The following deadlines apply:
- Application deadline: February 28, 2026
- Notification by April 30, 2026
- Award term begins by September 30, 2026
Goals:
- To support a junior researcher (mentee) working with a SpA expert (mentor), for a specified duration of 12 months.
Eligibility:
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- The proposal must be focused on a research project (basic, translational, or clinical) related to SpA.
- The mentor must be at an institution that is different from the mentor’s institution. The project may involve travel to the mentor’s institution or may be pursued remotely (depending on the project). Preference will be given to applicants proposing a need for travel to work with their mentor. Travel is not explicitly required for application.
- Mentee eligibility
- Career stage specification: fellows (inclusive of rheumatology clinical trainees and nonclinical postdoctoral researchers) and early career faculty (Instructor or Assistant Professor position or equivalent within 5 years from completion of last stage of training)
- Eligibility is not limited to clinicians
- Eligibility is limited to fellows and early career faculty. Residents, medical students, and graduate students are not eligible.
- Must have a research focus in basic, translational, or clinical research.
- No specified amount of protected time
- SPARTAN membership is not required at the time of application, although funded applicants will be required to join.
- Country of residence: Canada, USA, or Mexico (i.e., within SPARTAN countries)
- Mentor eligibility
- The mentor must be a SPARTAN Full or Associate member.
- The mentor must have a research focus with a track record that includes research funding (federal, industry, or foundation)
- The mentor may be a PhD researcher or clinician scientist.
- No requirements for protected research time for the mentor, though this can be considered in the review of the application – i.e., mentors with more protected research time working with a mentee who intends to pursue a research-focused career might strengthen the application
Details of Funding
- The budget is $100,000 over one year, in total costs. This includes both direct and indirect costs.
- Up to 8% indirect costs are allowed.
- Allocation of funds should be to one institution, due to logistical constraints. In the budget justification, please specify whether this will be to the mentor’s institution or the mentee’s institution.
- For example, funds should be allocated to the mentor’s institution if the mentee is expected to travel to the mentor’s institution for the duration of the award period.
- In cases where the mentee stays at their home institution and are mentored remotely, funds may be allocated to the mentee’s institution.
- Allowable expenses: Mentee’s salary, travel, housing, research supplies, research support, conference attendance, and publication costs. The allocation must be specified in the budget and justification.
- If travel is proposed and the duration of proposed travel is such that the mentee’s salary will be covered by the mentor’s institution, then the mentee must be paid at a level commensurate with a fellow at the mentor’s institution (i.e., host institution).
- The mentor may not receive salary support.
- The funding period is 12 months.
Priorities (considerations for scoring)
- Reviewers will equally weigh the candidate and their trajectory in SpA research and the scientific rigor of the research project.
- With the goal in mind of attracting a promising trainee into the field, the applicant should be viewed in terms of their likelihood to both remain in SpA research and to become an active participating member of SPARTAN.
- SpA research may involve research in psoriatic arthritis and IBD associated arthritis. However, a research proposal focused on axSpA may be weighed more favorably than one focused solely on PsA.
- Although not required, protected research time for the mentor will be viewed favorably.
- A track record as a mentor will be weighed favorably.
- Having funding to support the proposed research would be beneficial (as the fellowship may not cover the costs).
Spondyloarthritis Research Fellowship Application 2026
