FOREUM interdisciplinary research grant on Rheumatology and Pulmonology

Introduction

The Foundation for Research in Rheumatology (FOREUM) is issuing a joint call for proposals in the field of Rheumatology together with Pulmonology to highlight the availability of funding to support research that benefits from collaboration between European-based researchers.
This Interdisciplinary Call will support research collaboration among investigators who wish to pursue a focused, joint project to investigate rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs), and lung diseases.

This serves as a call for Letters of Intent (LOIs) due November 09th, 2025 and full applications due February 01st ,2026.

Scope

This grant is intended to provide one year of funding to independent clinicians and/or scientists with an existing track record of RMD research and lung disease research. A clear rationale will need to be provided, explicitly stating how the proposed research project will be enhanced and strengthened by being led by two principal investigators, one working in the field of RMD research and one working in the field of lung diseases. The effort by each investigator should be clearly interrelated and synergistic so that the ideas, efforts, and outcomes of the research offer a distinct advantage over pursuing individual projects separately.
Participation of patient research partners is expected for all research projects to provide experiential knowledge, with the aim of improving the relevance, quality and validity of the research design and impact, as described in: EULAR recommendations for the involvement of patient research partners in rheumatology research: 2023 update: https://doi.org/10.1136/ard-2024-225566.

Research Grant Term and Amount

This call for research grants will fund two projects with a total amount of EUR 50`000 (maximum EUR 25`000 for each PI from rheumatology and pulmonology) for one year.

The budget includes for example:

• Salary for essential personnel (e.g. technician, research assistant);
• Equipment, supplies and software;
• Facilities and administrative costs;
• Travel expenses;
  .

Investigator involved in rheumatic disease research Eligibility and Guidelines:

All grant recipients must always abide by FOREUM policies. To be eligible for this award, the applicant must:

• Be a member via a EULAR scientific society or an individual EULAR member at the time of submission and for the duration of the award and, must come from EULAR membership countries.
• Collaboration partners from centers from non-EULAR membership countries can participate as partners in exceptional cases (e.g., specific scientific expertise), but will not be eligible to receive research funding.
• Not be a member of the FOREUM Committees and the EULAR Council Committee.
• Hold a doctoral-level degree (MD, PhD, DO, MBBS or equivalent).
• Exhibit evidence of research independence, scientific productivity and career accomplishments.

Letter of Intent

All applicants considering submission of a proposal are required to submit a letter of intent (LOI) by November 09th 2025 via e-mail to info@foreum.org
The structure and required content of the letter of intent are described in the ‘Letter of intent template.
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. CV of the applicants as well as a short statement of support from the head of the centre (integrated in the letter of intent) needs to be provided. Page limitations are strictly applied.
Letters of intent will be assessed by members of the FOREUM Scientific Committee and one invited guest reviewer from the supporting industry partner (non-voting member). Applications deemed meritorious of full application will be selected on a competitive basis. The secretariat will respond by 15 December 2025 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

Applicants selected will be invited to submit a full proposal (30% chance); they will be sent the full project proposal template. 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 together with clear evidence of support and necessary infrastructure at the host centre. To facilitate review by patients, additionally a lay summary must be completed at this stage. Both forms will be provided to applicants invited to submit a full proposal.
Templates, page limitations, and formatting instructions will be sent to selected investigators upon decision of the LOI. Project applications will be due by February 01st 2026.

Review Criteria

Scientific excellence of the applicant and the collaborating pulmonologist as well as creative innovation potential, impact and feasibility of the planned project will be important aspects of the full application together with clear evidence of support and necessary research infrastructure. In this specific call, added value of the interdisciplinary cooperation is another key criterion. Inclusion of patient partners will also be considered in the review process (FOREUM – Involving PRP).
For more information, please read the material on EULAR | PARE patient research partners

Note

FOREUM will not work to pair individuals to work together for submission of this grant.

References:
[1] Mohan DM, Al Anouti F, Kohli N, Khalaf K. Association of obesity with musculoskeletal health and functional mobility in females—a systematic review. Int J Obes. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41366-025-01881-8
[1] Müller TD, Blüher M, Tschöp MH, DiMarchi RD. Anti-obesity drug discovery: advances and challenges. Nat Rev Drug Discov. 2022;21:201–223. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41573-021-00337-8