Laying the foundation for the next generation of researchers and leaders in Spondyloarthritis is important to SPARTAN’s mission.

With the aim of encouraging fellows to take up research projects under mentors with expertise in SPa, SPARTAN will support up to 2 pilot projects.

Purpose

The mission of SPARTAN is to advance research and education to improve the care of patients with spondyloarthritis. We feel strongly that laying the foundation for the next generation of researchers and leaders in SpA is an important portal to achieve this mission. With the aim of encouraging fellows to take up research projects under mentors with expertise in SpA, SPARTAN will support up to 2 pilot projects. The goal is to support the early stages of a fellow-led research project to generate preliminary data that will support grant applications to funding agencies such as the NIH.

2019 Awardees

Paras Karacharya, Mayo Clinic (Mentor Alexis Ogdie, University of Pennsylvania)
“Risk of Multimorbidity in Spondyloarthritis: A UK population-based cohort study”

Jean Liew, University of Washington (Mentor Lianne Gensler, University of California San Francisco)
“Does body mass index impact disease activity in axial spondyloarthritis?”

Akihiro Nakamura, Toronto Western Hospital, UNH (Mentor Nigil Haroon, Toronto Western Hospital, UNH)
“Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor as a Critical Regulator of Inflammation and Bone Formation in Spondyloarthritis Mouse Models”

Eligibility

A total of $10,000 is allocated to cover each new grant in with a maximum of $5,000 per fellow and $5,000 per mentor. This will be a combined application by the fellow and mentor.

• Fellow applicants must be PhDs or MDs currently in training at the level of internal medicine residency, rheumatology fellowship or SpA subspecialty fellowship.
• Mentors should have a strong track record in SpA research as evidenced by publications and should be a SPARTAN member.

Use of Funds

The funds can be used for activities directly linked to the proposal including expendables, services or salary/stipend of trainee. The funds cannot be used for salary support of the PI. Institutional indirect costs are not supported.

Application Materials

a.Project proposal: Within a maximum of 5 pages, include the following sections in your application.

• Signed Cover Page with Title of the project, applicant contact information and supporting signature of the head of your institution (i.e. Division chief).
• Description – Abstract, Specific Aims, Preliminary results (including descriptive data) / Supporting Literature and Methods.
• Brief Budget justification (Max 250 words)
• Time line for completion of project milestones
• Figures and References may be added as an appendix (Combined maximum 2 pages)
  Mentor

b. BioSketch: Max 5 pages with publications from last 5 years.
c.  Fellows: Full CV or Biosketch
d.  Letter of Support – from the director of fellowship or residency stating the availability of time and support for the trainee to engage in the proposed research project.

Submission deadlines

The completed application (below) must be submitted by 12:00 noon EST on April 12th, 2020.

Adjudication

SPARTAN will institute a peer review committee for this competition that will review applications. Results will be announced at the annual SPARTAN meeting in May, 2020.

Requirements

Grant recipients must acknowledge SPARTAN in any presentations or publications related to the project. In oral or poster presentations, the SPARTAN logo must be displayed.

Recipients must present their results at the annual SPARTAN meeting.

Reporting

A post activity report must be submitted via email to SPARTAN at  completion of  the grant period (May 2020). Reports are mandatory for applicants’ continued participation in future SPARTAN projects and competitions. The progress report should contains milestones, any results, budget allocation and any abstract presentations and/or publications that have resulted from this effort.  Additionally, we would like to understand how this funding has helped or will help advance the trainee’s career.

Contact for more details

Lisa Spiegel
SPARTAN Spondyloarthritis Research and Treatment Network
PO Box 55491 | Portland OR 97238
360-600-2170 (direct)
Lisa@Spartangroup.org