Grants
Medical Research Future Fund funding opportunities
The Medical Research Future Fund has several grant opportunities open for submissions which are relevant to rare diseases. These opportunities may be of particular interest to teams based in Australia. They are:
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Clinical Trials Activity Grant - Funding for novel clinical trial designs, including n of 1 clinical trails. Rare disease is a focus of streams 1 and 2, and the initial submission date is 1st May 2024.
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2023 Multidisciplinary Models of Primary Care Grant (Streams 1, 2 and 3) / 2023 Multidisciplinary Models of Primary Care (Stream 4) - These opportunities can be leveraged to address issues in the Australian rare disease workforce. Initial submissions close on 1st July and 13th March 2024, respectively.
SMA Europe 12th call for research projects
SMA Europe has launched their biennial call for research proposals on spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). This call aims to support projects which address the needs of people living with SMA, and which demonstrate a clear pathway to impact in the short or longer term. Particular priority will be given to projects concentrating on the following areas:
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Reviving the motor unit in patients with SMA with a specific interest for the role of NMJ (dys)function (including skeletal muscle and development/developmental vulnerability of motor neurons in the spinal cord/brain stem).
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Biomarkers within and beyond the neuromuscular system.
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How metabolism is affected in SMA and how this might influence peripheral organs.
Two types of awards are available, namely operating grants and postdoctoral fellowships. To be eligible for an operating grant, principle investigators must be a professional or faculty member at an appropriate educational, medical or research institution or SME biotech, preferably located in Europe, among other criteria. The maximum amount for an operating grant is €150,000.
Postdoctoral fellowships are open to applicants already belonging to a laboratory, preferably in Europe, and must hold a doctorate degree. These grants must be within European norms and will not exceed €150,000.
Applications for both types of awards must be submitted before 13th May 2024 at 17h00 CET.
IHI calls 6 & 7
The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) has announced the launch of IHI call 6 and IHI call 7.
Call 6 is a two-stage call for proposals with the following topics:
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Support healthcare system resilience through a focus on persistency in the treatment of chronic diseases
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Development of evidence based practical guidance for sponsors on the use of real-world data / real-world evidence
The initial submission deadline for call 6 is 16 April 2024 at 17:00 CET.
Call 7 is a single-stage call for proposals with the following topics:
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Improving clinical management of heart disease from early detection to treatment
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User-centric technologies and optimised hospital workflows for a sustainable healthcare workforce
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Clinical validation of biomarkers for diagnosis, monitoring disease progression and treatment response
The deadline for call 7 is 22 May 2024 at 17:00 CET.
ARSACS research call for proposals 2024
The Ataxia Charlevoix-Saguenay Foundation has opened their annual call for proposals on ARSACS research. The purpose of these grants is to encourage and accelerate the development of a treatment for Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS). Both fundamental and clinical research projects are accepted.
Funding is available as grants of up to $100,000 CAN for a 12-month period, and with the possibility of renewal. An additional Seed Grant of $25,000 is available for projects who have not previously received funding from the Foundation.
Initial applications must be submitted by 24th May 2024, with successful applicants being informed in August. More information is available here.
Medical Research Future Fund funding opportunities
The Medical Research Future Fund has several grant opportunities open for submissions which are relevant to rare diseases. These opportunities may be of particular interest to teams based in Australia. They are:
-
Clinical Trials Activity Grant - Funding for novel clinical trial designs, including n of 1 clinical trails. Rare disease is a focus of streams 1 and 2, and the initial submission date is 1st May 2024.
-
2023 Multidisciplinary Models of Primary Care Grant (Streams 1, 2 and 3) / 2023 Multidisciplinary Models of Primary Care (Stream 4) - These opportunities can be leveraged to address issues in the Australian rare disease workforce. Initial submissions close on 1st July and 13th March 2024, respectively.
2024 Research call on "Mechanisms and measurement of disease progression in the early phase of neurodegenerative diseases"
The EU Joint Programme - Neurodegenerative Disease Research (JPND) has issued a transnational call for mechanisms and measurement of disease progression in the early phase of neurodegenerative diseases. Proposals may be submitted by research groups working in universities or other higher education institutions, public or private research organisations, hospitals and other health/social care settings, or commercial companies. Each proposal must involve 3-6 partners from at least three participating countries, and must focus on one or several of a list of neurodegenerative diseases, including rare disorders such as prion diseases and Huntington's disease. The total funding available for the call is approximately 18 million euros. Pre-proposals must be submitted no later than 12:00 CET on 5 March 2024. A full list of applicable disorders and participating countries is available on the call's webpage.
Joint Transnational Call on Identification or Validation of Targets for Personalised Medicine Approaches
The European Partnership for Personalised Medicine (EP PerMed) has launched a joint transnational call for proposals on "Identification or Validation of Targets for Personalised Medicine Approaches (PMTargets)." Each applying consortium must involve at least three partners from three different participating countries. Projects from all disease areas are eligible. The total available budget for the call is over 45 million euros. The deadline to submit pre-proposals is 5 March 2024 at 17:00 CET. A full list of participating countries is available on the call's webpage.
Franco-German call for proposals in Social Sciences and Humantities - FRAL 2024
The French National Research Agency (Agence nationale de la recherche, ANR) has launched itts 18th Franco-German call for proposals in Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH), in colaboration with the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG). This call aims to fund research projects involving at least one French and one German team, and is open to all research areas within the SSH. Research projects do not have to relate to Franco-German objects and/or field research. Proposals must be submitted in parallel to both the ANR and DFG by 6 March 2024 at 13:00 CET.
Call for research projects on pigmentary retinopathy
The Fondation Maladies Rares and association Bardet-Biedl France (BBS France) have formed a partnership to support and stimulate biomedical research on pigmentary retinopathy for the improvement of Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS). All biomedical disciplines are eligible. Projects must explicitly formulate a research question addressing issues specifically related to pigmentary retinopathy, and must demonstrate their novelty, feasibility, and the expertise of the researcher(s) involved. Financial support up to 90,000 euros is available over a maximum duration of 24 months. Proposals must be submitted by 4 April 2024 at 5pm CET.
IHI calls 6 & 7
The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) has announced the launch of IHI call 6 and IHI call 7.
Call 6 is a two-stage call for proposals with the following topics:
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Support healthcare system resilience through a focus on persistency in the treatment of chronic diseases
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Development of evidence based practical guidance for sponsors on the use of real-world data / real-world evidence
The initial submission deadline for call 6 is 16 April 2024 at 17:00 CET.
Call 7 is a single-stage call for proposals with the following topics:
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Improving clinical management of heart disease from early detection to treatment
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User-centric technologies and optimised hospital workflows for a sustainable healthcare workforce
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Clinical validation of biomarkers for diagnosis, monitoring disease progression and treatment response
The deadline for call 7 is 22 May 2024 at 17:00 CET.
FDA funding opportunity for rare disease research
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) has announced a grant to support efficient and innovative natural history studies that advance medical product development in rare diseases with unmet needs. The funding opportunity announcement is entitled “Efficient and Innovative Natural History Studies Addressing Unmet Needs in Rare Diseases (R01) Clinical Trials Not Required”. The purpose of this grant is to address critical knowledge gaps and facilitate rare disease product development. The receipt dates for this funding opportunity are 15 February 2022 and 13 February 2024.
Another funding opportunity from the OOPD is available for fiscal years 2023-2025 to support clinical trials of products evaluating efficacy and/or safety in support of a new indication or change in labeling to address unmet needs in rare diseases or conditions. The grant is titled "Clinical studies of Orphan Products Addressing Unmet Needs of Rare Diseases (R01)." The receipt dates for this opportunity are 24 October 2023 and 22 October 2024.
Medics for Rare Diseases Student Voice Prize 2023
The 2023 edition of Medics for Rare Diseases' Student Voice Prize is now open for applications. This international essay competition offers applicants the chance to have their work published in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, to present at M4RD's annual conference in London, and to receive cash prizes. It is open to all students of medicine, nursing, and biological sciences. The submission deadline is 15th November 2023 at 12pm GMT. More information on the submission and eligibility criteria is available here.
Medical Research Future Fund funding opportunities
The Medical Research Future Fund has several grant opportunities open for submissions which are relevant to rare diseases. These opportunities may be of particular interest to teams based in Australia. They are:
-
Clinical Trials Activity Grant - Funding for novel clinical trial designs, including n of 1 clinical trails. Rare disease is a focus of streams 1 and 2, and the initial submission date is 1st May 2024.
-
Data Infrastructure Grant - Support for the creation or extension of national research data infrastructure to facilitate health and medical research in Australia. Submissions close on 8th December 2023.
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2023 Multidisciplinary Models of Primary Care Grant (Streams 1, 2 and 3) / 2023 Multidisciplinary Models of Primary Care (Stream 4) - These opportunities can be leveraged to address issues in the Australian rare disease workforce. Initial submissions close on 1st July and 13th March 2024, respectively.
IHI call 6 draft topics
The Innovative Health Initiative (IHI) has published draft texts of topics relevant to rare diseases for call 6, slated for inclusion in IHI's next call for proposals (expected early 2024). The relevant new topics are:
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Support healthcare system resilience through a focus on persistency in the treatment of chronic diseases
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Development of practical guidance and recommendations for using real world data/real world evidence in healthcare decision-making
IQSEC2 Research and Advocacy Foundation Research Grant Program 2023
The IQSEC2 Research and Advocacy Foundation is offering a 1-year grant to support research related to IQSEC2-related disorder. The Foundation will award either one grant of $60,000 or two grants of $30,000. All individuals holding a faculty-level position or a senior position at a non-profit institution or foundation are eligible to apply, including researchers with no prior experience with IQSEC2. Applications must be submitted by 4 November 2023.
Medics for Rare Diseases Student Voice Prize 2023
The 2023 edition of Medics for Rare Diseases' Student Voice Prize is now open for applications. This international essay competition offers applicants the chance to have their work published in the Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, to present at M4RD's annual conference in London, and to receive cash prizes. It is open to all students of medicine, nursing, and biological sciences. The submission deadline is 15th November 2023 at 12pm GMT. More information on the submission and eligibility criteria is available here.
Multiple grant opportunities from NORD
The National Organization for Rare Disorders has announced the following new funding opportunities:
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Up to $35,000 for scientific and/or clinical research studies related to Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM). The submission deadline is 16 October 2023.
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Up to $40,000 for scientific and/or clinical research studies related to Levy-Yeboa syndrome (LYS). The submission deadline is 16 October 2023.
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$30,000 for scientific and/or clinical research studies related to megacystis microcolon intestinal hypoperistalsis syndrome (MMIHS). The submission deadline is 16 October 2023.
More information about the specific calls is available on NORD's website.
2023 EU4Health calls for action grants
The Europan Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) has published 12 calls for proposals under the 2023 EU4Health Work Programme. The topics cover a range of different health-related subjects. In particular, topic PJ-11 is for a program on orphan medical devices, in particular targeting paediatric patients. The total budget for the calls is €19,960,000. The deadline for applications is on 17 October 2023, 17h00 CET.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research: Funding opportunities for rare disease projects
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has announced several new funding opportunities for rare disease projects. The first team grant, "Improving Diagnosis for Rare Disease Patients," aims to support research which will determine the best pathway to diagnose RDs by moving genomic testing towards the front end of the care pathway. The maximum amount per grant is $458,333 per year for up to 3 years. The submission deadline is 7 November 2023.
The second opportunity, "Improving Health and Administrative Data and Monitoring for Rare Diseases," aims to support implementation research to determine the prevalence, direct cost, and burden of rare diseases in the Canadian health care systems. The maximum amount per grant is $400,000 per year over four years. The submission deadline is 7 November 2023.
Horizon Europe Health Calls 2023
The European Commission's Horizon Europe Health Calls 2023 are now open, with several funding calls specific to rare diseases:
The topic "Establishing novel approaches to improve clinical trials for rare and ultra-rare diseases" is part of the Innovative Health Initiative JU Call 4. It is a two-stage call, with an initial submission deadline of 8 November 2023 at 17:00 CET.
FDA funding opportunity for rare disease research
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) has announced a grant to support efficient and innovative natural history studies that advance medical product development in rare diseases with unmet needs. The funding opportunity announcement is entitled “Efficient and Innovative Natural History Studies Addressing Unmet Needs in Rare Diseases (R01) Clinical Trials Not Required”. The purpose of this grant is to address critical knowledge gaps and facilitate rare disease product development. The receipt dates for this funding opportunity are 15 February 2022 and 13 February 2024.
Another funding opportunity from the OOPD is available for fiscal years 2023-2025 to support clinical trials of products evaluating efficacy and/or safety in support of a new indication or change in labeling to address unmet needs in rare diseases or conditions. The grant is titled "Clinical studies of Orphan Products Addressing Unmet Needs of Rare Diseases (R01)." The receipt dates for this opportunity are 24 October 2023 and 22 October 2024.
LaunchBio travel scholarships
LaunchBio is a nonprofit organisation in Silicon Valley which holds small conferences to connect rare disease biotech entrepreneurs and investors. Fondation Ipsen is offering three travel scholarships to European rare disease entrepreneurs who would like to attend a LaunchBio event to promote their company. The scholarship covers the cost of a flight, plus three nights of hotel accommodations. Interested applicants are invited to send the name of their company, the LaunchBio event they would like to attend, as well as 150-300 words explaining how they would benefit from a Fondation Ipsen Schloarship to Clea Stemitsiotis at clea.stemitsiotis@ipsen.com. The program is open until all scholarships have been used.
Scientific monitoring and content acquisition officer
Orphanet is looking to hire a Scientific monitoring and content acquisition officer. The job listing is available here.
If interested, please send your CV and cover letter to jobs.orphanet@inserm.fr.
Document resource manager, Genes and rare disease nomenclature
Orphanet is looking to hire a Document Resource Manager, Genes and rare disease nomenclature. The job listing is available here.
If interested, please send your CV and cover letter to jobs.orphanet@inserm.fr.
Job opportunities at EURORDIS
EURORDIS is looking to fill multiple positions, including Chief Executive Officer, Corporate and Donor Relations Assistant, and Communications Junior Manager, Projects & Programmes. More information is available here.
IHI upcoming opportunities
The Innovative Health Initiative has published a list of topics under consideration for inclusion in the next IHI call for proposals, to be launched in summer 2023. This is to give potential applicants additional time to start building a consortium and drafting a proposal before the official launch of the call. In particular, this includes the IHI call 4 (two-stage) topic: Establishing novel approaches to improve clinical trials for rare and ultra-rare diseases.
LaunchBio travel scholarships
LaunchBio is a nonprofit organisation in Silicon Valley which holds small conferences to connect rare disease biotech entrepreneurs and investors. Fondation Ipsen is offering three travel scholarships to European rare disease entrepreneurs who would like to attend a LaunchBio event to promote their company. The scholarship covers the cost of a flight, plus three nights of hotel accommodations. Interested applicants are invited to send the name of their company, the LaunchBio event they would like to attend, as well as 150-300 words explaining how they would benefit from a Fondation Ipsen Schloarship to Clea Stemitsiotis at clea.stemitsiotis@ipsen.com. The program is open until all scholarships have been used.
Jerome Lejeune Foundation autumn call for projects
The Jerome Lejeune Foundation has opened their twice-yearly call for fundamental, translational and clinical research projects that will strengthen the understanding, deepen the knowledge and/or will explore new therapeutic approaches for Down syndrome. Funding is awarded over two years in the framework of either a pilot/exploratory grant (max €50,000) or an advanced grant (max €80,000). Principal investigators of any nationality holding a long-term appointment within an academic institution are invited to apply before 13 August, 2023.
Share4Rare Call4Projects: 3rd Open Call for Patient-Driven Research Projects
The Share4Rare project, which receives funding from the European Commission through a Horizon2020 grant, has announced the launch of the third edition of their Call4Projects. In support of Share4Rare's mission to foster the development of research projects which emphasise the perspectives of patients, applications are welcome from patient organisations and research groups whose proposed projects contribute to a deeper understanding of rare diseases. Successful applicants will receive comprehensive assistance from the Share4Rare team throughout the entire research process. The application deadline is September 30th, 2023 at 17:00 CEST.
2023 EU4Health calls for action grants
The Europan Health and Digital Executive Agency (HaDEA) has published 12 calls for proposals under the 2023 EU4Health Work Programme. The topics cover a range of different health-related subjects. In particular, topic PJ-11 is for a program on orphan medical devices, in particular targeting paediatric patients. The total budget for the calls is €19,960,000. The deadline for applications is on 17 October 2023, 17h00 CET.
FDA funding opportunity for rare disease research
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) has announced a grant to support efficient and innovative natural history studies that advance medical product development in rare diseases with unmet needs. The funding opportunity announcement is entitled “Efficient and Innovative Natural History Studies Addressing Unmet Needs in Rare Diseases (R01) Clinical Trials Not Required”. The purpose of this grant is to address critical knowledge gaps and facilitate rare disease product development.
The receipt dates for this funding opportunity are 15 February 2022 and 13 February 2024.
FDA funding opportunity for rare disease research
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) has announced a grant to support efficient and innovative natural history studies that advance medical product development in rare diseases with unmet needs. The funding opportunity announcement is entitled “Efficient and Innovative Natural History Studies Addressing Unmet Needs in Rare Diseases (R01) Clinical Trials Not Required”. The purpose of this grant is to address critical knowledge gaps and facilitate rare disease product development.
The receipt dates for this funding opportunity are 15 February 2022 and 13 February 2024.
Canadian Institutes of Health Research: National Pediatric Rare Disease Clinical Trials and Treatment Network
The Canadian Institutes of Health Research has announced an upcoming funding opportunity, "National Pediatric Rare Disease Clinical Trials and Treatment Network." This opportunity is funded under the new National Strategy for Drugs for Rare Diseases. Its specific objectives are:
· To develop a platform to support paediatric rare disease clinical trials in Canada;
· To increase the capacity to perform rare disease clinical trials in Canada;
· To attract international clinical trials;
· To foster diversity and inclusion in and improve access to clinical trials;
· To implement processes to acquire data from clinical trials, real world registries, health economics evaluation, and post-marketing surveillance;
· To increase the number of new rare disease drug submissions for authorisation of commercialisation to Health Canada.
There are up to $20,000,000 available over five fiscal years to fund one Network grant. The deadline to submit Expressions of Interest will be during Summer 2023, and CIHR will schedule a collaboration call with applicants in late summer.
Jerome Lejeune Foundation autumn call for projects
The Jerome Lejeune Foundation has opened their twice-yearly call for fundamental, translational and clinical research projects that will strengthen the understanding, deepen the knowledge and/or will explore new therapeutic approaches for Down syndrome. Funding is awarded over two years in the framework of either a pilot/exploratory grant (max €50,000) or an advanced grant (max €80,000). Principal investigators of any nationality holding a long-term appointment within an academic institution are invited to apply before 13 August, 2023.
AFM-Téléthon international thematic call for projects 2023
AFM-Téléthon has launched their first international call for proposals for Translational Research Projects on the theme "A single therapeutic product for multiple mitochondrial disorders." The call is open to any project on primary mitochondrial diseases that will develop a therapeutic approach which targets several mitochondrial diseases. Collaborative projects are encouraged.
Selected projects can be awarded a maximum of €200,000 per year, for up to two years. Funding will be available for salaries, consumables, subcontracting, and may be available for equipment. Applications must be submitted by 3rd May 2023, with awards to be announced in December 2023.
Global Genes Meet-Up Impact Grants
As part of their RARE Impact Grant Program, the organisation Global Genes is providing financial support, marketing, materials, and resources for in-person meet-ups of rare disease advocacy organisations. In order to be eligible, applicant foundations must be a member of Global Gene's Global Advocacy Alliance and the planned event must fall into one of three categories: caregiver/patient support, scientific updates and/or clinical research, or capacity building. A total of 8-10 awards are available of up to $15,000. Applications must be submitted by 12 May 2023 at 12:00pm EST.
Horizon Europe Health Calls 2023
The European Commission's Horizon Europe Health Calls 2023 are now open, with several funding calls specific to rare diseases:
The call “European Partnership on Rare Diseases” is part of Destination 3 “Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden.” It is a single-stage call, and the deadline is 19 September 2023 at 17:00 CEST.
The topic “Modelling and simulation to address regulatory needs in the development of orphan and paediatric medicines” is part of Destination 6 “Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health industry.” It is a single-stage call, and proposals must be submitted before 13 April 2023 at 17:00 CEST.
GA4GH 2023 call for driver projects open
Does your initiative aim to embed genomics in healthcare, set genomic data sharing policies, expand data access, or achieve other goals related to responsible use of human genomic data? Apply to become a GA4GH Driver Project! Driver Projects shape the development of GA4GH standards, tools, and frameworks and help drive forward our mission: to expand responsible genomic data use that benefits human health. See eligibility criteria and apply to become a GA4GH Driver Project by 30 April 2023.
EJP-RD Joint Transnational Call 2023
The EJP-RD is accepting submissions for their 2023 Joint Transnational Call for research projects on the topic of “natural history studies addressing unmet needs in rare diseases.” Funding is provided by a number of national and regional organisations, and will only be given to multilateral teams representing at least 4 different countries. The maximum amount of funding available varies based on the individual funding organisation.
The call has a two-stage submission procedure, with pre-proposal submissions due by 15 February 2023.
AFM-Téléthon international call for proposals now open
AFM-Téléthon has opened their 2023 international calls for proposals. There are opportunities for both scientific and medical research projects on a range of topics related to neuromuscular diseases. Several different types of funding are available.
The deadline for grants and postdoctoral fellowships has now passed, but applications for PhD Fellowships will be accepted until 28 March 2023.
FDA funding opportunities for rare disease research
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office for Orphan Products Development (OPD) announced the publication of a call for funding of effective and innovative natural history studies that foster the development of medicines for rare diseases with unmet needs. The call is entitled “Effective and innovative natural history studies addressing unmet needs in rare diseases (R01) Unsolicited clinical studies”. The call aims to fill the main knowledge gaps and foster the development of medicines for rare diseases.
The next deadline for submitting applications is February 13, 2024.
The 3rd call of the Innovative Health Initiative has been published
The third call of the Innovative Health Initiative is open, focused on various topics, including advanced therapies for rare diseases. More information on this single-stage call is available on the IHI website, (link below). The maximum financial contribution disbursed by IHI JU for the topics listed is 138 million euros.
Efficient and Innovative Natural History Studies Addressing Unmet Needs in Rare Diseases (R01) Clinical Trials Not Required
The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support efficient and innovative natural history studies that advance medical product development in rare diseases/conditions with unmet needs. Through the support of natural history studies with high quality and interpretable data elements, FDA expects to address critical knowledge gaps, remove major barriers to progress in the field, exert a significant and broad impact on a specific rare disease or multiple rare diseases with similar pathophysiology, and facilitate rare disease product development.
The ERN Research Mobility Fellowships call
The call for Research Mobility Fellowships aims to support PhD students, Postdocs and medical doctors in training to undertake scientific visits fostering specialist research training outside their countries of residence.
NORD Opens Applications for Three New Rare Disease Research Grants
The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD®) announced new requests for proposal (RFP) for grant funding through NORD’s Jayne Holtzer Rare Disease Research Grants Program. NORD provides grants for the study of diseases for which there are few other sources of funding.
Grants will be awarded to qualified researchers to initiate small scientific research studies or clinical trials, the results of which could be used to obtain funding from the National Institutes for Health (NIH), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), or other funding agencies, or to attract a corporate sponsor.