlled clinical trials.
Is preliminary data required?
Yes, preliminary and/or published data must be included with your application.
Does this program require cost sharing?
No cost sharing is required for this grant.
Who should be involved as a community collaborator?
A patient, care partner, or community-based organization consultant is required for Level 2 and strongly encouraged for Level 1.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Select the research level that matches your project scope. Level 1 is for pilot/early-phase work; Level 2 is for full-scale trials.
- Include strong preliminary or published data demonstrating feasibility and scientific merit.
- Engage community collaborators early in study design. They should play a meaningful advisory role throughout planning and implementation.
- Focus your research on one of the two FY26 priority areas: Prevention/Early Diagnosis or Treatment/Disease Mitigation.
- Clearly articulate how your research will generate clinically useful evidence and improve patient outcomes or inform clinical care.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Selecting the wrong research level for project scope. Insufficient or missing preliminary data. Inadequate community collaborator involvement or unclear role definition.
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