LRI Flagship grant: call for proposals - Budget round 2027

The Leprosy Research Initiative (LRI) is pleased to announce an LRI Flagship call for proposals for funding commencing in 2027. LRI funds research with a focus on leprosy – including research applications combining leprosy with other neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) or other diseases or disabilities that share cross-cutting issues with leprosy.  

• Para a versão do edital em português, favor clicar aqui!
• Pour une version française de l’appel à propositions, cliquez ici!
• ¡Para obtener una versión en español de la convocatoria de proyectos, haga clic aquí!

Eligibility criteria: 

• The main topic of the study must fall within one of the agreed LRI priority areas for leprosy research 
• For this budget round, preference will be given to research applications focusing on reactions and nerve function impairment. Researchers are encouraged to submit proposals addressing topics including, but not limited to:
  • Operational research on the diagnosis and management of reactions and nerve function impairment, including integration and strengthening of health systems and mainstreaming of services;
  • Research on the mechanisms of reactions;
  • Improved treatment regimens and assessment of new drugs;
  • Surveillance and follow-up post-treatment
• Research results must be directly applicable to leprosy services or to the wellbeing of persons affected by leprosy.
• Preference will be given to proposals from or in close collaboration with institutions or organisations in endemic countries.
• Project duration must not exceed four years (48 months).
• There is no budget ceiling for the current call. By way of guidance: projects LRI has funded in the past years had an average annual budget of €30,000 (ranging from €10,000 to €75,000) – although in exceptional cases higher annual budgets have been accepted.

Researchers interested to apply for funding by the LRI are invited to complete and submit a Letter of Intent (LoI), giving an outline of the intended research. The LoIs can only be submitted using the LRI Grant application portal, which can be accessed via https://leprosyresearch.flexigrant.com/. The online portal will open on December 1^st, 2025.

LoIs should be submitted by January 23^rd, 2026 at 17:00 (CET) after which the application portal will be closed. We strongly advise you to take sufficient time to enter all the required data in the system. Only applications in English will be considered.  

LoIs will be screened by the LRI Steering Committee (SC). Applicants will be informed about the outcome of the LoI on March 13^th, 2026. If the feedback by the SC is positive, the applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal by May 4^th, 2026. The final funding decision will be communicated by mid-December 2026.

SUBMIT LETTER OF INTENT

Timeline budget round 2027