Rheumatology Research Foundation

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: ~$12 million
• Success Rate: Not publicly reported (K Bridge Award: 79% recipients secured K funding)
• Decision Time: Varies by award (typically several months post-deadline)
• Grant Range: $1,500 - $400,000
• Geographic Focus: United States only
• Tax-Exempt Since: July 1988
• Charity Navigator Rating: 100% (Four-Star)

Contact Details

Main Contact:

• Website: https://www.rheumresearch.org
• Phone: (404) 365-1373
• Fax: (404) 600-1674
• Email: Foundation@rheumatology.org
• Mailing Address: 2200 Lake Boulevard NE, Atlanta, GA 30319

Key Staff Contacts:

• Eryn Marchiolo, MPH, Executive Director: emarchiolo@rheumatology.org
• Sarah Barksdale, Senior Director, Awards and Grants: sbarksdale@rheumatology.org
• Paula Reed, Vice President of Philanthropy: preed@rheumatology.org

Media Inquiries:

• Email: Impact@rheumatology.org

Overview

The Rheumatology Research Foundation was established in 1985 by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) and has grown from distributing just a few thousand dollars' worth of awards to more than $13 million annually. It is now the largest private funding source of rheumatology research and training programs in the United States. Since its inception, the Foundation has committed more than $232 million through over 4,690 individual research and training awards.

The Foundation's mission is to advance research and training to improve the health of patients living with rheumatic disease. For fiscal year 2024-2025, the Foundation committed nearly $12 million in funding, with approximately one-quarter focused on recruiting and training the next generation of rheumatology professionals, and the remainder supporting scientific research. The organization operates as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and has received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, indicating strong financial health and commitment to accountability and transparency. The Foundation uses a rigorous peer-review process modeled after the National Institutes of Health to fund the best science by the most promising investigators.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Innovative Research Awards:

• Innovative Research Award: $400,000 over 2 years (Deadline: November 3, 2025) - For physician scientists and health professionals
• Community Practice Innovation Award: Up to $80,000 for 1 year (Deadline: February 2, 2026) - For physician scientists and health professionals

Career Development Research Awards:

• Investigator Award: Up to $375,000 ($125,000/year) over 3 years (LOI: July 1, Application: August 1, 2025) - For junior investigators developing projects competitive for NIH funding
• Scientist Development Award: $75,000-$300,000 over variable terms (LOI: July 1, Application: August 1, 2025) - For early-stage investigators to become competitive for NIH K awards
• Career Development Bridge Funding Award - K Supplement: $50,000/year for up to 2 years - For bridging funding gaps

Education and Training Awards:

• Fellowship Training Award: $100,000 over 2 years (adult programs) or $150,000 over 3 years (pediatric programs) (Deadlines: May-June 2025) - To support fellows in ACGME-accredited rheumatology fellowship programs
• Clinician Scholar Educator Award: $210,000 over 3 years - For developing rheumatology educators
• Mentored Nurse Practitioner Awards: Amounts vary - For advanced practice nurses

Preceptorships:

• Medical Student Preceptorships: $1,500-$60,000 (Deadlines: December 2025-February 2026) - For 4-8 week preceptorships and longer-term awards
• Future Physician Scientist Award: 2-year support for MD/PhD or DO/PhD candidates

ACR Convergence Awards:

• Scholarships/Research Awards: $1,000-$2,000 for 1 year (Deadline: August 1, 2025) - For medical/graduate students, residents, and fellows

Priority Areas

The Foundation's strategic goals include:

1. Workforce Development: Ensuring an adequate supply of rheumatology providers, educators, and investigators to train future clinicians and meet the needs of children and adults with rheumatic diseases nationwide

2. Healthcare Delivery Redesign: Supporting the redesign of future rheumatology healthcare delivery by actively engaging academic and clinical rheumatology communities in forward-thinking planning and adaptation efforts

3. Research Infrastructure: Developing infrastructure to support research that demonstrates the value of care for patients with rheumatic diseases

4. Innovative Research: Funding scientists conducting innovative research to help patients with rheumatic diseases live longer, healthier lives, including research that:

   • Sheds insight into causes of arthritis
   • Identifies risk factors for systemic autoimmune diseases
   • Enables patients to make more informed care decisions

What They Don't Fund

Geographic Restrictions:

• Projects must be completed at U.S.-based institutions only
• International projects are not eligible

Employment Exclusions:

• Individuals employed at the NIH, FDA, or CDC are not eligible (unless otherwise stated in specific RFAs)
• ACR President, ACR President-Elect, Foundation President, ARP President, and ARP President-Elect cannot receive new awards or submit letters of endorsement

Financial Restrictions:

• No indirect costs or institutional overhead (except for Investigator Award and Innovative Research Awards, which allow up to 8% of total direct costs annually)
• No compensation for medical care or payment for lost wages, transportation, or injury to research participants
• Foundation funds cannot provide institutional support

Citizenship Requirements:

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or lawful permanent residents
• Individuals on temporary visas (J1, H1) or student visas are not eligible for most awards (exceptions exist for specific programs like Fellowship Training Award for Workforce Expansion)

Application Restrictions:

• Cannot submit more than one application for the same award per award cycle
• Cannot hold two active Foundation grants unless for distinct purposes
• No formal resubmissions allowed (reapplications are reviewed as entirely new submissions)

Governance and Leadership

Board of Directors:

• Bryce Binstadt, MD, PhD - President (University of Minnesota)
• Vikas Majithia, MD, MBBS, MPH - Vice President
• Eric Ruderman, MD - Treasurer (Northwestern University)
• Angus Worthing, MD - Secretary
• Edward Behrens, MD - Chair, Scientific Advisory Council
• Jeffrey Stark, MD - Chair, Development Advisory Council
• Al Kim, MD, PhD - Chair, Impact Advisory Council
• Liana Fraenkel, MD, MPH - Immediate Past President

Executive Staff:

• Eryn Marchiolo, MPH - Executive Director (appointed 2025)
• Colleen Merkel, CPA - Vice President of Finance

Leadership Quotes:

Eryn Marchiolo, Executive Director: "The Rheumatology Research Foundation is dedicated to supporting investigators who are conducting innovative, ground-breaking research. 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."

Dr. Bryce Binstadt, Foundation President: "I would like to highlight the fantastic Foundation staff including Eryn Marchiolo, MPH, our new executive director and everyone on her team." Dr. Binstadt has indicated priorities include shoring up research funding, supporting early career rheumatology professionals through education and training programs, and encouraging medical students to enter the field.

The Foundation's leadership includes representatives from various medical institutions representing a diverse group of rheumatology professionals from private-practice clinical rheumatologists to rheumatology researchers, health professionals, corporate representatives, and public members.

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

Application Platform: All applications must be submitted online through ProposalCentral by 5:00 PM ET on the deadline date. Applicants must first create a Professional Profile in ProposalCentral.

Getting Started:

1. Review the funding opportunities at rheumresearch.org/funding-opportunities
2. Determine which award fits your education/career level
3. Carefully review the Awards and Grants Policies (updated April 2025)
4. Review the specific Request for Applications (RFA) for your chosen award

Application Components:

• Applications must strictly adhere to page limits
• One supplementary upload is allowed but cannot circumvent page limits
• Preliminary data should be generated by the applicant themselves
• Innovation statement required (explaining how application challenges current research/clinical practice paradigms)
• Career development impact statement required
• Fringe documentation may be required

Key Requirements:

• All projects must be completed at a U.S.-based institution
• An "administrative official" from your institution will receive the award notice
• Applicants can typically apply for different awards in the same cycle, with some exceptions (e.g., cannot apply for both Scientist Development Award and Investigator Award in the same cycle)
• Most awards have limits on how many times you can apply

Typical Application Cycles:

Career Development Awards (Scientist Development Award, Investigator Award):

• Letter of Intent Deadline: July 1
• Application Deadline: August 1

Community Practice Innovation Award:

• Letter of Intent Deadline: January 15
• Application Deadline: February 2

Fellowship Training Awards:

• Application Deadlines: May-June

ACR Convergence Awards:

• Deadline: August 1

Preceptorships:

• Deadlines: December-February (varies by program)

Innovative Research Award:

• Deadline: November 3

Decision Timeline

The Foundation uses a rigorous peer-review process modeled after the NIH:

1. Peer Review: Expert reviewers examine, score, and rank applications based on multiple factors
2. Scientific Advisory Council (SAC) Review: The SAC reviews peer reviewer feedback and makes recommendations
3. Board of Directors: The Board makes final funding decisions based on SAC recommendations
4. Notification: Specific timelines vary by award program; contact the Foundation for program-specific details

Decisions are typically communicated several months after the application deadline, though exact timelines are not publicly specified. The Foundation typically announces annual award recipients in the fall (October timeframe).

Success Rates

While the Foundation does not publish comprehensive success rates across all programs, available data shows:

• K Bridge Award: Since inception, 15 out of 19 recipients (approximately 79%) have successfully received their NIH K funding, demonstrating the program's effectiveness
• Overall Funding Volume: In fiscal year 2024-2025, the Foundation funded more than 120 awards from applications received
• The Foundation has awarded over $50 million to more than 1,000 recipients in the past five years

For context, current NIH success rates for K grants are maintained between 30-40%, suggesting Foundation awards can be highly competitive but also serve as effective stepping stones to federal funding.

Reapplication Policy

Important Policy Note: The Foundation does not allow formal resubmission of grant applications. This means:

• Formal responses to previous year's critiques will not be accepted
• However, applicants may apply as many times as they wish
• All submissions are reviewed as entirely new applications
• No carryover from previous submissions is considered

Unsuccessful applicants are encouraged to reapply with new applications that address feedback informally but are submitted as fresh proposals.

Application Success Factors

Based on guidance from the Foundation's specific award criteria and policies, successful applications demonstrate:

Strong Preliminary Data For the Investigator Award specifically, the Foundation states that successful candidates will have "preliminary data or analyses that provide foundational support for feasibility and scientific premise that the applicant has generated." This self-generated preliminary data is critical across most research awards.

Established Track Record The Foundation looks for "a track record of academic productivity in publications." Even early-career investigators should demonstrate scholarly output appropriate to their career stage.

Clear Career Trajectory Applications should include "an outline of how successful completion will lead to an NIH K grant (or equivalent) and/or independence." The Foundation wants to see how their investment will catalyze your career advancement.

Institutional Support Strong applications show "solidified support from the institution with a secure faculty position." Letters of support and institutional commitment are important.

Patient Impact Alignment Given the Foundation's mission "to advance research and training to improve the health of patients living with rheumatic disease," applications must clearly address patient impact. The Foundation emphasizes that all funded work should ultimately benefit patients with rheumatic diseases.

Innovation Applications must include a statement explaining "how the application challenges and seeks to shift current research or clinical practice paradigms." The Foundation is looking for work that advances the field, not incremental studies.

Rigorous Methodology The Foundation uses a peer-review process modeled after the NIH, so applications should demonstrate the same level of scientific rigor expected for federal grants, including sound methodology, appropriate statistical power, and feasible timelines.

Appropriate Award Matching Choose the award that genuinely fits your career stage and project scope. The Foundation offers different awards for different career levels (early-stage investigators vs. more established junior faculty), and reviewers assess whether applicants are applying for the right program.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• The Foundation is the largest private funder of rheumatology research and training in the U.S., making it a critical funding source for the field with an annual investment of approximately $12 million across 120+ awards

• All applications must demonstrate patient impact - The Foundation's mission centers on improving health outcomes for patients with rheumatic disease, so applications must clearly articulate how the work will benefit this patient population

• Preliminary data you generated yourself is essential - For research awards, especially career development awards, reviewers want to see that you've already done foundational work that demonstrates feasibility and supports your scientific premise

• The review process mirrors the NIH - Applications should meet federal grant standards for scientific rigor, methodology, and presentation; the peer-review process is highly competitive and rigorous

• No formal resubmissions allowed, but you can reapply - While you cannot submit responses to reviewer critiques, unsuccessful applicants can submit entirely new applications as many times as they wish, informally incorporating previous feedback

• U.S. citizenship or permanent residency required for most awards - Individuals on temporary visas (J1, H1) or student visas are generally not eligible, though exceptions exist for specific programs like the Fellowship Training Award for Workforce Expansion

• Institutional support is critical - Projects must be completed at U.S.-based institutions, and successful applications demonstrate strong institutional commitment through secure faculty positions and letters of support

References

1. Rheumatology Research Foundation Official Website: https://www.rheumresearch.org/ (Accessed January 2026)

2. Rheumatology Research Foundation - Funding Opportunities: https://www.rheumresearch.org/funding-opportunities (Accessed January 2026)

3. Rheumatology Research Foundation - Application Process: https://www.rheumresearch.org/apply-for-funding (Accessed January 2026)

4. Rheumatology Research Foundation - About the Foundation: https://www.rheumresearch.org/the-foundation (Accessed January 2026)

5. Rheumatology Research Foundation - Leadership: https://www.rheumresearch.org/leadership (Accessed January 2026)

6. Rheumatology Research Foundation - Contact Information: https://www.rheumresearch.org/contact-us (Accessed January 2026)

7. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Rheumatology Research Foundation (EIN: 58-1654301): https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/581654301 (Accessed January 2026)

8. Charity Navigator - Rheumatology Research Foundation Rating: https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/581654301 (Accessed January 2026)

9. "The Rheumatology Research Foundation's Funding Process Explained" - The Rheumatology Lab: https://rheumlab.org/the-rheumatology-research-foundations-funding-process-explained/ (Accessed January 2026)

10. "Rheumatology Research Foundation Announces 2024 Recipients of Prestigious Awards and $12 Million Investment in Future of Rheumatology" - Press Release: https://www.rheumresearch.org/foundation/press-release/rheumatology-research-foundation-announces-2024-award-recipients (Accessed January 2026)

11. "The Rheumatology Research Foundation Celebrates Its 35th Anniversary" - The Rheumatologist: https://www.the-rheumatologist.org/article/the-rheumatology-research-foundation-celebrates-its-35th-anniversary/ (Accessed January 2026)

12. "The Rheumatology Research Foundation Invests in Rheumatology Professionals" - The Rheumatologist: https://www.the-rheumatologist.org/article/the-rheumatology-research-foundation-invests-in-rheumatology-professionals/ (Accessed January 2026)

13. "Dr. Bryce Binstadt Takes Rheumatology Research Foundation's Reins" - The Rheumatologist: https://www.the-rheumatologist.org/article/dr-bryce-binstadt-takes-rheumatology-research-foundations-reins/ (Accessed January 2026)

14. "The Rheumatology Research Foundation Appoints Eryn Marchiolo, MPH as the New Executive Director" - Press Release: https://www.rheumresearch.org/1.-the-foundation/press-releases/new-executive-director25 (Accessed January 2026)

15. Rheumatology Research Foundation Awards and Grants Policies (Updated April 2025): https://www.rheumresearch.org/file/2025-Awards-Grants-Policies.pdf (Accessed January 2026)

16. Investigator Award Request for Applications (FY27): https://www.rheumresearch.org/file/awards/2025/career-development/FY27-Investigator-Award_1.pdf (Accessed January 2026)

17. Scientist Development Award Request for Applications (FY27): https://www.rheumresearch.org/file/awards/2025/career-development/FY27-Scientist-Development-Award.pdf (Accessed January 2026)