Research Grant - RiGRa

Research Grant (RiGRa)

The RiGra (RiMS Grant Programme) was established to promote excellence and collaboration in Multiple Sclerosis (MS) rehabilitation across Europe. Co-funded by the Italian MS Society, the programme supports projects that aim to advance best practices and research in MS care, encouraging cross-border collaboration and innovation among members of the RiMS community.

Who can apply?

• Applicants must be a RiMS member (either individual or center-level) at the time of submission.
• Submissions must be made electronically (via email) before the announced deadline.
• The grant is available for Early Career Researchers (ECRs) and Early Career Healthcare Professionals (ECHPs).
  • ECRs are defined as those who have not had more than 8 years since their highest degree.
  • ECHPs who are eligible include any professional group involved in rehabilitation and who have not been working in their current profession for more than 8 years.
• Previous RiGra recipients may apply again, provided that their previous RiGra-funded project has been fully completed and all associated requirements and deliverables have been fulfilled.

Preferred Criteria

• Projects involving multi-center and international collaboration, especially between at least two RIMS centers in different countries.

Judging Criteria

• Clear feasibility and achievable outcomes with the funding provided.
• High relevance to RiMS’ mission and objectives.
• Detailed and transparent budget.

Grant amount

The total amount of the grant is €20 000. Details on the payment schedule can be found below.

How to apply?

Complete the submission form and send back to secretariat@rehabinms.org. 

RiGra 2027 - Applications open

Timeline

• 5 October 2026: Applications open
• 31 December 2026: Deadline for sending in applications
• 1 March 2027: Review of applications (min. 2 reviewers per application) and Executive Board decision
• 5 March 2027: Approval/rejection letters sent
• 1 June 2027: Start of RiGra and first payment*
• 31 May 2029: Deadline to send in results and final payment
• June 2029: Presentation of the results at the RiMS General Assembly

📢 Take a look at the winner from 2026 and discover what made their project stand out in this article.

Evaluation Criteria

Reviewers are asked to evaluate the following criteria.

• The issue addressed is relevant to the RiMS (e.g. pertinence and importance of the topic, advancements of scientific knowledge)
• The hypothesis is clearly stated
• The proposal is original (e.g. new concepts, approaches, methodologies)
• The abstract is sufficiently informative (i.e. gives a clear view of the aims and methods of the proposal)
• The research design is suitable
• The methods are described specifically enough to be evaluated
• The analysis plan is reported and suitable
• The proposal is feasible (i.e. likelihood of success in the time proposed)
• The budget sufficiently detailed and justified
• The applicant is qualified to carry out this project, his/her level of experience and background are adequate for the project and the institutional facilities are adequate
• There is a good integration in the activity of the various investigators/ centers

*Payment

Once notified of the acceptance, RiMS requests a formal commitment letter from the winner.  This letter should include if yes/no an ethics committee needs to be installed.

Then, RiMS will initiate the payment schedule as follows:

1. €17,000 following the Assignment Letter

If approval from the ethics committee is required, the first payment will be €5,000, and the remaining €12,000 following submission of this approval to the RiMS Secretariat.  

    2. €3,000 following submission of the final report to the RiMS Secretariat to secretariat@rehabinms.org (template

         will be shared).  

History of RiMS Grant Programme (RiGRa)

2026
— Zuhal Abasiyanik  & Felipe Balistieri Santinelli, Hasselt University, Belgium
Development of a patient-reported outcome measure for high-level motor capacity in multiple sclerosis. 

2025
— Blanca de Dios Perez, University of Nottingham
Measuring value in MS rehabilitation: a comprehensive evaluation framework

2022
— Philipp Zimmer, TU Dortmund University, Germany
Mechanistic Insights Into Exercise-related Kynurenine Pathway Modulation in Multiple Sclerosis

2021
— Zuhal Abasıyanık, REVAL Hasselt University, Belgium & Dokuz Eylül University, Izmir, Turkey
Psychometric properties of patient-reported questionnaires assessing dual-task difficulties in daily life in persons with MS: an international multi-center study

2019
— Anne Rahn, University of Lübeck, Germany
Needs of people with primary progressive multiple sclerosis (NIPS) – a cross-cultural study

2018
— Giovannetti Ambra
A cross-country validation of the Comprehensive assessment of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy processes (CompACT) for its use with people with multiple sclerosis – “CompACT for MS”

2017
— Ruhaak Leonie
Prevalence, features and underlying causes of dysarthria in Multiple Sclerosis: a systematic review