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
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
For the second year running, the IRCEM Corporate Foundation and the Fondation Maladies Rares are launching a call for projects, designed to support initiatives with aconcrete, short-term impact on improving the quality of life and care of children and adolescents suffering from rare diseases, as well as their caregivers (parents, brothers and sisters, etc.).
Projects must meet all of the following criteria:
- To develop theautonomy of sick children and adolescents and promote their social inclusion;
- Propose the study of a therapeutic, technological or organizational innovation;
- Be an innovative project that fills an unmet need, with a clear justification of the need to develop this innovation;
- Explain the advantages of innovation over currently available solutions.
- Demonstrate that the project will have a short-term impact on the target population, with tangible benefits expected by the end of the project.
All rare childhood and adolescent diseases are eligible for this call for projects.
Project duration: 12 to 24 months
Financing: between €20 and €35 k
Deadline: June 5, 2025, 12 noon (Paris time)
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
Joint call for projects with CSC - Cerebellar syndromes
In view of the specificities of the rare disease field, and in order to support and stimulate fundamental, translational and clinical research, the Fondation Maladies Rares (FMR) has agreed a partnership with CSC, focusing on cerebellar syndromes. All biomedical disciplines are eligible for this call for projects.
Maximum budget: €20,000
Deadline: June 2, 2025, 5 pm (Paris time)
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
Joint call for projects with AFAF - Friedreich's Ataxia
In view of the specificities of the rare disease field, and in order to support and stimulate fundamental, translational and clinical research, the Fondation Maladies Rares (FMR) has agreed a partnership with the AFAF, on Friedreich's ataxia. All biomedical disciplines are eligible for this call for projects.
Maximum budget: €100,000
Deadline: June 2, 2025, 5 pm (Paris time)
CALL FOR PROJECTS IN PARTNERSHIP
Call for projects Syndrome PACS1 - Schuurs-Hoeijmakers (PACS1) - "Research on PACS1 syndrome Schuurs-Hoeijmakers
In view of the specific nature of the field of rare diseases, the Association Syndrome PACS1 - Schuurs-Hoeijmakers (PACS1) and the Foundation For Rare Diseases (FFRD) have agreed to form a partnership to support and stimulate biomedicalresearch on PACS1 syndrome Schuurs-Hoeijmakers.
All biomedical disciplines are eligible for this call for projects.
Max budget: €50,000
Max duration: 12 months
Deadline: 12 june 2025, 5 pm (Paris time)
For any question: aap.asso@fondation-maladiesrares.com
CALL FOR APPLICATIONS
Call for applications 2025 - Master 2 scholarship - "Innovation in Artificial Intelligence & e-Health for Rare Diseases".
The Fondation Maladies Rares is pleased to announce the launch of the 2025 Call for Applications - Master 2 Scholarship - "Innovation in Artificial Intelligence & e-Health for Rare Diseases".
The aim of this call is to support innovative projects using artificial intelligence and e-health solutions to improve the diagnosis, monitoring and care of patients suffering from rare diseases.
Key details of the call for applications:
Objective: To fund Master 2 scholarships in AI and/or e-health for innovative projects specifically related to rare diseases.
Funding: Each selected project will benefit from financial support of up to €5,000, exclusively dedicated to the gratification of the Master 2 trainee.
Deadline: May 06, 2025, 12 noon (Paris time)
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Call for research projects 2025 "Human and Social Sciences & Rare Diseases".
The Fondation Maladies Rares is launching its 13ᵉ call for Human and Social Sciences (SHS) projects, dedicated to improving the life course of people with rare diseases and their families and friends.
Objectives:
- Study the individual, family and social impact of rare diseases.
- Propose concrete solutions to improve quality of life for patients and their families.
- Raising awareness of access to healthcare and patients' rights.
Eligibility criteria:
- Project led by an SHS team, a specialized medical team and a patient association.
- Research focused on one of the following areas: impact of illness, social participation, ethics and patients' rights, e-health.
- Project duration: 6 to 18 months.
Financing: Up to €45,000
Deadline: May 22, 2025, 12 noon (Paris time)
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
Call for LAMA2 projects - "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: 13 may 2025, 5 pm (Paris time)
For any question: aap.asso@fondation-maladiesrares.com
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
Joint AAP with CMT-France "Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease".
Given the specificities of the field of rare diseases, the CMT France Association and the Fondation Maladies Rares (FMR) have agreed on a partnership to support and stimulate basic, translational and clinical research on Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease. All biomedical and SHS disciplines are eligible for this call for projects.
Maximum budget: €25,000
Maximum duration: 24 months
Deadline: May 22, 2025, 5 pm (Paris time)
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.