The review and final selection of proposals for the 2025 LRI grants budget round have concluded, after which the applicants were notified of the outcome. This budget round was highly competitive, with 75 Letters of Intent received from researchers around the globe. From these, 20 were invited to submit a Full Proposal, and after extensive review throughout 2024,  four  proposals were approved for funding. 

The list of approved proposals can be found below, and more information is available through the provided links to the individual project pages.

Congratulations to all researchers! We are looking forward to supporting your impactful projects!

        Diagnostic tests

• Genome-wide association study of leprosy per se and disease recurrence in a high endemic country
  The study aims to advance the understanding of the genetic component controlling host susceptibility to leprosy in a high-endemic setting, combining a hypothesis-free and a hypothesis-based approach.

         Disability

• Decoding Therapeutic Landscapes: Unravelling the Inverse Genomic Signature of Erythema Nodosum Leprosum (ENL) for Neutrophil-Targeted Interventions
  The primary objective of this project is to obtain the inverse genomic signature of ENL based on the proposition that this drug signature should have a therapeutic benefit if it generates a gene expression profile that is the inverse of the signature associated with the ENL.

         Stigma and discrimination

• Working towards mental health Recovery Among Persons affected by leprosy (WRAP): A feasibility study in India and Nepal
  The main aim of this Participatory Action Research study is to develop a replicable process through which persons affected by leprosy with anxiety and depression co-produce local community-based mental health interventions in India and Nepal.

         Transmission

• Unveiling the zoonotic dynamics of Leprosy in Brazil: a molecular exploration and surveillance approach
  As a primary objective, this research seeks to address significant knowledge gaps by exploring the geographic distribution and prevalence of both M. leprae and M. lepromatosis in armadillos collected from 10 states in Brazil.