Rationale and Scope:
The purpose of this award is to attract talent to spondyloarthritis (SpA) research and patient care. By supporting rheumatology fellows during their more formative year, we aim to address the leaky pipeline and reduce the attrition of researchers and clinician experts in SpA. The Spondyloarthritis Fellowship Training Award is intended to support the salary of a fellow in their second or third year of training, allowing them to gain specialized expertise in SpA patient care and/or pursue a SpA-related research project.
Two fellows will be supported, one focusing on clinical research (clinical track) and the other on translational research (research track). The award amount is $50,000 per award for one year.
Eligibility:
- The Spondyloarthritis Fellowship Training Award may be used to support the salary of a fellow enrolled in an ACGME-accredited internal medicine, pediatrics or combined medicine-pediatrics rheumatology fellowship training program. Only Program Directors at ACGME-accredited institutions in good standing may apply. The Program Director does not need to be a SPARTAN member.
- The rheumatology fellowship training Program Director at the applying institution will be responsible for the overall direction, management, and administration of the program.
- By submitting an application, the Program Director and sponsoring institution agree that funds will be used exclusively for the salary support of one fellow in their second or third year of training. Multiple applications from a single institution are not permitted unless they represent distinct clinical and research tracks or fellowship programs (e.g. Medicine and Pediatrics.)
- Clinical track: An individualized training plan must explain how the fellow will gain specialized expertise in SpA, for example by attending subspecialty clinics with a a SpA mentor. The fellow is expected to have a clinical SpA mentor within their institution. Documentation of expertise in SpA patient care must be included in the mentor’s letter of support. Membership in SPARTAN of the clinical mentor is required.
- Research track: The fellow is expected to engage in a translational research project related to SpA. The fellow may have more than one research mentor, of which at least one should have a strong track record in SpA research and may be based at a different institution. Collaborative agreements must be in place to ensure effective mentoring and project oversight. Membership in SPARTAN of at least one research mentor is required.
- Supported fellows do not need to be U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals.
- While SPARTAN membership for the trainee is not required at the time of application, it is expected that membership will be sought upon receipt of the award. Supported fellows are expected to attend the SPARTAN Annual Meeting, which occurs in May.
- For any questions regarding eligibility, please contact lisa@spartangroup.org.
Review criteria:
Applications will be reviewed by the SPARTAN research committee based on all components of the proposal, including:
- Academic and/or clinical quality of the fellowship training program
- Quality of the individualized training plan (clinical track)
- Strength and feasibility of the proposed research project (research track)
We will use the NIH scoring rubric to evaluate each application.
Award terms and funding:
Recipients will receive $50,000 for one year to support the salary and fringe benefits of one trainee. The award is paid directly to the sponsoring institution. Other trainee costs are to be incurred by the recipient’s institutional program. Indirect costs are not allowed.
At the close of the award term, the recipient must provide SPARTAN with a final financial reconciliation and a final project report detailing the outcomes of the research and training activities. All unexpended funds must be returned to SPARTAN. Funding for the Spondyloarthritis Fellowship Training Award is made possible through the financial support of J&J.
The following deadlines apply:
- Application deadline: February 28, 2026
- Notification by April 30, 2026
- Award term begins by September 30, 2026
Please contact Lisa Spiegel, lisa@spartangroup.org, with any questions.
