Research Programs and Awards

Online Research Grants Portal open: February 26, 2025
Abstract Registration submission deadline: May 14, 2025 5:00 PM ET
Full application available: May 16, 2025
Full application submission deadline: June 27, 2025, 5:00 PM ET
Notification of decision: November 2025
Anticipated funding start date: January 1, 2026

Please see the eligibility and requirements section prior to creating an application and read through the Tips Sheet for Applicants and Application Form Template below. A sample of the application form can also be found in Apply.

Resources available: 

Tips Sheet for Applicants [279 KB]

Full Application Form Template

Description

The goal of the Ignite Innovation Grant program is to support the development and testing of transformative, paradigm-shifting, concepts and approaches to address critical barriers to progress in arthritis research, challenge our understanding of arthritis and its management, and generate novel approaches to confront the challenges we face in defeating arthritis and delivering the best evidence-informed care possible. The program intends to foster novel, high-potential projects and ideas that could be  expanded in the future  through additional funding sources (i.e., successful operating grants, industry partnership programs, cross discipline funding opportunities, etc.).

Successfully funded Ignite Innovation projects are based on “high risk” ideas that have a strong potential for “high reward”. The scope of high-risk projects could include proposals that focus on novel or untested tool development, cellular pathways, behavioural or psychosocial methodologies, research to address or ameliorate social or structural inequities, novel methods for delivering evidenced-based treatment or self-care interventions, unconventional devices, or techniques/procedures (including measures) and/or have potential for unique translation. As projects are at an early stage of development, a high level of risk is expected and not all projects will yield anticipated results. High reward is defined as the potential to create a significant and real change or impact. Applicants must explain the anticipated change or impact that is likely to result and to whom or what will be affected by the change, and its significance. To support the novelty of the project, a thorough evaluation of the literature should be included. Applicants will be required to describe why the project is novel, as it relates to the latest methods, concepts, information, and techniques.

This program encourages bold attempts to test novel hypotheses and/or generate new knowledge and/or improvements related to prevention, detection, diagnosis, treatment, and support; therefore, while projects must be feasible and doable by the applicant(s), preliminary data is not necessary.

Applications are encouraged from all areas and disciplines of arthritis research, as well as from investigators in other disciplines whose ideas are relevant to the field of arthritis research. Diverse partnerships that advance and accelerate the application of the research are encouraged. These may include transdisciplinary research approaches and/or partnerships with industry, policy makers, consumers, health care providers and others. Note that the next logical step or incremental advancement on published data is not considered innovative and should not be submitted to this competition.

Arthritis Society Canada and the Canadian Dupuytren Society are announcing a new research funding opportunity under the 2025 Ignite Innovation Grant program. Like arthritis, Dupuytren Disease is a common and debilitating condition that can occur in people of any age and sex and for which there is currently no cure. Dupuytren Disease is a heritable condition that affects connective tissues (fascia, skin, and nerves) of the hands, can result in palm and finger contractures and, similar to arthritis, causes debilitating and permanent loss of hand function. Individuals living with Dupuytren Disease report increased anxiety, mood and mental health disorders, and devastating challenges in maintaining their chosen professions, just like those with arthritis. Studies that could impact people that experience the symptoms of Dupuytren’s Disease are eligible to apply for top up funding (max $10,000). More details on this funding can be found here.

This program supports different types of projects including, but not limited to, the following:

• Pilot or feasibility studies;
• Secondary analysis of existing data;
• Small, self-contained research projects;
• Development of research methodology; and
• Development of new research technology.

The Ignite Innovation Grant program provides funding to support research proposals aligned with Arthritis Society Canada’s priority focus areas. Arthritis Society Canada’s Strategic Plan 2027: Accelerating Impact – Research Strategy aims to identify research avenues that focus on areas of highest priority to patients and achieve the highest levels of scientific excellence and rigour.  Applications must focus on innovative research efforts in the following priority areas.

• Arthritis pain research in:
  • Improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of pain
  • Translating basic science discoveries into practice
  • Improving techniques to measure pain
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Alternative approaches to pain management including research on medical cannabis from basic science, clinical, health services and policy perspectives
  • Improving self-management tools and technology enablers to help manage and communicate about pain
• Osteoarthritis (OA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what cause different forms of OA, including the underlying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Understand sex and gender differences in patients with OA
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Developing more effective self-management tools
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Inflammatory arthritis (IA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes different forms of IA, including the underlaying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Improving strategies to manage symptoms
  • Developing more effective methods to support patient-physician communications
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Childhood arthritis research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes childhood arthritis, how to detect it earlier, and diagnose it most effectively
  • Developing new and more personalized therapies that are safe and effective
  • Innovations to improve transitions in care as children navigate from pediatric to adult healthcare settings and improve unique quality of life issues through other life changes (e.g., education, employment)
• Work-related research in:
  • Providing a strong evidence base to inform arthritis-related workplace policies and accommodations
  • Ensuring that employees and employers have effective tools and resources to communicate how to manage arthritis in the workplace
  • The prevention of arthritis-related workplace disability and the most effective accommodations

Consumer Engagement
Arthritis Society Canada values the voice of consumers in research, both in their inclusion in grant applications and the peer review process. Applicants should consider this in their submission and are strongly encouraged to integrate input from consumers in the development of research questions and/or design as appropriate. Productive engagement of consumers in the conduct, analysis and/or dissemination of the research should be described, where appropriate. Please note that the review panel will take into consideration whether consumers are involved and to what extent. For more information on consumer engagement, you can download Arthritis Society Canada’s resource for researchers or visit our Get Involved in Research page.

Sex and Gender
Applicants should account for sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a sociocultural determinant of health in basic science, clinical, health services and population health studies where appropriate.  Applicants will be required to articulate this within their application.  Sex and Gender in Health research resources and training modules can be accessed here.

Applicants are strongly advised to read all program documentation listed below as well as Arthritis Society Canada’s Strategy Plan 2027: Accelerating Impact – Research Strategy. If you have any questions, please contact the research department.

Eligibility

To be considered eligible for this grant:

• Applications must be submitted by an eligible Principal Investigator (PI) at an eligible Canadian Host institution as defined by Arthritis Society Canada. The full description of eligibility, as well as the roles and responsibilities of the PI and HI in the management of Arthritis Society Canada’s research and training funds are defined on the Arthritis Society Canada website.

Award amount and term

Our research funding is always contingent on the generosity of our donors.

The maximum grant per application is $50,000 annually for up to two years ($100,000 total). These grants are non-renewable.

Generative AI in the Preparation of Grant Applications and Reviews

Applicants are required to state if and where application material has been generated using AI. Applicants should be aware that using AI may lead to the presentation of information without proper recognition of authorship. Please note that reviewers will see the responses to these questions and will consider the appropriateness of its use.

Reviewers must not use AI in the creation of their own reviews.

Abstract Registration

There is a limit of one Ignite Innovation application per Principal Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator in a competition.

NOTE! A PI can only hold two Arthritis Society Canada-funded grants or awards across all Arthritis Society Canada or partnered competitions as PI/Co-PI at any time and only one per program. PI/Co-PI(s) can apply to only two competitions per year. Applications for subsequent funding can be submitted in the final year of a current grant. Applicants will be required to declare all funding in the “Other Funding” section of their application(s).

All submissions will be screened for completeness and eligibility. Note that incomplete applications by the deadline will be deemed ineligible and withdrawn from the competition. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that applications are complete at the time of submission. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

All applicants are strongly advised to read all program documentation listed below. If you have any questions, please contact the research department at [email protected].

Abstract registrations must be submitted through Arthritis Society Canada’s online research grant portal. The abstract registration will inform the panel composition.  Registration is mandatory and will require applicant and team members details, scientific abstract, keywords, innovation and relevance statements, and suggested reviewers and exclusions.

Any significant changes to the proposed program after the Abstract Registration deadline should be communicated to Arthritis Society Canada as soon as they are known. Substantive changes that significantly alter the overall goals and aims of the proposed program relative to the Abstract Registration are not permitted.

Full Application

Applications must be submitted through the Arthritis Society Canada’s online research grants portal and include the following components:

• Scientific Abstract (Max. 500 words)
• Keywords
• Project description (Max. 2,000 words), including:
  • A detailed scientific proposal clearly stating the aims of the project including a thorough review of the literature to prove novelty and/or any related work done in the area, experimental design, methods, and analysis.
  • Preliminary data may be included but is not a requirement. Investigators must provide a compelling rationale for the hypothesis and clearly address feasibility.
  • Details of the investigator(s) including which member(s) of the research team will be responsible for which aspect of the project and a rationale for their inclusion in the project are required, as well as a description of the research environment where the work will take place.
• References
• Innovation statement (Max. 400 words) explicitly describing how the project is transformational and innovative
• Vision statement (Max. 250 words) explicitly describing how the proposed work could move the field forward and accelerate progress in arthritis research
• Relevance of the proposal to Arthritis Society Canada’s Research Strategy priority areas (Max. 250 words)
• Project team members and contact information
• Description of any partnerships with industry, policy makers, consumers, health care providers and others that advance and accelerate the application of the research (Max. 250 words)
• Lay summary sections (Max. 100 words each)
• Knowledge translation plan sections (Max. 250 words each)
• Proposed budget and budget justification (Max. 1500 words). Requests for funds to support work relating to Canadian Dupuytren Society top-up funding must be itemized separately.

Required attachments

• Signature page (signed by the PI, Department Head/Dean and Host Institution(s))
• PI, Co-PI, and Co-Applicant CVs (Canadian Common CV – CIHR Biosketch version – CIHR issued PIN required)
• Timelines and Milestones (1 page, PDF upload)
• Letter(s) of support from collaborators, partners, and consumers, as needed
• If the success of the research proposed depends on a critical agent/material from a third party, a letter of collaboration must be included

Optional attachments

• Appendices (Max. 5MB per document)

Peer Review

The peer review committee(s) will consist of relevant scientific and clinical experts, along with consumers to provide patient perspectives. It is important that applicants devote time to write the lay summary sections.

Review Criteria

The review criteria for applications will include, but not necessarily be restricted to the following assessment categories: Investigator(s) and Environment, Research Strategy, Innovation, and Relevance:

1. Quality of PI, research team and environment

• Qualifications of the applicant(s), including training, experience, and independence (i.e., relative to career stage)
• Experience of the applicant(s) in the proposed area of research and with the proposed methodology
• Expertise of the applicant(s), as demonstrated by scientific productivity over the past five years (e.g., publications, books, grants held, etc.). Productivity should be considered in the context of the norms for the research area, applicant experience and total research funding of the applicant
• Evidence that the personnel, facilities and infrastructure required to conduct the research are available

2. Quality of project (please see the scientific merit rating scale)

• Scientific merit and compelling rationale
• Importance and novelty of the research question, proposed project, and objectives
• Strength of the rationale for the research approach and methodology
• Identification of potential limitations of the proposed research strategy and how they will be addressed and alternative approaches
• Knowledge translation plan
• Consumer engagement plan, as appropriate
• Sex and gender considerations
• Appropriateness of term and support requested

3. Innovation (Please see the innovation rating scale)

• Potential to address an important problem or a critical barrier to progress in the field
• Potential to improve or apply a novel theoretical concept, approach, methodology or tool
• Degree to which the research is transformative, original, unique, and creative, in the context of the current state of the field
• Potential gain relative to (any) perceived risk
• Degree to which the research proposes new paradigms or challenges existing ones

4. Relevance of the proposal to the 2027 Arthritis Society Canada Research Strategy
It is the applicant’s responsibility to make convincing arguments supporting the relevance of their proposals to Arthritis Society Canada’s Research Strategy, specifically one or more of the five research priority areas (arthritis pain, OA, IA, childhood, and work). More details can be found in the Accelerating Impact: Research Strategy.

The role of the consumer is to assess the feasibility, relevance to the strategic priorities and potential impact of the research to address an important problem, to have a significant and broad impact and its contribution to the understanding of arthritis and/or how to treat or improve outcomes for people who live with arthritis. Consumer reviewers will also assess the quality of the lay sections.

Applicants will be notified of the results by November 2025.

Multiple applications/multiple sources of funding

There must be no overlap (0%) with any held or pending applications to any agency as of this competition due date. The Ignite Innovation grant must contain 100% unique aims to comply with this policy (conceptual overlap is permitted but must be explained by the applicant). Duplicate applications will not be accepted. Applicants may leverage funds from other sources to expand the scope of the project, if appropriate, and should clearly describe how they support the overarching objectives.

Grantee and Host Institution requirements

In addition to the requirements set out in the Host Institution agreement, grantees and Host Institutions who receive Arthritis Society Canada funds are expected to act as ambassadors of our mission and may be called upon to communicate about their research with donors and other stakeholders. Funded researchers are expected to support Arthritis Society Canada’s efforts to engage the arthritis research community, support the development and dissemination of Arthritis Society Canada tools and resources, and provide expertise to engage people affected by arthritis when called upon (for example, through expert community presentations).  We also encourage grantees and Host Institutions to reach out to us to discuss opportunities for engagement.

Applicants are reminded to access the Arthritis Society Canada website for details on the administration and reporting requirements (scientific and financial reporting, policies, etc.).

Partnership Description ​

The Canadian Dupuytren Society is a Canadian registered charity founded in July 2015 as a patient organization supported by medical professionals. It was created by Canadian patients with Dupuytren’s disease. Our mission is to promote health by leading the fight against Dupuytren’s disease (DD) in Canada by helping people with DD live a healthy and functional life while we work to find a cure; to promote health by finding the best available care and treatment for people suffering from DD and the related Ledderhose disease (LD); to advance education related to DD by providing latest services and educational material to the public; to promote health by encouraging the search for the underlying causes and subsequent cures for DD and LD.

Online Research Grants Portal open: February 26, 2025
Letters of Intent (LOI) submission deadline: April 9, 2025 5:00 PM ET
Notification of LOI results: early-July 2025
Online Research Grants Portal open: early-July, 2025
Full Application submission deadline: September 2, 2025, 5:00 PM ET
Notification of decision: early/mid-December 2025
Funding start date: April 1, 2026

Please see the eligibility and requirements section prior to creating an application and read through the Tips Sheet for Applicants and Application Form Templates below. A sample of the application form can be also found in Apply.

Resources available: 

Tips Sheet for Applicants [279 KB]

Full Application Form Template

Description

The Strategic Operating Grant (SOG) program provides funding to support research proposals aligned with Arthritis Society Canada’s priorities. Arthritis Society Canada’s Strategic Plan 2027: Accelerating Impact – Research Strategy aims to identify research avenues that focus on areas of highest priority to patients and achieve the highest levels of scientific excellence and rigour.  Applications must focus on innovative research efforts in the following priority areas.

• Arthritis pain research in:
  • Improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of pain
  • Translating basic science discoveries into practice
  • Improving techniques to measure pain
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Alternative approaches to pain management including research on medical cannabis from basic science, clinical, health services and policy perspectives
  • Improving self-management tools and technology enablers to help manage and communicate about pain
• Osteoarthritis (OA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what cause different forms of OA, including the underlying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Understand sex and gender differences in patients with OA
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Developing more effective self-management tools
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Inflammatory arthritis (IA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes different forms of IA, including the underlaying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Improving strategies to manage symptoms
  • Developing more effective methods to support patient-physician communications
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Childhood arthritis research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes childhood arthritis, how to detect it earlier, and diagnose it most effectively
  • Developing new and more personalized therapies that are safe and effective
  • Innovations to improve transitions in care as children navigate from pediatric to adult healthcare settings and improve unique quality of life issues through other life changes (e.g. education, employment)
• Work-related research in:
  • Providing a strong evidence base to inform arthritis-related workplace policies and accommodations
  • Ensuring that employees and employers have effective tools and resources to communicate how to manage chronic conditions in the workplace
  • The prevention of workplace disability and the most effective accommodations

Consumer Engagement
Arthritis Society Canada values the voice of consumers in research, both in their inclusion in grant applications and the peer review process. Applicants should consider this in their submission and are strongly encouraged to integrate input from consumers in the development of research questions and/or design as appropriate. Productive engagement of consumers in the conduct, analysis and/or dissemination of the research should be described, where appropriate.  Please note that the review panel will take into consideration whether consumers are involved and to what extent. For more information on consumer engagement, you can download Arthritis Society Canada’s resource for researchers here or visit our Get Involved in Research page.

Sex and Gender
Applicants should account for sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a sociocultural determinant of health in basic science, clinical, health service and population health studies where appropriate.  Applicants will be required to articulate this within their application.  Sex and Gender in Health research resources and training modules can be accessed here.

Applicants are strongly advised to read all program documentation listed below as well as Arthritis Society Canada’s Strategy Plan 2027: Accelerating Impact – Research Strategy. If you have any questions, please contact the research department.

Eligibility

To be considered eligible for this award:

• Applications must be submitted by an eligible Principal Investigator (PI) an eligible Canadian Host institution as defined by Arthritis Society Canada.

The roles and responsibilities of the Principal Investigator and Host Institution in the management of Arthritis Society Canada’s research and training funds are defined on the Arthritis Society Canada website.

Award amount and term

Our research funding is always contingent on the generosity of our donors.

The maximum grant per application is $150,000 annually for up to three years ($450,000 total). These grants are non-renewable.

There will be a multi-stage application and review process. Applicants will be required to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) and after peer review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application. One or more multidisciplinary peer review committee(s) will be assembled to review the LOIs and full applications. The peer review committee(s) will consist of scientific and clinical experts, along with consumers to provide patient perspectives.

All submissions will be screened for completeness and eligibility. Applications at either the LOI or full application stage that are incomplete or do not contain all the required information will be deemed ineligible and withdrawn from the competition. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that applications are complete at the time of submission. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

Generative AI in the Preparation of Grant Applications and Reviews

Applicants are required to state if and where application material has been generated using AI. Applicants should be aware that using AI may lead to the presentation of information without proper recognition of authorship.Please note that reviewers will see the responses to these questions and will consider the appropriateness of its use.

Reviewers must not use AI in the creation of their own reviews.

Letter of Intent applications

There is a limit of one SOG application per Principal Investigator/Co-Principal Investigator in a competition.

NOTE! A PI can hold only two Arthritis Society Canada-funded grants or awards across all Arthritis Society Canada or partnered competitions as PI/Co-PI at any time. PIs/Co-PIs can apply to only two competitions per year. Applications for subsequent funding can be submitted in the final year of a current grant. Applicants will be required to declare all funding in the “Other Funding” section of their application forms.

The Letter of Intent (LOI) must be submitted through Arthritis Society Canada’s online research grants portal and include the following:

• Project team description: PI, Co-PIs, co-applicants, additional authors, collaborators and partners, consumers, as applicable (Max. 400 words)
• Scientific abstract (Max. 500 words)
• Project proposal (Max. 1500 words)
• References
• Relevance of the proposal to one or more of the Arthritis Society’s priority areas (Max. 250 words)
• Lay summary sections (Max. 150 words each)
• Appendices (Max. 5MB per PDF document)
• Names of suggested reviewers and exclusions

Please note that HI signatures are not required at the LOI stage.

Only the strongest applications will be invited to submit full applications.  All applicants will be notified of the results of the LOI review in July 2025.

Full Application

Applications must be submitted through Arthritis Society’ Canada’s online research grants portal and include the following components:

• Scientific Abstract (Max. 500 words)
• Project description (Max. 4,500 words), including:
  • A detailed scientific proposal clearly stating the aims of the project including any previous work done in the area, experimental design, methods, and analysis.
  • Details of the investigator(s) including which member(s) of the research team will be responsible for which aspect of the project and a rationale for their inclusion in the project are required, as well as a description of the research environment where the work will take place, as well as the role of consumers.
• References
• Relevance of the proposal to Arthritis Society Canada’s Research Strategy priority areas (Max. 250 words)
• Project team description (Max. 400 words)
• Lay summary sections (Max. 150 words each)
• Knowledge translation plan sections (Max. 250 words each)
• Proposed budget and budget justification (Max. 1500 words)

Required attachments

• Signature page (signed by the PI, Department Head/Dean and Host Institution(s))
• PI, Co-PI and co-applicant CVs (Canadian Common CV – CIHR Biosketch version – CIHR-issued PIN required)
• Timelines and Milestones (1 page, PDF upload)
• Letter(s) of support from collaborators, partners and consumers, as needed
• If the success of the research proposed depends on a critical agent/material from a third party, a letter of collaboration must be included

Optional attachments

• Appendices (Max. 5MB per document)

Any significant changes to the proposed program or environment after the LOI deadline should be communicated to Arthritis Society Canada, [email protected], as soon as they are known. Substantive changes that significantly alter the overall goals and aims of the proposed project relative to the LOI are not permitted.

Review Criteria

The review criteria for applications will include, but not necessarily be restricted to the following:

1.   Quality of PI and the research team

• Qualifications of the applicant(s), including training, experience, and independence (i.e., relative to career stage)
• Experience of the applicant(s) in the proposed area of research and with the proposed methodology
• Expertise of the applicant(s), as demonstrated by scientific productivity over the past five years (e.g., publications, books, grants held, etc.). Productivity should be considered in the context of the norms for the research area, applicant experience and total research funding of the applicant
• Evidence that the personnel, facilities and infrastructure required to conduct the research are available

2.    Quality of project

• Scientific merit of the project and its potential to create new knowledge, significantly advance our understanding of arthritis and/or improve care or support for people affected by arthritis
• Importance and novelty of the research question, proposed project, and objectives
• Strength of the rationale for the research approach and methodology
• Knowledge translation plan
• Consumer Engagement plan, as appropriate
• Sex and/or gender considerations within the project
• Appropriateness of term and support requested

3.    Relevance of the proposal to the 2027 Arthritis Society Canada’s Research Strategy
It is the applicant’s responsibility to make convincing arguments supporting the relevance of their proposals to Arthritis Society Canada’s Research Strategy, specifically one or more of the five research priority areas (arthritis pain, OA, IA, childhood, and work). More details can be found in the Accelerating Impact: Research Strategy.

The role of the consumer is to assess the feasibility, relevance to the strategic priorities and potential impact of the research to address an important problem, to have a significant and broad impact and its contribution to the understanding of arthritis and/or how to treat or improve outcomes for people who live with arthritis. Consumer reviewers will also assess the quality of the lay sections.

Applicants will be notified of the results in December 2025.

Multiple applications/multiple sources of funding

The onus is on the applicant to indicate the extent (or absence) of overlap in the “Other Funding” section of their application. Funding overlaps with other agencies may result in a reduction in funding from Arthritis Society Canada.

Grantee and Host Institution requirements

In addition to the requirements set out in the Host Institution agreement, grantees and Host Institutions who receive Arthritis Society Canada funds are expected to act as ambassadors of our mission and may be called upon to communicate about their research with donors and other stakeholders. Funded researchers are expected to support Arthritis Society Canada’s efforts to engage the arthritis research community, support the development and dissemination of Arthritis Society Canada tools and resources, and provide expertise to engage people affected by arthritis when called upon (for example, through expert community presentations). We also encourage grantees and Host Institutions to reach out to us to discuss opportunities for engagement.

Applicants are reminded to access the Arthritis Society Canada website for details on the administration and reporting requirements (scientific and financial reporting, policies, etc.).

Online Research Grants Portal open: February 26, 2025
Abstract registration deadline: May 13, 2025, 5:00 PM ET
Research Grants Portal open for full application: May 15, 2025
Full Application deadline: June 26, 2025, 5:00 PM ET
Notification of decision: Early/Mid-December 2025
Anticipated funding start date: January 1, 2026

Please see the eligibility and requirements section prior to creating an application and read through the Tips Sheet for Applicants and Application Form Template below. A sample of the application form can also be found in Apply.

Resources available: 

Tips Sheet for Applicants [279 KB]

 Full Application Form Template  

Description

The Stars Career Development award was created to help firmly establish the career of early career investigators. This salary and research funding represents a three (3) year commitment by Arthritis Society Canada, together with an additional three (3) year commitment by the applicant’s Host Institution. The program provides funding to support research programs aligned with Arthritis Society Canada’s 2027 Research Strategy. Arthritis Society Canada will be accepting applications relevant to five research priority areas: arthritis pain, OA, IA, childhood, and work.

The program is intended to promote creativity in all domains of arthritis-related research responsive to Arthritis Society Canada’s strategic priorities. Applicants should review Arthritis Society Canada’s Strategic Plan 2027: Accelerating Impact – Research Strategy which aims to identify research avenues that focus on areas of highest priority to patients and achieve the highest levels of scientific excellence and rigour.  Applications must focus on innovative research efforts in the following priority areas.

• Arthritis pain research in:
  • Improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of pain
  • Translating basic science discoveries into practice
  • Improving techniques to measure pain
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Alternative approaches to pain management including research on medical cannabis from basic science, clinical, health services and policy perspectives
  • Improving self-management tools and technology enablers to help manage and communicate about pain
• Osteoarthritis (OA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what cause different forms of OA, including the underlying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Understand sex and gender differences in patients with OA
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Developing more effective self-management tools
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Inflammatory arthritis (IA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes different forms of IA, including the underlaying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Improving strategies to manage symptoms
  • Developing more effective methods to support patient-physician communications
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Childhood arthritis research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes childhood arthritis, how to detect it earlier, and diagnose it most effectively
  • Developing new and more personalized therapies that are safe and effective
  • Innovations to improve transitions in care as children navigate from pediatric to adult healthcare settings and improve unique quality of life issues through other life changes (e.g., education, employment)
• Work-related research in:
  • Providing a strong evidence base to inform arthritis-related workplace policies and accommodations
  • Ensuring that employees and employers have effective tools and resources to communicate how to manage chronic conditions in the workplace
  • The prevention of workplace disability and the most effective accommodations

Consumer Engagement
Arthritis Society Canada values the voice of consumers in research, both in their inclusion in grant applications and the peer review process.  Applicants should consider this in their submission and are strongly encouraged to integrate input from consumers in the development of research questions and/or design as appropriate. Productive engagement of consumers in the conduct, analysis and/or dissemination of the research should be described, where appropriate. Please note that the review panel will take into consideration whether consumers are involved and to what extent. For more information on consumer engagement, you can download Arthritis Society Canada’s resource for researchers or visit our Get Involved in Research page.

Sex and Gender
Applicants should account for sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a sociocultural determinant of health in basic science, clinical, health service and population health studies where appropriate.  Applicants will be required to articulate this within their application. Sex and Gender in Health research resources and training modules can be accessed here.

Host Institution Commitment*

In addition to the terms and obligations set out within the Host Institution agreement, the Host Institution must commit, as part of the application process, an additional three (3) years of equivalent research and salary support to the applicant (at an appropriate rank and salary) for a total commitment of six (6) years of support. If there is rationale for a different funding model (equal to the same level of support required by the host institution), please contact Arthritis Society Canada before starting your application. The Host Institution must also commit to providing the applicant with adequate infrastructure and physical space to conduct their research program. The incremental benefit of the salary portion of the award must be clearly indicated in the application to ensure that there is a net impact for the funded investigator, rather than a budgetary offset to the Host Institution.

In addition, applicants must identify an accomplished investigator as a mentor who will assist in the development of the research program as well as the career development of the applicant. It is preferred that the mentor be in the same institution as the applicant but if that is not possible, a clear rationale for the chosen mentor and details of the nature and frequency of the interactions must be provided. Applicants must provide rationale if they are remaining in the same institution as their PhD and/or PhD supervisor.

All applicants are strongly advised to read all program documentation listed below as well as Arthritis Society Canada’s Strategic Plan 2027: Accelerating Impact – Research Strategy. If you have any questions, please contact he research department.

Eligibility

To be eligible, an applicant must:

• Be an eligible Principal Investigator as defined by Arthritis Society Canada;
• Be within 5 years of their first academic appointment and within 10 years of their most recent graduate or health professional degree (or equivalent, in a field such as medicine, dentistry, rehabilitation sciences, nursing, pharmaceutical studies, veterinary medicine, etc.) at the time of the application deadline. Candidates who have a firm offer of an academic appointment effective before the award start date are also acceptable;
• Be a Canadian citizen or resident of Canada at the time of application with a position at an eligible Canadian Host Institution;
• Have a commitment from their Host Institution* from the Faculty Dean or Research Director that includes: Institutional support (suitable lab/research space, resources and support, etc.); a minimum of 80% protected research time for the duration of the award; 3 additional years of equivalent research and salary support (at an appropriate rank and salary beyond the term of this award) as well as adequate infrastructure and physical space;
• Not hold other funding support of a similar nature and goals (i.e., recipients of salary awards and operating grants aimed at establishing their research program and/or advancing their career development as of the funding start date are not eligible to apply). These include, but are not limited to, Canada Research Chair awards, province-specific establishment grants, early career institutional chair awards and early career investigator operating grants.

The roles and responsibilities of the Principal Investigator and Host Institution in the management of Arthritis Society Canada’s research and training funds are defined on the Arthritis Society Canada website.

Award Amount and Term

Our research funding is always contingent on the generosity of our donors.

The maximum award per application for early career investigators is $125,000 annually for up to three years ($375,000 total), with an additional 3 years of support from the Host Institution of an equal value.

These awards are meant to primarily support the salary of the individual, therefore:

• At least $50,000 per year must be used for salary support in order to provide protected research time, except where it exceeds the institution salary scale;
• The remaining amount of the award is to be used for research and support of their program of research (e.g., research expenses including pilot study data collection, research personnel, supplies, and/or equipment, travel to scientific conferences, etc.).

Requested research costs must be associated with the applicant’s described research program and/or be well aligned in terms of the requirements for a specific project. In cases where the value of the teaching and other duties are less than the salary portion of this award, the Host Institution must ensure this award benefits the awardee through other means (e.g., travel allowance, access to research staff or support, etc.).

Please see the requirement for the Host Institution commitment above*. Equipment requests of up to $10,000 can be included within the proposed budget and must be appropriately justified. Note that indirect costs, the salaries for supervisor/mentors, secretarial or administrative assistants or tuition fees are not eligible expenses.

Generative AI in the Preparation of Award Applications and Reviews

Applicants are required to state if and where application material has been generated using AI. Applicants should be aware that using AI may lead to the presentation of information without proper recognition of authorship. Please note that reviewers will see the responses to these questions and will consider the appropriateness of its use.

Reviewers must not use AI in the creation of their own reviews.

Abstract Registration

There is a limit of one Star application per Principal Investigator in a competition.

NOTE! A PI can only hold two Arthritis Society Canada-funded grants or awards across all Arthritis Society Canada or partnered competitions as PI/Co-PI at any time. PI/Co-PIs can apply to only two competitions per year. Applications for subsequent funding can be submitted in the final year of Arthritis Society Canada funding of a current grant. Applicants will be required to declare all funding in the “Other Funding” section of their application(s).

All submissions will be screened for completeness and eligibility. Note that incomplete applications by the deadline will be deemed ineligible and withdrawn from the competition. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that applications are complete at the time of submission. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

All applicants are strongly advised to read all program documentation listed below. If you have any questions, please contact the research department at [email protected].

Abstract registrations must be submitted through Arthritis Society Canada’s online research grant portal. The abstract registration will inform the panel composition. Registration is mandatory and will require applicant and mentor details, the applicant’s CV, scientific abstract, keywords, relevance statement, and suggested reviewers and exclusions.

Any significant changes to the proposed program, environment or mentor after the Abstract Registration deadline should be communicated to Arthritis Society Canada as soon as they are known. Substantive changes that significantly alter the overall goals and aims of the proposed program relative to the Abstract Registration are not permitted.

Full Application

Applications must be submitted through Arthritis Society Canada’s online research grant portal and include the following components:

• Research program abstract (Max 500 words)
• Research program description (Max. 4,000 words), including:
  • Previous training and research experience
  • Rationale for the research program and methodologies employed
  • Rationale for selection of the mentor (additional details on working relationship is required if at a different institution from the applicant)
  • A description of the research environment, including resources and facilities available to the applicant and a brief description of the specific dedicated research space.
  • A description of the research career education and training opportunities that will be accessed during the grant award period
• Relevance of the applicant’s research program to Arthritis Society Canada’s 2020-2025 Research Strategy priority areas (Max. 250 words)
• References
• Description of teaching (and other institutional) commitments current and proposed as well as the benefits/impact of this award to the developing career of the candidate  (Max. 250 words per section)
• Lay summary sections (Max. 150 words per section)
• Knowledge translation sections (Max. 250 words per section)
• Budget and budget justification (Max. 1000 words)

Required attachments

• Signature page (signed by the candidate, Department Head and Host Institution)
• PI and mentor(s) CVs (Canadian Common CV – CIHR Project Biosketch)
• Timeline and milestones (1 page diagram/chart)
• Three letters of support, including one from the applicant’s mentor(s) outlining the career mentorship plan
• Letter of support from the Faculty Dean or Research Director of the Host Institution confirming:
  • Institutional support (suitable lab/research space, resources, and support, etc.)
  • A minimum of 80% protected research time
  • Details of the Host Institution’s offer of 3 additional years of equivalent research and salary support (at an appropriate rank and salary beyond the term of this award) *See note above.

Optional attachments

• Appendices (Max. 5 MB per document)

Peer Review

One or more multidisciplinary peer review committees will be assembled to review the applications. The peer review committee(s) will consist of scientific experts and clinical with broad expertise, along with consumers to provide patient perspectives. It is important that applicants devote time to write the lay summary sections.

Review Criteria

The review criteria for applications will include, but not necessarily be restricted to the following:

1. Quality of the Principal Investigator and research environment
   • Applicant’s research experience as well as academic and publication record (i.e., relative to career stage)
   • Strength of the CVs and letters of support
   • Suitability of the research environment
   • Strength and appropriateness of the mentor as well as the career educational program objectives and plan
   • Evidence that the personnel, facilities, and infrastructure required to conduct the research are available
   • Potential value (in protected time for research) to the applicant and potential impact of the award on the applicant’s career path and of the applicant becoming a leader in arthritis research in Canada
   • Quality of the commitment of the Host Institution to provide protected time and research support funds
2. Quality of research program
   • Scientific merit of the arthritis research program and its potential to create new knowledge, significantly advance our understanding of arthritis, and/or improve care or support for people affected by arthritis
   • Feasibility of the proposed research program as a whole as well as for a specific project, if proposed
   • Knowledge translation plan
   • Consumer engagement plan, as appropriate
   • Sex and gender considerations within your research program
   • Appropriateness of the term and support requested
3. Relevance of the research program to the 2027 Arthritis Society Canada Research Strategy.  

It is the applicant’s responsibility to make convincing arguments supporting the relevance of their proposal to Arthritis Society Canada’s Research Strategy, specifically one or more of the five research priority areas (arthritis pain, OA, IA, childhood, and work).  More details can be found in the Accelerating Impact: Research Strategy.

The role of the consumer is to assess the feasibility, relevance to the strategic priorities and potential impact of the research to address an important problem, have significant and broad impact and its contribution to the understanding of arthritis and/or how to treat or improve outcomes for people who live with arthritis. Consumer reviewers also assess the quality of the lay sections.

Multiple applications/multiple sources of funding

Successful applicants cannot hold salary awards or operating grants aimed at establishing their research program and/or advancing their career development as of the funding start date.

There should be minimal or no overlap with other funding for the research portion of the award. The onus is on the applicant to indicate the extent (or absence) of overlap in the “Other Funding” section of their application. Funding overlaps with other agencies may result in a reduction in funding from Arthritis Society Canada.

Grantee and Host Institution requirements

In addition to the requirements set out in the Host Institution agreement, grantees and Host Institutions who receive Arthritis Society Canada funds are expected to act as ambassadors of our mission and may be called upon to communicate about their research with donors and other stakeholders. Funded researchers are expected to support Arthritis Society Canada’s efforts to engage the arthritis research community, support the development and dissemination of Arthritis Society Canada tools and resources, and provide expertise to engage people affected by arthritis when called upon (for example, through expert community presentations). We also encourage grantees and host institutions to reach out to us to discuss opportunities for engagement.

Applicants are reminded to access the Arthritis Society Canada website for details on the administration and reporting requirements (scientific and financial reporting, policies, etc.).

Online Research Grants Portal open: February 26, 2025
Full Application deadline: April 15, 2025, 5:00 PM ET
Notification of decision: Mid/End of August 2025
Funding start date: September 1, 2025

Please see the eligibility and requirements section prior to creating an application and read through the Tips Sheet for Applicants and Application Form Template below. A sample of the application form can also be found in Apply.

Tips Sheet for Applicants [279 KB]

Application Form Template

Description

The Postdoctoral Fellowship program provides support for highly qualified postdoctoral fellows to engage in research that is in an area of clear relevance to arthritis and Arthritis Society Canada’s Strategic Plan 2027: Accelerating Impact – Research Strategy which aims to identify research avenues that focus on areas of highest priority to patients and achieve the highest levels of scientific excellence and rigour.  Applications must focus on innovative research efforts in the following priority areas.

• Arthritis pain research in:
  • Improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of pain
  • Translating basic science discoveries into practice
  • Improving techniques to measure pain
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Alternative approaches to pain management including research on medical cannabis from basic science, clinical, health services and policy perspectives
  • Improving self-management tools and technology enablers to help manage and communicate about pain
• Osteoarthritis (OA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what cause different forms of OA, including the underlying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Understand sex and gender differences in patients with OA
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Developing more effective self-management tools
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Inflammatory arthritis (IA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes different forms of IA, including the underlaying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Improving strategies to manage symptoms
  • Developing more effective methods to support patient-physician communications
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Childhood arthritis research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes childhood arthritis, how to detect it earlier, and diagnose it most effectively
  • Developing new and more personalized therapies that are safe and effective
  • Innovations to improve transitions in care as children navigate from pediatric to adult healthcare settings and improve unique quality of life issues through other life changes (e.g., education, employment)
• Work-related research in:
  • Providing a strong evidence base to inform arthritis-related workplace policies and accommodations
  • Ensuring that employees and employers have effective tools and resources to communicate how to manage chronic conditions in the workplace
  • The prevention of workplace disability and the most effective accommodations

Fellows will train under the supervision of an arthritis researcher who qualifies as a Principal Investigator as defined by Arthritis Society Canada. Applications are to be completed and submitted by the fellow, under the close supervision of the proposed supervisor. The training program must include actual involvement in conducting research. It is expected that the fellow will be spending at least 75% of their time conducting research during the tenure of the award. Fellows enrolled in programs oriented toward clinical training focused on research are eligible for these awards.

Successful applicants will also be invited to attend the Canadian Arthritis Research Conference. The intent is to augment the young investigators’ training by providing a forum to share their research, gain knowledge on select topics such as consumer engagement in research, and provide networking and mentorship opportunities.

Consumer Engagement
Arthritis Society Canada values the voice of consumers in research, both in their inclusion in grant applications and the peer review process. Applicants should consider this in their submission and are strongly encouraged to integrate input from consumers in the development of research questions and/or design as appropriate. Productive engagement of consumers in the conduct, analysis and/or dissemination of the research should be described, where appropriate. Please note that the review panel will take into consideration whether consumers are involved and to what extent. For more information on consumer engagement, you can download Arthritis Society Canada’s resource for researchers or visit our Get Involved in Research page.

Sex and Gender
Applicants should account for sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a sociocultural determinant of health in basic science, clinical, health service and population health studies where appropriate.  Applicants will be required to articulate this within their application.  Sex and Gender in Health research resources and training modules can be accessed here.

Eligibility

To be eligible, applicants must:

• Work at an eligible research institution in Canada on a research project that is relevant to the research priority areas in Arthritis Society Canada’s 2020-27 Research Strategy;

• Be in receipt of a PhD or a health professional degree (or equivalent, in a field such as medicine, dentistry, rehabilitation sciences, nursing, pharmaceutical studies, veterinary medicine, etc.) by the anticipated start date of the project;
• Be within their first four (4) years of postdoctoral training at the time of the application deadline; and
• NOT be in the same research laboratory (supervisor) in which they received their PhD.
• Not hold a competitive award, as of the September 1 start date, that exceeds the value of the award.

Note: Applicants who are not in receipt of their PhD at the application deadline but who will be in receipt of their PhD by the start of funding, and who can provide all required documentation, are eligible to apply.

The roles and responsibilities of the Trainee and Host Institution in the management of Arthritis Society Canada’s research and training funds are defined on the Arthritis Society Canada website.

Award Amount and Term

Our research funding is always contingent on the generosity of our donors.

The maximum award per application is $40,000-$50,000 annually for up to three years ($120,000-$150,000 total). These awards are non-renewable.

Please note the matching funds required for this program:

• Candidates who hold a PhD are eligible for $40,000 for a maximum of three  years. The award of $40,000 includes 50% matched funding. Successful applicants will receive up to $20,000 annually from Arthritis Society Canada for this award. The other 50% of the award funding must come from one or more partners (government, industry, NFP or academic institution) or be allocated from an existing research agency grant held by their supervisor.
• Candidates who hold a clinical health professional degree are eligible for a salary of $40,000 – $50,000 for a maximum of three years, depending upon the number of years of academic training. The award of $40,000 -$50,000 includes 50% matched funding. Successful applicants will receive up to $25,000 annually from Arthritis Society Canada for this award. The other 50% of the award funding must come from one or more partners (government, industry, NFP or academic institution) or be allocated from an existing research agency grant held by their supervisor.

Generative AI in the Preparation of Award Applications and Reviews

Applicants are required to state if and where application material has been generated using AI. Applicants should be aware that using AI may lead to the presentation of information without proper recognition of authorship. Please note that reviewers will see the responses to these questions and will consider the appropriateness of its use.

Reviewers must not use AI in the creation of their own reviews.

Application

A maximum of one application per trainee will be permitted in the competition.

All submissions will be screened for completeness and eligibility. Note that incomplete applications by the deadline will be deemed ineligible and withdrawn from the competition. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that applications are complete at the time of submission.

All applicants are strongly advised to read all program documentation listed below. If you have any questions, please contact the research department.

Applications must be submitted through the Arthritis Society Canada’s online application system and include the following components:

• Scientific abstract (Max. 500 words)
• Project description (Max. 2,500 words)
• References
• Relevance of the proposal to Arthritis Society Canada’s Society’s 2027 Research Strategy priority areas  (Max. 250 words)
• Lay summary sections (Max. 150 words per section)
• Knowledge translation (KTE) plan sections (Max. 250 words per section)

Required Attachments

• Signature page (candidate, supervisor(s), department head and Host Institution)
• Candidate and supervisor(s) Canadian Common CV (CIHR Biosketch – CIHR issued PIN required)
• Official transcripts of the candidate’s graduate training
• Timeline and milestones (1 pg. diagram / chart)
• Three letters of support, including one from the candidate’s primary supervisor confirming that the trainee will devote at least 75% of their time to conducting the proposed research, an assessment of the candidate’s critical thinking, independence, perseverance, originality, organizational skills, interest in discovery, etc., the value of the award to the candidate, the research environment, any out-of-discipline training or mentorship and details of the source of matched funding.

Optional attachments

• Appendices  (Max. 5 MB per document)

Peer Review

One or more multidisciplinary peer review committees will be assembled to review the applications. The peer review committee(s) will consist of scientific and clinical experts with broad expertise, along with consumers to provide patient perspectives. It is important that applicants devote time to write the lay summary sections.

Review Criteria

The review criteria for applications will include, but not necessarily be restricted to the following:

1. Quality of the candidate and research environment
   • Strength of the CVs, transcripts, letters of support etc.
   • Strength of the research and training environment
   • Strength and appropriateness of the supervision
   • Potential impact of the award to the candidate
2. Quality of the research project
   • Scientific merit of the arthritis research project and its potential to create new knowledge, significantly advance our understanding of arthritis, and/or improve care or support for people affected by arthritis. For example, the development of new therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, intellectual property, information to consumers and/or health policy makers, decrease the burden of illness, improve quality of life, etc.
   • Consumer engagement plan, as appropriate
   • Sex and/or gender considerations
   • Feasibility of the proposed research project within the time frame.  For example, are the timelines appropriate, technology and laboratory environment available, etc.
3. Relevance of the proposal to the proposal to Arthritis Society Canada’s 2027 Research Strategy

It is the applicant’s responsibility to make convincing arguments supporting the relevance of their proposals to Arthritis Society Canada’s Research Strategy. Specifically, one or more of the five research priority areas (arthritis pain, OA, IA, childhood, and work). More details can be found in Accelerating Impact: Research Strategy.

The role of the consumer is to assess the feasibility, relevance to the strategic priorities and potential impact of the proposed research to address an important problem and the potential of the candidate. The consumer will also assess the quality of the lay sections.

Important notes about this award

Out of discipline training or mentorship is encouraged to expand the trainee’s perspective on (and experience with) collaborative multi-disciplinary research and help to facilitate the applicant’s career development.

Awardees are permitted to hold additional competitive training salary awards, however, if the awardee receives an additional salary award(s) valued beyond the required matched value of the award, the amount of Arthritis Society Canada’s training award may be reduced accordingly. Awardees must advise Arthritis Society Canada of any additional awards received during the term of the award.

Any non-competitive funds, beyond the matched funding required, that may become available to the candidate (i.e., internal awards or top-ups from supervisor/department sources) can be accepted but cannot exceed the institutional stipend scale.

Awardees are expected to spend at least 75% of their time in research training. (i.e., the trainee may spend no more than 10 hours/week in paid employment that is not directly related to their research training).

If, at any time during the tenure of the award, the supervisor feels that the progress of the awardee is not satisfactory or 75% of the trainee’s time cannot be devoted to conducting research, Arthritis Society Canada must be notified in writing immediately. The award may be terminated at any time for good and sufficient reason by the awardee, the Institution or Arthritis Society Canada. It is the responsibility of the supervisor and the Institution to notify Arthritis Society Canada immediately of the change of status of an awardee.

For health care professionals who are currently registered in PhD programs and are receiving an award from Arthritis Society Canada, the award will terminate when the fellow has completed the degree requirements.

Awardee and Host Institution requirements

In addition to the requirements set out in the Host Institution agreement, awardees and Host Institutions who receive Arthritis Society Canada funds are expected to act as ambassadors of our mission and may be called upon to communicate about their research with donors and other stakeholders. We also encourage grantees and Host Institutions to reach out to us to discuss opportunities for engagement.

Applicants are reminded to access the Arthritis Society Canada website for details on the administration and reporting requirements (scientific and financial reporting, policies, etc.).

Online Research Grants Portal: February 26, 2025
Full Application deadline: April 15, 2025, 5:00 PM ET
Notification of decision: Mid/End of August 2025
Funding start date: September 1, 2025

Please see the eligibility and requirements section prior to creating an application and read through the Tips Sheet for Applicants and Application Form Template below. A sample of the application form can also be found in Apply.

Resources available: 

Tips Sheet for Applicants [279 KB]

Application Form Template

Description

Salary awards are offered to graduate students who are undertaking full-time research training in an area of clear relevance to arthritis and Arthritis Society Canada’s Strategic Plan 2027: Accelerating Impact – Research Strategy which aims to identify research avenues that focus on areas of highest priority to patients and achieve the highest levels of scientific excellence and rigour.  Applications must focus on innovative research efforts in the following priority areas.

• Arthritis pain research in:
  • Improving our understanding of the underlying mechanisms of pain
  • Translating basic science discoveries into practice
  • Improving techniques to measure pain
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Alternative approaches to pain management including research on medical cannabis from basic science, clinical, health services and policy perspectives
  • Improving self-management tools and technology enablers to help manage and communicate about pain
• Osteoarthritis (OA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what cause different forms of OA, including the underlying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Understand sex and gender differences in patients with OA
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Developing more effective self-management tools
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Inflammatory arthritis (IA) research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes different forms of IA, including the underlaying biological mechanisms and how the disease progresses
  • Developing new and more personalized treatment approaches
  • Improving strategies to manage symptoms
  • Developing more effective methods to support patient-physician communications
  • Improving health services and systems
  • Reducing health disparities in vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations
• Childhood arthritis research in:
  • Improving our understanding of what causes childhood arthritis, how to detect it earlier, and diagnose it most effectively
  • Developing new and more personalized therapies that are safe and effective
  • Innovations to improve transitions in care as children navigate from pediatric to adult healthcare settings and improve unique quality of life issues through other life changes (e.g., education, employment)
• Work-related research in:
  • Providing a strong evidence base to inform arthritis-related workplace policies and accommodations
  • Ensuring that employees and employers have effective tools and resources to communicate how to manage chronic conditions in the workplace
  • The prevention of workplace disability and the most effective accommodations

Applications are to be completed and submitted by the candidate under the close supervision of the proposed supervisor. The supervisor must be an arthritis researcher who qualifies as a Principal Investigator as defined by Arthritis Society Canada. The training program must include actual involvement in conducting research. Students enrolled in programs oriented toward clinical training with no research thesis are NOT eligible for this award.

Successful applicants will also be invited to attend the Canadian Arthritis Research Conference. The intent is to augment the young investigators’ training by providing a forum to share their research, gain knowledge on select topics such as consumer engagement in research, and provide networking and mentorship opportunities.

Consumer Engagement
Arthritis Society Canada values the voice of consumers in research, both in their inclusion in award applications and the peer review process. Applicants should consider this in their submission and are strongly encouraged to integrate input from consumers in the development of research questions and/or design as appropriate. Productive engagement of consumers in the conduct, analysis and/or dissemination of the research should be described, where appropriate. Please note that the review panel will take into consideration whether consumers are involved and to what extent. For more information on consumer engagement, you can download Arthritis Society Canada’s resource for researchers here or visit our Get Involved in Research page.

Sex and Gender
Applicants should account for sex as a biological variable and/or gender as a sociocultural determinant of health in basic science, clinical, health service and population health studies where appropriate.  Applicants will be required to articulate this within their application. Sex and Gender in Health research resources and training modules can be accessed here.

Eligibility

To be considered eligible for this award, applicants must:

• Be engaged in full-time training in research in a Canadian graduate school program leading to a PhD;
• Be within the first three years of a PhD training program at the time of the application deadline; and
• Be working on a research project with clear relevance to the research priority areas in Arthritis Society Canada’s 2020-27 Research Strategy.
• Not hold a competitive award, as of the September 1 start date, that exceeds the value of this award.

The roles and responsibilities of the Trainee and Host Institution in the management of Arthritis Society Canada’s research and training funds are defined on the Arthritis Society Canada website.

Award Amount and Term

Our research funding is always contingent on the generosity of our donors.

The maximum award per application is $35,000 annually for up to three  years ($105,000 total). These awards are non-renewable.

Please note the matching funds required for this program:

• The program provides 50% of the salary award to successful applicants. The other 50% of the award funding must come from one or more partners (government, industry, NFP or academic institution) or be allocated from an existing research agency grant held by their supervisor.
• Successful candidates will receive up to $17,500 annually from Arthritis Society Canada for this award.

Generative AI in the Preparation of Award Applications and Reviews

Applicants are required to state if and where application material has been generated using AI. Applicants should be aware that using AI may lead to the presentation of information without proper recognition of authorship. Please note that reviewers will see the responses to these questions and will consider the appropriateness of its use.

Reviewers must not use AI in the creation of their own reviews.

Application

A maximum of one application per trainee will be permitted in the competition.

All submissions will be screened for completeness and eligibility. Note that incomplete applications by the deadline will be deemed ineligible and withdrawn from the competition. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that applications are complete at the time of submission.

All applicants are strongly advised to read all program documentation listed below. If you have any questions, please contact the research department.

Applications must be submitted through Arthritis Society Canada’s online research grant portal and include the following components:

• Scientific abstract (Max. 500 words)
• Project description (Max. 2,500 words)
• References
• Relevance of the proposal to Arthritis Society Canada’s Research Strategy priority areas (Max. 250 words)
• Lay summary sections (Max. 150 words per section)
• Knowledge translation (KTE) plan sections (Max. 250 words per section)

Required attachments

• Signature page (signed by the candidate, supervisor(s), department head and Host Institution)
• Candidate and supervisor(s) Canadian Common CV (CIHR Biosketch – CIHR issued PIN required)
• Timeline and milestones (1 pg. diagram/chart)
• Official transcripts (Undergraduate and Graduate)
• Two letters of support, including one from the candidate’s primary supervisor including confirmation that the trainee will devote at least 75% of their time to conducting the proposed research, providing an assessment of the candidate’s critical thinking, independence, perseverance, originality, organizational skills, interest in discovery, etc., value of the award to the candidate, the research environment, and details of the source of matching funding.

Optional attachments

• Appendices (Max. 5MB per document)

Peer Review

One or more multidisciplinary peer review committee(s) will be assembled to review the applications. The peer review committee(s) will consist of scientific and clinical experts with broad expertise, along with consumers to provide patient perspectives. It is important that applicants devote time to write the lay summary sections.

Review Criteria

The review criteria for applications will include, but not necessarily be restricted to the following:

1. Quality of the candidate and research environment
   • Strength of the CVs, transcripts, letters of support, etc.
   • Strength of the research and training environment
   • Strength and appropriateness of the supervision
   • Potential impact of the award to the candidate
2. Quality of the research project
   • Scientific merit of the arthritis research project and its potential to create new knowledge, significantly advance our understanding of arthritis, and/or improve care or support for people affected by arthritis. For example, the development of new therapeutics, diagnostics, devices, intellectual property, information to consumers and/or health policy makers, decrease the burden of illness, improve quality of life, etc.
   • Consumer engagement plan, as appropriate
   • Sex and/or gender considerations
   • Feasibility of the proposed research project within the time frame.  For example, are the timelines appropriate, technology and laboratory environment available etc.
3. Relevance of the proposal to Arthritis Society Canada’s 2027 Research Strategy

It is the applicant’s responsibility to make convincing arguments supporting the relevance of their proposal to Arthritis Society Canada’s Research Strategy, specifically one or more of the five research priority areas (arthritis pain, OA, IA, childhood, and work). More details can be found in Accelerating Impact: Research Strategy.

The role of the consumer is to assess the feasibility, relevance to the strategic priorities and potential impact of the proposed research to address an important problem and the potential of the candidate. The consumer will also assess the quality of the lay sections.

Important notes about this award

Awardees are permitted to hold additional competitive training salary awards, however, if the awardee receives an additional salary award(s) valued beyond the required matched value of the award, the amount of Arthritis Society Canada’s training award may be reduced accordingly.

Any non-competitive funds, beyond the matched funding required, that may become available to the candidate (i.e., internal awards or top-ups from supervisor/department sources) can be accepted but cannot exceed the institutional stipend scale.

Awardees are expected to spend at least 75% of their time in research training (i.e., the student may spend no more than 10 hours/week in paid employment that is not directly related to their research training).

If, at any time during tenure of the award, the supervisor feels that the progress of the awardee is not satisfactory or 75% of the trainee’s time cannot be devoted to conducting research, Arthritis Society Canada must be notified in writing immediately. The award may be terminated at any time for good and sufficient reason by the awardee, the Host Institution or Arthritis Society Canada. It is the responsibility of the supervisor and the Institution to notify Arthritis Society Canada immediately of the change of status of the awardee.

Awardee and Host Institution requirements

In addition to the requirements set out in the Host Institution agreement, awardees and Host Institutions who receive Arthritis Society Canada funds are expected to act as ambassadors of our mission and may be called upon to communicate about their research with donors and other stakeholders. We also encourage awardees and Host Institutions to reach out to us to discuss opportunities for engagement.

Applicants are reminded to access the Arthritis Society Canada website for details on the administration and reporting requirements (scientific and financial reporting, policies, etc.).

Members of Lupus Ontario established a Fellowship in memory of their colleague, the late Geoff Carr. The annual Fellowship is designed to provide advanced training to a rheumatologist specializing in lupus at an Ontario Lupus Clinic. The Lupus Fellow will follow patients at an accredited lupus clinic, supervise patient care and education, and become involved in clinical research. The stipend attached to the Geoff Carr Lupus Fellowship will be $75,000 CAD for one year. Candidates must arrange their own place of training at an accredited Lupus Clinic in Ontario.

The successful candidate will likely have completed their core training in Internal Medicine or Pediatrics and have completed a minimum of two years in rheumatology.

Awards are made on the recommendation of Arthritis Society Canada’s review panel. Lupus Ontario administers the Fellowship.

To download information about the fellowship, click here: RFA (PDF, 415 KB) and to download the application form click here: application form (PDF, 355 KB).

Applications for the academic year 2026 / 2027 must reach Lupus Ontario no later than 5 PM on December 1, 2025.

Please email [email protected] if you have any questions or require further clarification.