Our Mission
SRUK’s mission is to support those living with Scleroderma and Raynaud’s phenomenon. We invest in research so that one day, a cure may be found and no one has to have their life limited by these conditions. We fund a diverse range of scientific research projects which align both with our mission, and the four core themes which are central to our research strategy:
1. Precision Medicine
The complexity of scleroderma presents the opportunity to exploit ‘precision medicine’, the tailoring of treatment(s) to an individual or subgroup of patients, as opposed to a ‘one-drug suits all’ approach. Research in this sector includes identifying genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors which impact a person’s Raynaud’s or Scleroderma, and improving ‘outcome measures’ to better evaluate treatments within subgroups.
2. Early detection
The earlier Scleroderma is recognised in a patient, the better the prognosis for that individual. For the average person, it takes 5 years to receive a diagnosis of Scleroderma resulting in delays to accessing the most appropriate care and treatment. SRUK are committed to raising awareness of the link between Raynaud’s and Scleroderma, and to funding research which accelerates the development of tools and techniques to identify signs of Scleroderma earlier.
3. Quality of life
Scleroderma and Raynaud’s impact the mental and physical well-being of those with the conditions, which can result in an often-unacknowledged decrease in quality of life. Increased survival rates resulting from the other three avenues of SRUK funding is less meaningful if the quality of those years is reduced due to illness and poor quality of life.
4. Causes of Scleroderma & Raynaud’s
Research into the causes of both Scleroderma and Raynaud’s has historically been significantly underfunded, meaning it is likely that many factors that contribute to both conditions are unknown. By defining this as one of our core research topic areas, we are committed to ensuring that this topic receives more attention and sustained investment.
Our Application Process
At SRUK, we are dedicated to funding high-quality and innovative research that advances our understanding of Scleroderma and Raynaud’s and improves outcomes for people living with the conditions. Our grant application review process is designed to ensure that we select the most promising projects for funding, which align to the core areas of our research strategy. You can read about our grant application review process here.
Our grant application process has four stages:
Stage 1: Expression of Interest Submission
- Grant Call launches
- Expression of Interests are submitted electronically to [email protected]. The Expression of Interest form asks applicants to provide:
- Administrative details: applicants, co-applicants, and host institution
- A description of the clinical problem the research aims to address
- Research objectives and proposed methodology
- Duration of study
- Costs of study
- Anticipated outcomes
- Expressions of Interest are assessed by the SRUK Research Committee within one month of the application deadline.
- Successful applicants are invited to submit a full application.
- Unsuccessful applicants are offered feedback from the Research Committee.
Stage 2: Full Application Submission
- Full application forms are received, completed, and submitted. The full application form asks applicants to provide:
- Administrative details.
- A plain English summary of the proposed research
- A scientific abstract and overview
- Details of the project aims, objectives, and methodology
- Expected impact and outputs
- Financial details and budget
- Full applications undergo external peer review, by experts in the field.
Stage 3: Grant Review
- The Research Committee review the full applications, based on their peer review scores and feedback.
- A funding recommendation is made by the Research Committee.
- The final funding decision is made by the Board of Trustees.
- Applicants are notified of the outcomes of their application, and provided feedback from the Research Committee and external peer reviews.
Stage 4: Terms & Conditions
- Terms and conditions are sent and signed by successful applicants.
- Invoices and reports are sent on an agreed schedule.
- Invoices are approved based on project progress and reporting.
You can find examples of our Expression of Interest and Full Application forms below:
Funding Offer
SRUK funds research on a sole funder basis, or in partnership with other organisations. See examples of previously funded projects here.
In the 2024 SRUK Grant Call, we offered two awards of up to £75,000 to innovative research teams, to promote innovative and high-quality research by new and established investigators in fields related to Scleroderma.
Proposals to SRUK Grant Calls can be basic, translational, or clinical in nature but must be relevant to the four areas outlined in our research strategy: causes, early diagnosis and detection, precision medicine, or quality of life.
Details of upcoming grant calls and other funding opportunities can be found here.