Overview
CARRA’s peer-reviewed Intramural Grant Program offers various funding opportunities to support investigators at all career levels and advance research that furthers our mission. CARRA values collaborative research, including studies with an international reach and those that are high impact, innovative and may lead to additional funding.

Important Information
- All grant applications will be submitted via Proposal Central.
- All applicants must register as users on Proposal Central here.
- Still need help with Proposal Central? Reach out to Proposal Central’s Support Desk.
CARRA-AF Annual Awards
- October 20, 2025: Proposal Central opens for application submissions
- January 20, 2026: Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline & Data and Sample Share Request Deadline
- March 2, 2026: Application Deadline
- June 2026: Applicant Notifications
- July, August, or September 1, 2026: Project Period Start
CARRA-AF Flex Fund
- January 20, 2026: Flex Fund Winter Deadline
- February 2026: Flex Fund Winter Applicant Notifications
- May 18, 2026: Flex Fund Spring Deadline
- June 2026: Flex Fund Spring Applicant Notifications
- September 21, 2026: Flex Fund Fall Deadline
- October 2026: Flex Fund Fall Applicant Notifications
CARRA-PReS Collaborative Research Award
- March 1, 2026: Data and Sample Request Deadline
- April 20, 2026: Application Deadline
- July 2026: Applicant Notifications
- August, September or October 1, 2026: Project Start Date
VERITY/Brigham Course in Clinical Rheumatology Research
- January 23, 2026: Application Deadline
- February 2026: Applicant Notifications
PReS Meeting Travel Award
- May 5, 2026: Application Deadline
- July 2026: Applicant Notifications
Utrecht Travel Award
- April 1, 2026: Application Deadline
- May 2026: Applicant Notifications
Funding Opportunities
See all current opportunities in Proposal Central
Open Opportunities
CARRA-AF Data Analysis Support Grant
The CARRA-Arthritis Foundation Data Analysis Support Grant funding opportunity is available to researchers to support qualitative or quantitative data analyses on existing CARRA-related datasets from collaborative research projects. The investigator should have the necessary data in hand and already collected at the time of the application submission.
Up to $15,000 may be requested to complete a fixed set of tasks that will result in timely analysis and publication of results. It is anticipated that the majority of funds will be used for programmer and/or statistician effort/fees for service to support database cleaning and/or statistical analyses. Funds are not to be used for investigator effort for drafting manuscripts, publication, or printing costs.
Up to 8 Awards
$15,000 per award
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Download RFA (PDF)
CARRA-AF Flex Fund
In the face of federal funding cuts impacting critically needed research, CARRA has developed a rapid response supplemental grant opportunity. Offered three times a year, this funding opportunity is designed to provide timely funding support to peer-reviewed previously awarded projects that have had funding reduced or terminated within the past 12 months. Funds requested should directly support the completion of a particular aim or project element.
11 Awards
$20,000 per award
Deadlines: January 20, May 18, September 21, 2026
Download RFA (PDF)
CARRA-PReS Collaborative Research Grant
This funding mechanism aims to support collaborative research activities between CARRA and PReS early career investigators. Early career investigators are defined as faculty (not fellows) who have completed their training/education in the past 10 years. This funding mechanism aims to provide seed funding that allows CARRA and PReS investigators to successfully plan and apply for other grants that could support large-scale collaborative research activities. Grant funds may be used to convene meetings, generate preliminary data, and/or support collaborative pilot studies.
Grant applications should show how the applicants will leverage the infrastructure of CARRA and PReS, address priority research topics for both communities, engage patients, and extend expertise that would otherwise not be possible working with either group alone.
1 Award
€50,000 EUR or USD equivalent
Application deadline: April 20, 2026
Download RFA (PDF)
Publication Support Grant
The purpose of this funding mechanism is to aid investigators by supporting publication costs for CARRA-related manuscripts that have been accepted for publication for CARRA-AF grants awarded prior to the 2025 grant year, CARRA and Committee or workgroup research. Up to four grants will be awarded. Awards can be up to $3,000 based on the justification provided. Applications not adhering to requirements will not be considered for funding. Indirect costs are not allowed. All manuscripts must be reviewed/approved by the CARRA Publications Committee.
Up to 4 awards
$3,000 per award
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
Download RFA (PDF)
Utrecht Travel Award
The purpose of this funding mechanism is to provide travel support to Early Investigators who attend the Eureka International Summer Course on Translational Medicine at Utrecht University in the Netherlands (July 5-10, 2026). Early Investigators include members who have completed their terminal research degree or postgraduate clinical training in the past seven years.
Up to 2 awards
$2,000 per award
Closed Opportunities
CARRA-AF Advancing Biosample Collection Award
This funding opportunity supports biosample collection within the CARRA network to advance CARRA translational research. The goal is to collect biosamples from patients enrolled in the CARRA Registry, to be used by CARRA investigators for future hypothesis-based research. This mechanism funds the collection of biosamples at CARRA Registry sites utilizing the CARRA Registry biosample consent form. Priority will be given to funded projects.
2 Awards
$50,000 per award
LOI Deadline: January 20, 2026
Application Deadline: March 2, 2026
Download RFA (PDF)
CARRA-AF Bridge Award
The CARRA-AF Bridge Grant is intended for primary investigators who have submitted a K- (career development) or R-equivalent (investigator-initiated) application to the NIH or similar funding body, received a funding decision, were not funded but received a priority score, summary statement, and funding decision, and intend to resubmit the revised application within the next 12–18 months.
2 Awards
$125,000 per award
LOI Deadline: January 20, 2026
Application Deadline: March 2, 2026
Download RFA (PDF)
CARRA-AF Mentored Career Development Award
This mentored career development award is intended to support an early career investigator (fellow, assistant professor) who demonstrates a clear track record and commitment to developing an independent research career in pediatric rheumatology.
3 Awards
$366,000 per award
LOI Deadline: January 20, 2026
Application Deadline: March 2, 2026
Download RFA (PDF)
VERITY/Brigham Course in Clinical Rheumatology Research
The purpose of this funding mechanism is to provide travel support to Early Investigators who attend the VERITY/Brigham Course in Rheumatology Clinical Research, a 4-day course (April 7-10,2026) at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, MA, aimed at early-stage (typically residents, fellows or junior faculty) investigators pursuing clinical/patient-oriented/epidemiologic research studies in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases. Participants will develop or refine a research protocol or specific aims for a grant proposal during the course.
Up to 2 awards
$1,000 per award
Download RFA (PDF)
over 230
grants awarded since 2016
$10.3 million+
awarded
80+
institutions funded

“I would not have become a pediatric rheumatologist without exposure to CARRA, nor would I be able to continue my research without CARRA’s support. I am especially proud of CARRA’s commitment to understanding and improving health disparities to improve care for all children with rheumatic disease.”
– Danny Soulsby, MD, of UCSF, 2024 CARRA-AF Mentored Career Development Award Recipient
For questions about CARRA’s peer-reviewed, intramural grant program, please contact Emily Klein, Sr. Grants Manager at [email protected].
Read more about findings from CARRA-supported awards.