Current funding opportunities

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

• Pulmonary hypertension association of Canada Research Grants

  • New catalyst grants for researchers are available from PHA Canada in partnership with the Canadian Lung Association. The Wilma Shastry Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Research Award competition promotes innovative research related to the diagnosis, treatment, and/or mechanism of disease for people living with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).
  • Amount : $40,000 for one year, non-renewable
  • Next deadline : Application deadline : April 13, 2026 at 16:00 EST

• 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

• 2026 CSNK2A1 Grant Program

  • Proposed projects must be clearly relevant to OCNDS and CSNK2A1 biology. Community input has identified speech and communication, intellectual disability, sleep disturbances, and anxiety as high-priority symptom domains, and proposals that help advance understanding or treatment of these areas are encouraged.
  • Amount : $50,000, Project duration: up to 12 months
  • Next deadline : LOI deadline: April 17 2026, 8pm (ET)

• Ann Theodore Foundation Sarcoidosis Inhibitor of mTOR (SIM) Trial

  • The ATF Sarcoidosis Inhibitor of mTOR (SIM) Trial is now accepting applications for two-year investigator-initiated clinical trials that will test the efficacy of mTOR inhibitors in treating cutaneous sarcoidosis. This trial would be considered an early Phase 2 trial and would provide scientific support for a future Phase 2b/3 or a Phase 3 trial.
  • Amount: Up to US $250,000 for direct costs per year for 2 years
  • Next deadline : Submission deadline: April 20, 2026

• University of Zurich Rare disease summer school travel grants

  • Supports PhD students and postdocs in attending a summer school focused on orphan and rare diseases, fostering knowledge exchange and professional development in rare disease research.
  • Next deadline : Application deadline : April 26, 2026

• Defeat Duchenne Canada Research Grant

  • Research proposals of a discovery, translational, supportive, or clinical in nature focused on innovation and improving the health and quality of life for individuals living with Duchenne. We encourage research proposals that are meaningful to patients (patient-centered), focused on innovation, clinical care, improved quality of life, and/or reduced burden of illness for patients and caregivers.
  • Next deadline : LOI deadline: April 28, 2026

• Phased Large Awards for Comparative Effectiveness Research (PLACER)

  • This initiative supports research to address critical patient-centered decisions through comparative clinical effectiveness studies. Focus areas include diverse health conditions such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, rare diseases, mental health, infectious diseases, maternal and child health, and medical interventions, emphasizing evidence gaps and outcomes improvement.
  • Amount: Up to $2 million in direct costs for a feasibility phase (up to 18 months in duration), with up to $20 million in direct costs for continuation to a full-scale phase (up to five years in duration).
  • Next deadline : LOI deadline : April 28, 2026

• Joint AAP-AECF Association – CASK-related disorders

  • Support and stimulate fundamental, translational, and clinical research into CASK disorders. All biomedical disciplines are eligible for this call for projects.
  • Amount: €50,000 for 24 months
  • Next deadline : Submission deadline: April 30, 2026, 5 p.m. (Paris time).

• The Lilly and Blair Foundation Grant Program

  • Supports research targeting childhood-onset de novo SPG4, emphasizing therapeutic development, clinical trial readiness, and biomarker validation. Priorities include AAV9 gene therapy, ASO development, drug repurposing, combination therapies, preclinical studies, and tools accelerating treatment strategies for rare neurological disorders.
  • Amount: Up to $75,000/year, 1–2 year funding
  • Next deadline: Application deadline : May 1, 2026

• Canada’s Drug Agency – Rare Disease Registry Funding (2026–2027)

  • Canada’s Drug Agency (CDA) has launched a new funding opportunity for rare disease registries to carry out improvement initiatives that strengthen the availability and quality of their real-world data.
  • Amount: Maximum of $300,000 per contract
  • Next deadline: Application deadline : May 5, 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 

• D2R Commercialization Priming Program

  • The D2R Commercialization Priming program, in partnership with Genome Quebec, aims to provide short-term financial support for early-stage efforts that test or validate the commercial potential of well-defined concepts, technologies, or inventions tied to the D2R Initiative’s priority areas.
  • Amount : Between $50,000 and $100,000 for up to 12 months (non-renewable).
  • Next deadline: Applications are accepted at any time and are reviewed at quarterly meetings, according to the following general schedule. August 15, November 15, February 15, May 15

• CORAMH Graduate Scholarship

  • CORAMH provides financial support to students enrolled in a research-based master’s or doctoral program at a Quebec university whose research project focuses on hereditary diseases present in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region. Projects may either specifically address one of these diseases or explore a topic that could contribute to advancing knowledge about them.
  • Amount : 1 500$ to 7 500$
  • Next deadline: Application deadline : May 15, 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

• Charlevoix–Saguenay Ataxia Foundation Research Funding

  • Funding is available for research on Autosomal Recessive Spastic Ataxia of Charlevoix–Saguenay (ARSACS) to encourage scientific research and accelerate the development of treatments for this condition. Both clinical and basic (fundamental) research projects are eligible.
  • Amount : Up to 100 000$ per project, up to 25 000$ for a seed grant.
  • Next deadline: Application deadline : May 22, 2026

• The Ehlers-Danlos Society Research Inner Circle

  • Supporting diverse research on Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS) and hypermobility spectrum disorders (HSD), with a focus on musculoskeletal, dermatological, hematological, and rare disease aspects to foster advancements in understanding and treatment of these conditions.
  • Amount : There is no minimum or maximum funding limit.
  • Next deadline: Applications Close: Friday, May 29, 2026

• KDA Research Grants

  • The Kennedy’s Disease Association is pleased to announce its SBMA research grants. Through these programs, we seek to further understand the pathological mechanisms of and possible treatments for Kennedy’s disease.
  • Amount: Grants up to $100,000 are available for one or two years.
  • Next deadline: Anticipated application deadline : June 2, 2026

• Histiocytosis Association Request For Research Proposals

  • Proposals for scientific research are accepted for studies into the causes, mechanisms, and improved means of treatment for histiocytic disorders. Proposals are evaluated on the basis of science, feasibility, and relevance including patient-centeredness.
  • Amount : Up to $50,000USD Research grants are awarded for one (1) year projects up to the amount announced.
  • Next deadline: Anticipated application deadline : June 9, 2026

• CIHR REDI Early Career Transition Award 2025

  • The REDI Award is designed to support trainees who are aiming to launch an independent research career in Canada, and would benefit from 1-3 years of structured, mentored development to support that transition.
  • Next deadline : Application Deadline : June 16, 2026

• CIHR : Knowledge Synthesis Grants: Allied Health and Genetics

  • The goal of this funding opportunity is to synthesize the current knowledge base about practices in the allied health space regarding the delivery of genetic and genomic results to patients and the community and to provide implementation guidance to support best practices as related to the delivery of these results in this evolving healthcare context.
  • Amount : The maximum amount per grant is $100,000 per year for up to 2 years, for a total of $200,000 per grant.
  • Next deadline: Anticipated Registration deadline : August 6, 2026

• Uplifting Athletes Young Investigator Draft Grants

  • Open to applicants in Canada. The goal of the Young Investigator Draft is to provide funding that will support the pursuit of new FDA-approved treatments and potential cures for the rare disease community. These seed grants are intended to support early-career investigators, who are still being mentored, and patient advocacy organizations that have an emphasis in supporting research within their disease state.
  • Amount : The grant will be for a minimum of $20,000 USD ($10,000 USD from UAI and a matching $10,000 USD from the nominating advocacy organization).
  • Next deadline: Anticipated application deadline : August 11, 2026

• AO Innovation Funding

  • We support innovations that address unmet clinical needs in musculoskeletal care: Hardware medical devices (implants, fixation systems, instruments), Digital health technologies (apps, AI, surgical planning software), Biologic solutions and/or combination devices, Medical imaging solutions for AI applications, Strategic initiatives advancing MSK treatment or surgeon education
  • Amount : Customized amounts and timelines matched to your project milestones
  • Next deadline: Application deadline: August 31, 2026 

• European Partnership on Rare Diseases (ERDERA) (Phase 2) – Horizon Europe ‘Health’

  • This topic aims at supporting activities that are enabling or contributing to one or several expected impacts of destination “Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden”:The EU strengthens its role as a global leader in rare disease research and innovation by aligning research policies, integrating data infrastructures, and fostering cross-border FAIR data use to improve knowledge generation and translation. This coordinated ecosystem enables more effective collaboration among researchers, funders, patients, and public–private actors, accelerating the development of cost-effective diagnostics and treatments. As a result, people living with rare diseases—especially underrepresented groups—gain more timely, equitable access to high-quality, innovative healthcare across Europe and beyond.
  • Amount : EUR 91.3 million committed in annual instalments over the two years
  • Next deadline : Deadline date : 15 September 2026, 17:00 (CEST)