Pilot Grant Eligibility Criteria:

• Proposals for the FSR Pilot Grant must be for research in the sarcoidosis space. We invite clinician scientists from any discipline to apply (dermatology, radiology, neurology, pulmonology, rheumatology, etc).
• Proposals for research studies focused on areas other than sarcoidosis are not eligible.
• Principal Investigators (PIs), Co-PIs, and Sub-Is, must submit bio-sketches in the NIH format (or equivalent international formats) as well as any letters of support from anyone collaborating on the proposal.
• The PI must be affiliated with a college, university, or a non-profit research facility that is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded.
• Proposals are accepted from the U.S. and internationally, however all proposals must be submitted in English and budgets must be proposed in U.S. Dollars.

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research does not award grants directly to individuals.

Restrictions

• The budget for the FSR Pilot Grant is limited to $100,000 and may include up to 10% indirect costs.
• Compensation for personnel—including principal investigators, co-investigators, and key study staff—may not exceed the NIH salary limitation in effect at the time of award
• Budgets that include research lab equipment that utilizes over 50% of the proposed budget must include justification and a description of how that equipment will be used in the post-grant period.
• All awardees must submit bi-annual progress and financial reports to FSR. Bi-annual reports are due at the end of each 6-month period while the grant period is active.
• Projects proposed may not be longer than two years in duration.
• Successful applicants may not hold any other research funding from FSR at the time funding of this grant begins. This includes funding from the FSR Established Investigator, Early Career Fellowship Grant, Pilot Grant, and Cardiac Grant. However, FSR Clinical Data Registry investigators may apply.
• PIs and Co-PIs may not submit more than one application for this program in a given cycle.

FSR Research Agenda

The Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research (FSR) has undertaken a comprehensive process to develop a new research agenda that will guide its funding priorities and strategic direction. FSR employed a rigorous four-stage process to develop its research priorities, including conducting a literature review; hosting a brainstorming workshop with key stakeholders including physicians, patients, and caregivers; conducting direct stakeholder interviews; and facilitating a quantitative prioritization survey of the FSR community. Read more about the FSR Research Agenda here.

Through this process, FSR established five primary research priorities and six research values that should guide all funded research.

Research Priorities

Successful research proposals will need to be aligned with one or more of the following priorities:

Letter of Intent Instructions

Please enter information as requested in all sections on the ProposalCentral LOI application form.

Proposals should be no longer than two pages in length, single-spaced, utilizing 12-point font and 1-inch margins, and attached in PDF format in Section 7 (Attachments).

Proposals should include the following information:

1. Project Title and Summary
2. Brief description of project and research focus
3. Primary objectives of the project
4. Methodology
5. Alignment with the FSR Research Agenda priorities and values.
   1. Please review this document here before applying. Appendix C (page 28-on) can help you prepare this section.
   2. You must mention the exact FSR Research Agenda Priority that best aligns with your project.
   3. Provide justification for the alignment of your proposal.

Letter of Intent must be submitted through ProposalCentral by 11:59pm EST on June 4, 2026. Questions should be submitted to research@stopsarcoidosis.org

LOI applications will be evaluated in the following areas:

• Significance: the importance and potential impact of the proposed research on the field of sarcoidosis
• Approach: the rigor and feasibility of the methods proposed to achieve the project’s goals
• Alignment with FSR’s Research Agenda Priorities and Values: strength of alignment with investigator-identified primary priority.

Full applications will be evaluated according to the latest NIH review criteria by the FSR Scientific Review Committee. Additionally, full applications will be reviewed by the FSR Patient Stakeholder Review Committee to evaluate the impact of the project from the patient perspective, and the project’s alignment with FSR’s Research Agenda Priorities.

2026 Timeline for Applicants

April 24, 2026: LOI applications open

June 4, 2026: Deadline for LOIs

June 2026 – July 2026: LOI review period

Late July: Invitations to submit full applications sent

September 14, 2026: Deadline for full proposals

September 2026 – October 2026: Final review period

Late November:  Awardee notification

Reports and Payments

• Bi-annual Reports: The grantee will send a bi-annual report of activities and financial reports.

• Grant fund payments will be contingent on and align with the bi-annual report schedule.

• Annual Report and Evaluation: All grantees may be asked to participate in a patient-friendly colloquium reporting on the experience, research outcomes, and grant preparation and application process.

Any resulting publications or presentations must acknowledge the support of FSR. FSR should be sent a copy of all resulting publications in PDF format.

If you have any questions, please contact research@stopsarcoidosis.org.

Research Values

Where appropriate and/or possible, all FSR-funded research should demonstrate the following characteristics:

• High-Quality Data – Research must be supported by robust methodology and data collection, including well-designed study protocols, appropriate statistical power and rigorous data collection and analysis methods.
• Health Equity Focus – Research should address the needs of underserved, marginalized, historically disadvantaged or vulnerable populations, demonstrated through inclusive recruitment strategies, analysis of disparities in care, or targeted interventions for underserved groups.
• Real-World Evidence – Research should leverage real-world data and evidence when appropriate, including integration of registry data, real-world effectiveness studies, and/or leveraging practice-based research networks.
• Patient Voice Integration – Research should reflect and capture patient perspectives and priorities by engaging patients in study design, through the collection of patient experience data and/or development of patient-driven research questions.
• Investigator Development – Research should foster the growth of independent sarcoidosis investigators including mentorship components, career development opportunities and research capacity building.
• Research Leverage – Research should build upon and connect with existing research efforts through cross-institutional collaborations, by building on previous findings, or through shared resources and data

Applications will be evaluated in the following areas:

• Significance: the importance and potential impact of the proposed research on the field of cardiac sarcoidosis
• Approach: the rigor and feasibility of the methods proposed to achieve the project’s goals
• Alignment with FSR’s Research Agenda Priorities and Values: strength of alignment with investigator-identified primary priority

Any resulting publications or presentations must acknowledge the support of the host institution and FSR. FSR should be sent a copy of all resulting publications in PDF format.

If you have any questions, please contact research@stopsarcoidosis.org.

Learn about upcoming funding opportunities by signing up for FSR’s Physician Investigator Newsletter here.

Watch FSR’s Cardiac and Pilot Grant Writing Webinar

Click here to watch the FSR Grant Writing Webinar with Dr. Lisa Maier.

Click here to watch a grant writing webinar with Dr. Wonder Drake focused on how to submit a successful Pilot Grant proposal.