Strategic Research Agreements (SRA)

Strategic Research Agreement — Round 1

Funds investigator-led type 1 diabetes research partnerships across preclinical discovery, treatment, and translational priorities.

Breakthrough T1D's Strategic Research Agreement (SRA) program is the organisation's flagship investigator-initiated grant mechanism, designed as a cooperative research partnership between academic investigators and Breakthrough T1D scientists. Breakthrough T1D — formerly JDRF, rebranded in June 2024 — is a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1970 that funds T1D research globally across five strategic areas: early detection, disease-modifying therapies, cell therapies, improving lives, and growing the research community. The SRA program supports cutting-edge scientific investigation across all five priority areas, with funding that is flexible in both budget and duration, determined through the cooperative development of a research plan rather than a fixed cap. Award amounts and page limits are documented in the Grant Handbook published at breakthrought1d.org/granthandbook.

FY27 Round 1 is the first of two annual SRA cycles in fiscal year 2027. Project Concepts (the pre-application letter of intent) for Round 1 are due November 5, 2026, with notifications to invited applicants on December 17, 2026. Applicants who receive a positive notification are invited to submit a full application; the full application timeline is published in the Grant Handbook. The SRA is a partnership model: awardees are required to submit quarterly milestone reports and engage directly with Breakthrough T1D scientists throughout the award period, with continued funding contingent on satisfactory progress against milestones.

Eligibility is open to academic researchers globally — the program is not restricted to US institutions, and international applicants should consult the international funding eligibility notes on the Breakthrough T1D UK affiliate site. Applications are submitted through the SmartSimple RMS360 portal at breakthrought1d.smartsimple.us. The SRA is distinct from IDDP (Industry Discovery and Development Partnership), which is the equivalent instrument for for-profit organisations and operates on a year-round rolling basis.