Overview

Research at BSR: helping you find research opportunities that encourage development of the science and practice of rheumatology.

Research is a key part of our daily function, helping to deliver excellence in rheumatology care.

Besides the registers, guidelines and other quality improvement initiatives, we offer other professional development opportunities throughout the year.

These range from research funding to visiting fellowships and relevant courses.

Advanced Career Research Funding Call

Our first advanced career funding call was launched in January this year, with up to £300,000 of funding available over two years.

This funding call was open to members who have a track record of research in rheumatology and is in addition to our longstanding Early Career Funding call, which is for those members taking their first steps in their research careers.


The advanced career funding call in 2023 was aimed at proposals which improve patient outcomes and influence service development.

The details of the winners of this inaugural call can be found below:

  • Dr Laura Coates, from the University of Oxford: Optimising Patient-Initiated Follow-Up (PIFU) in rheumatology – development of a co-designed PIFU toolkit for patients and clinicians.
  • Dr Charlotte Sharp, from the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust: Supporting the rheumatology multidisciplinary team to write directly to patients
  • Dr James Prior, from Keele University: Flares in Axial Spondyloarthritis - Treating with Effective Resources (FASTER) feasibility study.
We wish winners well with the important work ahead of them.

Early Career Research Funding Call

This is for members who have not had any substantial involvement with research to date; the award gives you access to an early-career research project funding opportunity.

We will not be running this call in 2024 as we assess the impact this funding award has had on its recipients over the last few years. We will communicate this information in due course.

Previous areas prioritised for support include:
  • Research recommendations resulting from published BSR guidelines
  • Using BSR registers or audit data
  • Paediatric and adolescent rheumatology
  • Important research areas identified by members are: health services research, chronic pain (including fibromyalgia) and rare diseases, and COVID-19 impact on rheumatology patients

Visiting fellowships

Week-long fellowships held at a research centre of excellence in the UK, hosted by a BSR member.

We are not currently offering this fellowship but we hope to be able to offer this funded opportunity to members in the future.

ATTENTION: We are currently experiencing technical difficulties with the mentoring platform login. We are aiming to have this resolved ASAP. For assistance please contact: membership@rheumatology.org.uk.

Research mentoring

Our rheumatology researchers mentoring scheme is targeted to support a wide range of potential researchers to develop their academic interests and career ambitions.

Whether you are an experienced consultant looking to move into an academic career, an early career researcher, or have no research experience but an interest or idea you’d like support to develop, then we encourage you to apply.

The scheme is intended to encourage autonomy and self-development and mentors are not expected to collaborate on projects.

Find out more