Arthritis UK consortium funding aims to bring different groups together to work with integrated thought and ambition. Creating a community of shared expertise, to deliver a cohesive series of research packages that work towards unlocking a problem area at pace.
Two new research consortium opportunities have been announced:
Supporting Mental Health for People with Arthritis
This opportunity aims to support improvements in the holistic management of growing and living well with arthritis, from childhood into adulthood and through later life, including end-of-life care. It will support:
- implementation of existing evidence-based mental health solutions for people with arthritis in new settings alongside or outside the NHS
- development of novel interventions where current interventions are insufficient or not adaptable, to be designed to be delivered within relevant settings,
- pharmacological and psychological interventions, with an emphasis on the interaction between them
Areas of focus include, but are not restricted to, supporting mental health for people with arthritis such as:
- underserved communities particularly in rural and coastal areas
- children and young people with chronic pain
- women experiencing the menopause
Osteoarthritis Treatments
This opportunity supports research focused on the development of disease and symptom modifying pharmacotherapeutic osteoarthritis treatments. It will support:
- development of a distributed portfolio of multiple already identified potential treatments with different targets and mechanisms of action, at different stages of development
- building a strong UK osteoarthritis translational research community, able to deliver rapid pharmacotherapeutic research progress
Areas of focus include, but are not restricted to, support for:
- development of small molecules, biologics (antibodies, peptides, proteins), advanced therapeutics (DNA and RNA gene therapy, cell-based therapy), regenerative medicine approaches
- repurposing of existing medicines or adoption of underdeveloped “on-the-shelf” assets with established safety profiles and indications of potential efficacy in osteoarthritis
- novel approaches: pathway progression – hit evaluation, human target engagement, lead identification, refinement and optimisation to candidate nomination
- repurposed entities: generation of initial efficacy and safety data in the targeted patient population
- testing and confirming developmental approaches that have no prospects, broadcasting these widely, and halting activities where necessary
Details of the first osteoarthritis consortium are available here: Pioneering study sets out to answer why osteoarthritis impacts patients differently
ELIGIBILITY
The lead applicant must be based at an eligible UK institution.
One applicant must have a substantive position at the host (lead) institute.
Individuals are not allowed to Lead more than one Consortium, but can be members of multiple Consortia.
International members bringing expertise or facilities that are not available in the UK are welcomed.
VALUE AND DURATION
Both calls are offering up to £3million for up to 60 months (costs for salaries, consumables, expenses and small items of essential equipment can be requested).
KEY DATES
Calls open: June 2026
Notice of Intent to Apply deadline: 29 July 2026 (instructions in call documents below)
Application deadlines:
- 9 September 2026 (Supporting Mental Health for People for Arthritis)
- 23 September 2026 (Osteoarthritis Treatments)
Funding decisions: March 2027
Links to each opportunity webpage can be found on the funding calls section of the Arthritis UK website. Further information can also be found in the respective call documents below.
A recorded presentation will also soon be added to the opportunity webpages, providing information about developing and managing a theory of change delivery framework for applications to these calls.