Current funding opportunities

Here are the most recent rare diseases funding opportunities identified by RARE.Qc:

• ERDERA 2026 Joint Transnational Call

  • “Resolving unsolved cases in rare genetic and non‑genetic diseases through variant validation and new technological approaches”. The call will welcome proposals focused on providing diagnostic clarity in unsolved rare genetic and non‑genetic diseases.
  • Next deadline: Pre-proposal deadline: February 12, 2026

• Efficient and Innovative Natural History Studies Addressing Unmet Needs in Rare Diseases (R01 Clinical Trials Optional)

  • Supports innovative natural history studies to address unmet needs in rare diseases, bridging critical knowledge gaps, removing barriers, and facilitating medical product development. Focuses on high-quality data to impact rare disease understanding, pathophysiology, and therapeutic advancements.
  • Amount : YR 01: $400,000
    YR 02: $400,000
    YR 03: $400,000
    YR 04: $400,000
    Retrospective Natural History Studies or Survey Studies
    YR 01: $150,000
    YR 02: $150,000
  • Next deadline : Letter of Intent January 9, 2026

• National Multiple Sclerosis Society Research Grants

  • The Society supports all types of research including laboratory models, human studies, population-based approaches, and data-intensive investigations that leverage both researcher and patient-reported outcomes. They value studies that:
    * promote synergies between researchers in diverse disciplines;
    adhere to principles of sharing data and resources;
    * focus on underserved and understudied ethnic and racial MS populations
  • Amount : A maximum of $200,000 USD per year total costs for up to 3 years in length.
  • Next deadline : Pre-application deadline : January 21, 2026

• Savoy Foundation Research Grants Program

  • Available to Canadian researchers working on epilepsy or related subjects.
  • Amount : Up to $25,000 for one year.
  • Next deadline : Application Internal Deadline (R+I) January 26, 2026 10AM

• CIHR : Health System Impact Embedded Early Career Researcher Award

  • Four-year program designed to support:
    – Career pathways for early career researchers embedded in health system organizations
    – Researchers to develop their roles and programs of as embedded researchers
    – Strengthening health system-academic partnerships and cultures of evidence use
    -Advancing evidence-informed health system impact
  • Amount:  $200K/year for 4 years. $100K/year from CIHR and $100k from a matching partner.
  • Next deadline : Application deadline: February 4, 2026 

• North American Spine Society (NASS) Research Grants 

  • This initiative supports research in spine-related basic, clinical, and translational domains. It encompasses fundamental studies on disease mechanisms, clinical evaluations of treatments and outcomes, and the translation of lab discoveries to human trials, focusing on spinal cord diseases and injuries.
  • Amount: Range between $20,000-$40,000 per year.
  • Next deadline : Letter of proposal deadline : February 9, 2026

• CIHR Operating Grant : Advancing 2S/LGBTQI+ Health Through Research

  • The overall purpose of this funding opportunity is to advance, strengthen, and enhance inter-disciplinary, high-impact, and community-engaged health research that addresses the health priorities of 2S/LGBTQI+ individuals and communities in Canada.
  • Amount : 700,000 CAD for 4 years
  • Next deadline : LOI Deadline: February 11, 2026

• Brain Canada Foundation and Heart & Stroke Personnel Awards for Indigenous Scholars

  • Heart and/or brain health research encompasses research addressing conditions, including neurological, that affect the cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular health of people living in Canada. This could include research focused on prevention, treatment, and/or recovery related to heart conditions, stroke, vascular cognitive impairment, and mental health in relation to these conditions.
  • Amount : Master’s Personnel Awards : up to $54,000 CAD, Doctoral Personnel Awards: up to $120,000 CAD
  • Next deadline : Application deadline : February 12, 2026

• Brain Canada Foundation and Heart & Stroke Personnel Awards for Black Scholars

  • Heart and/or brain health research encompasses research addressing conditions, including neurological, that affect the cardiovascular and/or cerebrovascular health of people living in Canada. This could include research focused on prevention, treatment, and/or recovery related to heart conditions, stroke, vascular cognitive impairment, and mental health in relation to these conditions.
  • Amount : Master’s Personnel Awards : up to $54,000 CAD, Doctoral Personnel Awards: up to $120,000 CAD
  • Next deadline : Application deadline : February 12, 2026

• Prix Alnylam Pharmaceuticals 2026 « ARN interférent & maladies rares »

  • Le prix récompensera un projet de recherche innovant dans le domaine des maladies rares et
    portant sur l’un des thèmes suivants :
    • Recherche translationnelle développant une approche d’ARN interférence et utilisant
    un modèle animal ou cellulaire,
    • Vectorisation innovante d’ARN interférents ciblant un organe ou un tissu.
  • Amount : 20 000 €
  • Next deadline: Application deadline : February 12, 2026 

• E-Rare-7 Joint Transnational Call

  • This initiative supports collaborative research on the natural history of rare diseases, aiming to improve diagnosis and treatment. Projects should focus on single or grouped rare diseases, fostering interdisciplinary teams across Canada and Europe to enhance patient outcomes.
  • Amount : The total amount available for this funding opportunity is CAD 1,800,000, enough to fund approximately 4 grants from all Canadian funding sources. This amount may increase if additional funding partners participate. The maximum amount per grant is CAD 150,000 per year for up to 3 years, for a total of CAD 450,000 per grant.
  • Next deadline : Anticipated preliminary proposal deadline : February 15, 2026

• Lupus Research Alliance 2026 Translational Bridge Award

  • Provide funding to bridge the gap between post-discovery and pre-commercial development and to accelerate the pace at which promising research discoveries are translated into clinical evaluation and transitioned into viable products that directly impact patients. All projects should advance potential commercial entities or clinical products with clear and direct relevance to people with lupus and the potential to improve diagnosis or the standard of care for the disease, or to usher in a cure. These can include a range of technologies, therapies, interventions, and diagnostics.
  • Amount : Up to $450,000 for up to 2 years
  • Next deadline : Application Deadline: February 17, 2026

• United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation (UMDF) Postdoctoral Fellowship (accelerators) Prize

  • This opportunity supports postdoctoral projects in mitochondrial disease research, emphasizing basic science, translational research, clinical studies, and clinical trial readiness. It aims to develop new models, diagnostics, and therapies, while fostering the next generation of scientists in this field.
  • Amount : $50,000 for up to two years
  • Next deadline : Anticipted application deadline : February 28, 2026

• Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Scholar Award

• • The Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Scholar Award advances promising discoveries from academic labs to move them into clinical practice. The award combines funding and expert therapeutics development support to help researchers in the UK, US, or Canada to accelerate preclinical projects towards treatments for patients.
  • Amount : USD$100,000 ($50,000 for year one and $50,000 for year two) for US- and Canada-based awardees
  • Next deadline : Application deadline : March 9, 2026

• Million Dollar Bike Ride Pilot Grant Program

  • Open to international applicants. This program supports research on a wide range of rare diseases, including neurodegenerative, genetic, and metabolic disorders. It aims to advance understanding and treatment of conditions such as Ataxia-Telangiectasia, CADASIL, Choroideremia, and Mucopolysaccharidosis, among others.
  • Amount: Number of awards and dollar amounts vary per disease based on fundraising totals by each disease team.
  • Next deadline : Anticipated application deadline : March 21, 2026

• The Myositis Association Research Grant Program

  • Provides financial support to qualified investigators and clinicians for basic, translational, and clinical research across the spectrum of myositis diseases and specialties with the goal of advancing our understanding of the underlying causes and pathophysiology, means of prevention, early detection, accurate diagnosis, effective treatments, and methods for curing myositis and related diseases and complications.
  • Amount : Up to $107,500 USD
  • Next deadline : Anticipated Letter of Intent deadline : April 14, 2026

• Merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy

  • Application open to foreign organizations. The aim of this call is to support any innovative research (basic or translational) aimed at the development of therapeutic strategies. All biomedical disciplines are eligible. This call should contribute to attract teams or researchers working on this disease, but also on other diseases where results could be transferred on LAMA2 CMD.
  • Amount : Up to 25 000 €, for a maximum duration of 24 months.
  • Next deadline : Anticipated application deadline : May 13, 2026 

• Joint research call with CMT-France – “Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease”

  • Application open to foreign organizations. This call aims to support innovative, fundamental, translational or clinical research programs on CMT.
  • Amount : Up to 25 000 €, for a maximum duration of 24 months
  • Next deadline : Anticipated application deadline : May 22, 2026