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FOREUM Advanced Career Research Grant 2026

Foundation for Research in Rheumatology

FOREUM is committed to promoting the best talents in the field of rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD). Consistent with these goals FOREUM issues a new call that aims to fund excellent young researchers promoting innovative ideas and supporting high quality research projects covering basic and clinical science projects related to RMDs. Scientific excellence is the key eligibility criterion for this career research grant initiative, which aims to foster independent science and intends to develop new research leaders in the field.

Scope
FOREUM career research grants are intended to fund excellent young scientists with an already existing track record in RMD research. The grant aims at supporting the initiation of an innovative independent research project for a period of maximal 36 months that allows sustained career development of the applicant to become a future group leader.

Budget
The applicant is eligible to apply for total funding of up to 200’000 Euro for a maximal period of 3 years. Full financial support will depend on the successful evaluation of a written report at the end of the fellowship. Submitted publications can be used as part of the report.

Applications

All applicants considering submission of a proposal are invited to fill out an online application (former scientific letter of intent) form by 15 February 2026, which includes an online ‘lay (non-scientific language for the general public) summary form, for review by patients.

Translational and clinical projects can be submitted. In the letter of intent, the applicant should indicate whether the content of the project is either clinical or translational. A CV of the applicant as well as a short statement of support from the head of the center (integrated in the letter of intent) needs to be provided.

Applications will be assessed by members of the FOREUM Scientific Committee and those deemed meritorious of full application will be selected on a competitive basis. The secretariat will respond by April 2026 as to whether the proposal meets the scope, priority and requirements of the call such that a full application will be invited.

Full project proposal
Selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal; they will receive an invitation to extend their application into a full proposal. Scientific excellence of the applicant as well as innovation potential, impact and feasibility of the planned project will be important aspects of the full application. To facilitate review by patients, additionally a lay summary must be completed at this stage. Both forms will be available within the online submission platform. Full research proposals must be submitted electronically by 17 May 2026.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Based on funded calls and evaluation criteria:

🥇 1. Strong Relevance to Rheumatic Diseases (Top Predictor)

Must address:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus
- Osteoarthritis
- Spondyloarthritis
- Other RMDs

✔ Clear link to patient outcomes is essential

🥈 2. Large-Scale Multinational Collaboration (Critical)

One of the strongest predictors of success

✔ Winning proposals:

Include multiple European institutions

📌 Single-center projects are rarely competitive

🥉 3. High Scientific Excellence & Innovation

Preference for:
- Cutting-edge science
- Novel approaches

✔ High success:

Biomarkers
Precision medicine
Advanced imaging

4. Translational & Clinical Impact

Strong emphasis on:
- Bench-to-bedside research

✔ Projects must show:

Potential to improve clinical care

5. Interdisciplinary Approach

Competitive proposals combine:
- Immunology
- Genetics
- Clinical rheumatology
- Data science

6. Feasibility & Strong Project Structure

Projects are:
- Multi-year
- Large-scale

✔ Must include:

Clear work packages
Defined milestones

7. Strong Consortium & Leadership

Key predictor:
- Experienced principal investigator
- Well-structured consortium

8. Patient Involvement (Increasingly Important)

Preference for:
- Patient engagement
- Patient-reported outcomes

9. Use of Large Datasets / Cohorts

Preferred:
- Registries
- Biobanks
- Longitudinal data

🧪 Common Funded Research Areas

Autoimmune disease mechanisms
Biomarker discovery
Precision medicine in rheumatology
Disease progression and outcomes
Digital health and big data in RMDs

⚠️ Common Reasons for Rejection

Lack of collaboration (single-center projects)
Weak clinical relevance
Poor consortium structure
Overly descriptive/basic research
Unclear impact on patient care

🧠 Bottom Line (Key Predictors Ranked)

Strong relevance to rheumatic diseases
Multinational collaboration (very critical)
High scientific excellence & innovation
Translational/clinical impact
Well-structured consortium
Use of large datasets/cohorts

Specialties

Rheumatology

Eligibility Requirements

The applicant must be a talented early-career scientist who has already produced high-level scientific work. She/he must be an MD or PhD, who is appropriately linked to RMD research and employed in a EULAR member country. It is anticipated that applicants can work independently.

The applicant must be awarded their PhD or MD no longer than 8 years ago. Periods of maternity or paternity leave and clinical training (routine and non-scientific) to become a specialist are not counted as part of the 8 years.

The researcher’s institution must declare how it intends to support the applicant with respect to her/his position, protected research time, lab space or access the clinical data. Integrating knowledge, experiences and techniques from other European centers involved in RMD research is also stimulated. Participation of patient research partners is strongly encouraged to underline the importance of the project for the patients.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Foundation for Research in Rheumatology

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Seestrasse 240 CH-8802 Kilchberg Switzerland

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