At a glance
This program funds innovative, high-risk lupus research that could lead to major discoveries or advances, and the work must address at least one FY26 focus area. Eligible applicants include U.S. Department of War organizations, foreign and domestic organizations, and for-profit or nonprofit entities; principal investigators may be independent or mentored investigators with a terminal degree. The award is capped at a total of $300,000 for up to 2 years, with about five awards expected from roughly $1.5 million in total funding. Cost sharing is not required. Clinical trials are not allowed, and applications involving painful research on domestic cats or dogs are excluded except for studies related to military or service animals.
What it funds
Official description from grants.gov
Summary: This funding mechanism supports innovative, high-risk/high-reward research that could ultimately lead to a critical discovery or major advancement relevant to lupus. The emphasis is on innovation. Research must address at least one of the fiscal year 2026 (FY26) Lupus Research Program (LRP) Idea Award (IA) focus areas. This funding mechanism does not allow clinical trials. Distinctive Features: • Early-career investigators are eligible to serve as Principal Investigators (PIs) on applications to the FY26 LRP Idea Award (see Section 2. Eligibility Information). • Preliminary data are permitted but not required. • Applications should describe future directions of the work. • An individual may be named as PI on only one application per LRP award mechanism (IA, Impact Award, Transformative Vision Development Award, Transformative Vision Award), for a maximum of four applications to the FY26 LRP
Who can apply
- Unrestricted