We’re investing £3m in our Early Detection and Targeted Treatments Research Round 2 Call
31 January 2025
We plan to invest around £3 million in research projects which aim to improve the diagnosis and treatment of arthritis. We’re offering between £100K and £1.2M for ambitious, cutting-edge projects funded for up to 5 years.
Why are we investing in this research area?
Accurate diagnosis of arthritis takes far too long. This delay can cause irreversible damage to people’s joints, permanently reducing their quality of life. We also need to take the guesswork out of treatment, to ensure that people are given the most appropriate treatments first time. Ultimately, we want to ensure that arthritis is diagnosed quickly, treated effectively and, where possible, is preventable.
That’s why we will be calling for research proposals that focus on our Early Detection and Prevention and Targeted Treatments research priority areas from our Better Lives Today, Better Lives Tomorrow Research Strategy 2022-2026.
- Early detection and prevention: spotting the biological signatures of arthritis early to maximise the opportunities for timely intervention and preventing it from getting worse.
- Targeted treatments: taking the guesswork out of treatment by increasing effective, reliable and timely drug and non-drug solutions to reduce, manage or cure disease.
Who can apply for this funding?
The lead applicant must be based at eligible UK institutions. At least one applicant must have a permanent (tenured) position within the lead institute.

We welcome applications from fellows and lecturers who are looking to secure project support as a new investigator or mid-career researcher.
We also encourage the inclusion of people with lived experience as co-applicants.
Proposals that include part-funding from third parties (e.g., industry) or are suitable for co-funding are allowed, but must be discussed with us early.
What types of research are we looking to fund?
This call scope includes the many types of arthritis and associated musculoskeletal conditions described in our Research Strategy and their differential development at any stage of life.
The outcomes sought from this investment are progress toward:
- better tools to identify markers of risk, to enable proactive screening and early detection (secondary prevention) approaches.
- better tools and biomarkers to diagnose arthritis accurately and as rapidly as possible after symptoms begin.
- clinical and care pathways applying a precision medicine and holistic approach – accounting for individual variability in genes, environment and lifestyle and the management of pain, mental health and fatigue.
- more effective, safer treatments and ultimately cures work for more people.
- better tools to help decide the most appropriate treatments.
- more innovative approaches to how different diseases can be most effectively tackled together.
This call underscores our focus on translational research. We’re looking for applications that go beyond simply understanding the causes of arthritis—proposals must clearly outline the next steps beyond the study itself.
We also expect all applicants to align their projects with our Research Impact Framework, which highlights seven key areas of research impact.
Learn more about these impact areas:
Find out more
To apply, please visit the EDTT funding call webpage: