OUR ACTIONS
Funding of scientific projects
Our calls for projects (AAPs)
The Foundation For Rare Diseases supports excellent research to understand the causes and pathophysiological mechanisms of rare diseases, to develop new treatments, and to improve the lives of patients.
The Foundation has an active scientific policy and launches 4 to 6 calls for projects per year. It offers funding to winning research teams and access to innovative technologies such as new generation sequencing (exomes, whole genomes and new technologies of interest in this field), the development of animal models, and high-throughput screening of molecules with therapeutic potential. Expertise in these new technologies is provided by specialized technology platforms.
A registry of award-winning projects since 2012 is available
Current calls for projects
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
Call for projects VMOV - Pathophysiology of osteogenesis imperfecta
Due to the specificities of the field of rare diseases, the VMOV Association and the Fondation Maladies Rares (Foundation For Rare Diseases - FFRD) have agreed on a partnership to support and stimulate research on the pathophysiology of osteogenesis imperfecta. This call for proposals aims to support innovative, transdisciplinary, fundamental or translational research programmes. All biomedical science disciplines are eligible. The association wishes to support any research aimed at a better understanding of the causes and physio-pathological mechanisms behind Osteogenesis imperfecta, as well as the development of therapeutic strategies.
Max budget: 150 000 €
Max duration: 36 months
Deadline: 05 september 2024, 5 pm (Paris time)
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
Call for projects Lama2France - Merosin-deficient Congenital muscular dystrophy
Due to the specificities of the field of rare diseases, the LAMA2 France Association and the Fondation Maladies Rares (Foundation For Rare Diseases - FFRD) have agreed on a partnership to support and stimulate research on laminin-alpha2-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy. 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.
Max budget: 25 000 €
Max duration: 24 months
Deadline: 05 september 2024, 5 pm (Paris time)
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
Call for ALBI projects - Inflammatory diseases of the liver and biliary tract
Given the specific nature of the field of rare diseases, the ALBI Association and the Fondation Maladies Rares (FMR) have agreed to form a partnership to support and stimulate fundamental or translational biomedical research into rare inflammatory diseases of the liver and biliary tra ct (CBP, CSP, HAI). The association wishes to support any research aimed at understanding the pathophysiology of one of these diseases,using cell cultures of human origin (2D, 3D, organoids, etc.) applied to hepatocytes, cholangiocytes or other non-parenchymal liver cells.
Maximum budget: €25,000
Maximum duration: 24 months
Submission of bid documents before September 05, 2024, 5pm (Paris time)
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
AMARAPE call for projects - "Rare diseases of the peritoneum
Because of the specific nature of rare diseases, the AMARAPE Association and the Fondation Maladies Rares (FMR) have agreed to form a partnership to support and stimulatefundamental or translational research, whether biomedical or in the humanities and social sciences, into rare peritoneal diseases.
Maximum budget: €30,000
Maximum duration: 24 months
Submission of bid documents before September 05, 2024, 5pm (Paris time)
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
Call for VHL projects - Von Hippel-Lindau disease
Given the specific nature of the field of rare diseases, the VHL Association and the Fondation Maladies Rares (FMR) have agreed to form a partnership to support and stimulate fundamental, translational or clinical research, whether biomedical or in the humanities and social sciences, into Von Hippel Lindau disease.
Maximum budget: €30,000
Maximum duration: 18 months
Submission of bid documents before September 05, 2024, 5pm (Paris time)
OUR CALLS FOR PROJECTS
Call for projects "Identifying new therapeutic molecules for rare diseases " 2024
The Fondation Maladies Rares is pleased to announce the launch of its 2024 call for projects to identify therapeutic molecules in order to develop new treatments for patients suffering from rare diseases. This call for proposals will support :
- Projects based on a high-content/high-throughput screening (HCS/HTS) approach using compound libraries, with a view to discovering active molecules called "hits" with therapeutic potential;
- Projects based on mechanistic screening focused on a reduced number of specific signaling pathways in order to refine the involvement of previously identified target molecules through broader screening;
- Projects based on the "hit to lead" process for optimizing pre-identified compounds to approach the characteristics of a drug.
Maximum budget: €40,000
Application deadline: September 3, 2024, 12 noon (CET)
PARTNERSHIP RESEARCH GRANT
Research grant "Improving the quality of life of patients with sickle cell disease" with MCGRE and novo nordisk
The Fondation Maladies Rares and the Filière de Santé Maladies Rares MCGRE have joined forces with the financial support of Novo Nordisk to offer a Human and Social Sciences (HSS ) research grant to support a research project aimed at improving the life course of sickle cell disease patients.
The winning research project will focus on the individual, family and/or social consequences specifically linked to sickle cell disease, in order to better understand the impact of this disease on the quality of life of patients and their families. The aim of the winning project will be to improve the quality of life of patients with sickle cell disease, and the results will be used to suggest concrete ways of improving the situation.
Particular attention will be paid to projects whose results could be transposed to other hemolytic anemias.
- Amount of €30,000
- Duration 24 months maximum
- Submission of bid documents before September 10, 2024, 12 noon (Paris time).
If you have any questions, please contact: shs-mr@fondation-maladiesrares.com
CALL FOR PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS
Call for projects "Social and therapeutic innovations to improve the quality of life of young rare disease patients and their families" with FE-IRCEM
The IRCEM Corporate Foundation and the Fondation Maladies Rares have joined forces to launch a new call for projects. The aim of this call for projects is to support projects that will have a concrete impact on improving the quality of life of children and adolescents suffering from rare diseases, and their family carers, by meeting the following criteria:
- aim to develop theautonomy of sickchildren and adolescents and promote their social inclusion;
- propose the study of a therapeutic, technological or organizational innovation;
- be an innovative project meeting an unmet need. The need to develop the innovation must be clearly demonstrated;
- explain and detail the concrete benefits for the target population, in particular by comparing the advantages of the proposed innovation with existing solutions.
All rare childhood and adolescent diseases are eligible for this call for projects.
Budget between €15,000 and €35,000
Duration 12 to 24 months maximum
Submission of bid documents before June 20, 2024, 5pm (Paris time).
If you have any questions, please contact: gaelle.dombu-smeets@fondation-maladiesrares.com
OUR CALLS FOR PROJECTS
Call for projects "Human and Social Sciences & Rare Diseases " 2024
We are delighted to announce the launch of the "Human and Social Sciences & Rare Diseases" call for projects. This call for projects will provide support for pilot projects or project extensions that raise a research question, lasting between 6 and 18 months and with a maximum budget of €45,000.
All rare diseases of children and adults are concerned.
Research projects should address the individual, family and social consequences of rare diseases, and their specific impact on quality of life. Research will be conducted with a view toimproving the life course of patients and their families.
A joint approach to several rare diseases will be carefully considered. The choice of diseases must be justified. Studies focusing on a single disease should demonstrate a benefit in other situations.
To promote synergies between researchers in the Human and Social Sciences, experts in the medical management of rare diseases (Centres de Référence Maladies Rares, Centres de Compétences, Filières de Santé Maladies Rares), patient associations and experts in social and medico-social support, each project must involve at least one research team in the Human and Social Sciences, including the project's main sponsor, a medical team with expertise in rare diseases and a patient association.
This call for projects is open to all SHS disciplines, and cross-disciplinary projects are encouraged.
Application deadline: June 11, 2024, 12 noon (CET)
CALL FOR PARTNERSHIP PROJECTS
Call for projects with Vaincre La Mucoviscidose -
"Human and Social Sciences & Cystic Fibrosis
77For the 6th year running, Vaincre La Mucoviscidose and the Fondation Maladies Rares have joined forces to offer a joint call for projects. The aim of this new call for projects is to promote synergies between SHS researchers and experts in the medical, social and medico-social care of cystic fibrosis patients. Projects submitted must formulate a research question, involving at least one SHS research team, a specialized medical team and a patient association.
Thanks to the partnership with Vaincre la Mucoviscidose, projects lasting up to 36 months and costing up to €150,000 can be supported. The Fondation Maladies Rares is in charge of implementing this call for projects.
This call for projects is open to all SHS disciplines.
Submission of bid documents before June 20, 2024, 5pm (Paris time).
If you have any questions, please contact: shs-mr@fondation-maladiesrares.com
Partner platforms
For its Calls for Projects on high throughput sequencing, screening and the creation of animal models, the Foundation relies on partner platforms of expertise. We invite you to contact these platforms directly to set up your projects.
Rare Diseases and Pain Prize - APICIL Foundation
Since 2022, the APICIL Foundation has joined forces with the Foundation For Rare Diseases to reward an innovative project in the field of rare diseases and pain by offering a "Rare Diseases and Pain" prize of €15,000.
This prize, awarded to the project leader, enables a French research team to develop a research project on this theme that is so important for patients and is sometimes still too little studied.
Rare Diseases and Pain Award - ALNYLAM
Since 2020, Alnylam Pharmaceuticals has been committed to the Foundation For Rare Diseases to reward innovative projects using RNA interference technology in the field of rare diseases.
Each year, a €20,000 prize is awarded to an established researcher, scientific leader of a team attached to a French research organization, who has contributed through his or her research to major advances in the field of rare diseases.