Funding Opportunities

The Global Team Science Award ($3 million over 3 years)  supports interdisciplinary, collaborative, and highly synergistic projects that focus on the molecular understanding of human lupus and the heterogeneity of the disease. Successful teams will push the boundaries of innovation and bridge research and clinical efforts in lupus by using cutting-edge technologies to address critical questions that could bring about breakthroughs in lupus care, research, or drug development.

The 2026 deadline for this program has passed.

Inquiries can be directed to: 

Scientific: Mara Lennard Richard, PhD; mrichard@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Diomaris Gonzalez; dgonzalez@lupusresearch.org

The LRA has established the Mechanistic Clinical Award to deepen our exploration of lifestyle interventions in a nimbler clinical testing framework. The award provides $750,000 for up to three years for pilot studies testing lifestyle interventions in concert with hypothesis-driven mechanistic analysis to illuminate the underlying effects. Areas of focus for interventions may include physical activity and exercise, diet and nutrition, mental health, harmful exposure prevention (e.g., sun exposure, smoking, alcohol, etc.), sleep, and social relation-based interventions.

Applications due: February 12, 2026 

Please see the 2026 Request for Applications for how to apply. 

Inquiries can be directed to:

Scientific: Kari Fischer, PhD; kfischer@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Diomaris Gonzalez; dgonzalez@lupusresearch.org

The Lupus Research Alliance established the Translational Bridge Award to provide funding to bridge the gap between post-discovery and pre-commercial development and to accelerate the pace at which promising research discoveries are translated into clinical evaluation and transitioned into viable products that directly impact patients. The award provides up to $450,000 for up to 2 years. All projects should advance potential commercial entities or clinical products with clear and direct relevance to people with lupus and the potential to improve diagnosis or the standard of care for the disease, or to usher in a cure. These can include a range of technologies, therapies, interventions, and diagnostics.   

Applications due: February 19, 2026 

Please see the 2026 Request for Applications for how to apply. 

Inquiries can be directed to: 

Maya Bader, PhD; mbader@lupusresearch.org 
Administrative: Diomaris Gonzalez; dgonzalez@lupusresearch.org

The Targeted Research Program on Engineered Cell Therapies for Lupus is a dedicated funding mechanism for projects that advance the development of next-generation engineered cell therapies with a clear and direct relevance to people with lupus. The award provides up to either $300,000 over two years for pre-clinical studies, including discovery and translational projects, or $600,000 over two years for ancillary studies to ongoing or completed engineered cell therapy clinical trials for lupus. All proposals should be centered around a well-defined translation plan to advance the project to the next development stage.

The 2024 deadline for this program has passed.

Inquiries can be directed to:

Scientific: Maya Bader, PhD; mbader@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Diomaris Gonzalez; dgonzalez@lupusresearch.org

The Lupus Innovation Award ($300,000 over 2 years) provides support for pioneering, high-risk, high-reward approaches to major challenges in lupus research. Special emphasis is placed on lupus studies exploring fundamental mechanisms, novel targets and pathways, novel technologies, and interdisciplinary approaches. Both early career and established investigators new to lupus with highly innovative ideas are encouraged to apply.

The 2025 deadline for this program has passed.

Inquiries can be directed to:

Scientific: Mara Lennard Richard, PhD; mrichard@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Diomaris Gonzalez; dgonzalez@lupusresearch.org

The LRA-Genentech Award on Immune Resetting Therapies for Lupus is a funding mechanism to support the development and mechanistic understanding of immune resetting therapies for lupus patients that are cost effective with reduced patient burden and risk. The award provides up to $150,000 per year for either one-year pilot projects on novel technologies or methodologies to achieve immune resetting, or two-year mechanistic research projects to more deeply understand current or emerging immune resetting therapies. 

The 2026 deadline for this program has passed.

Inquiries can be directed to:

Scientific: Maya Bader, PhD; mbader@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Diomaris Gonzalez; dgonzalez@lupusresearch.org

The LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Scientist Development Award (up to $225,000, 3 Years (2 years guaranteed funding with possible renewal in year 3) is a mentored career development award is designed for individuals in the early stages of their career or those without significant prior research experience. Projects should help awardees generate scientific data and develop innovative research ideas necessary to transition to an independent research role in areas aligned with the stated goals of the LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Partnership. Visit rheumresearch.org for more information.

Inquiries can be directed to:

Scientific: Mara Lennard Richard, PhD; mrichard@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Diomaris Gonzalez; dgonzalez@lupusresearch.org

The LRA/RRF Empowering Lupus Research Investigator Award (up to $500,000, 4 Years (3 years guaranteed funding with possible renewal in year 4) is intended to support early career investigators for the period between the completion of post-doctorate fellowship training and establishment as an independent investigator. Visit https://www.rheumresearch.org/career-development-research-awards#IA for more information.

Inquiries can be directed to:

Scientific: Mara Lennard Richard, PhD; mrichard@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Diomaris Gonzalez; dgonzalez@lupusresearch.org

The Lupus Research Alliance offers an Empowering Lupus Research Administrative Supplement (“ELR Supplement”) for promising trainees who reflect the communities and populations of people living with lupus and who are working with LRA-funded researchers or lupus investigators supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense (DOD), or equivalent grants in good standing.

The 2025 deadline for this program has passed.

Inquiries can be directed to:

Scientific: Mara Lennard Richard, PhD; mrichard@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Erin McLaughlin; emclaughlin@lupusresearch.org

Breakthrough T1D (formerly JDRF), the Lupus Research Alliance, and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society have joined forces to identify common mechanisms of autoimmunity. These three leading autoimmune disease organizations are jointly funding research projects looking at common underlying disease mechanisms. Visit https://decodingautoimmunity.org/ for more information.

Inquiries can be directed to:

Maya Bader, PhD; mbader@lupusresearch.org

The primary objective of the Lupus Insight Prize is to identify and recognize an outstanding investigator who has developed a novel research insight in scientific domains relevant to lupus. Click here for more information.

The 2026 deadline for this program has passed.

Inquiries can be directed to: 

Scientific: Maya Bader, PhD; mbader@lupusresearch.org
Administrative: Erin McLaughlin; emclaughlin@lupusresearch.org

The 2026-2027 edition of the SLEuro Mentorship Program will be supported by the Lupus Research Alliance. The Program supports the core objectives of the SLEuro mission by helping young physicians strengthen their clinical and/or research skills, expand their expertise, and build a meaningful network of scientific contacts in the field of SLE. Its primary goal is to foster the mentee’s personal and professional growth through a mentorship relationship that promotes learning, development, and long-term advancement in lupus research and care.

For more information and to apply, visit https://sleuro.org/the-program/.