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 ASTB France – " Bourneville tuberous sclerosis "
Due to the specific nature of rare diseases, the Bourneville France Tuberous Sclerosis Association (ASTB France) and the Rare Diseases Foundation (FMR) have agreedto form a partnership to support and stimulate fundamental, translational, and clinical research into Bourneville tuberous sclerosis. All biomedical disciplines are eligible for this call for projects.
Maximum budget: €100,000
Maximum duration: 24 months
Submission deadline : March 10, 2026, 5 p.m.(Paris time).
CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Call for projects "OMICS 2026" – Omics approaches to improve the diagnosis of rare diseases
The Rare Diseases Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of its OMICS 2026 call for projects, designed to support hypothesis-driven research projects using omics approaches to improve the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases.
Objectives of the call
Accelerate the diagnosis of rare diseases through projects targeting human pathologies with a well-defined clinical phenotype and established genetic origin, with a short-term impact on molecular diagnosis. All omics technologies are open, subject to justification.
Eligibility criteria
– Projects on rare human diseases with clear phenotype and genetic evidence; short-term diagnostic potential; expert bioinformatics hub available.
– Qualified biological samples available at the time of submission, with quality control; technology platform quote required.
– French teams affiliated with academia or clinical/hospital settings; early-career researchers encouraged to apply; one application per team.
Financing
Funding covers only the services provided by technology platforms (services and consumables), with an average of €20,000 per project.
Submission deadline: February 27, 2026, 5 p.m.(Paris time).
PARTNERSHIP RESEARCH AWARD
Research award for " Research into new antibody targets for rare neuromuscular and/or autoimmune diseases " with argenx
argenx and the Rare Diseases Foundation are pleased to announce the renewal of their partnership to support and stimulate research into rare diseases: the launch of a research prize worth €15,000 to reward an innovative project using antibodies for the treatment of rare neuromuscular and/or autoimmune diseases.
The project must include :
• A new target accessible by antibodies (i.e., non-intracellular),
- A description of the biological mechanism,
- The justification of therapeutic potential for an unmet medical need.
Submission deadline: February 19, 2026, 5 p.m.(Paris time).
PARTNERSHIP RESEARCH AWARD
"Rare Diseases & Pain" Research Award with the APICIL Foundation
The APICIL Foundation has decided to partner with the Rare Diseases Foundation to address the need to better take into account the pain inherent in certain rare diseases by providing €15,000 in support for a research project on "rare diseases and pain.".
The prize will be awarded to an innovative research project in the biomedical sciences or in the human and social sciences in the field of rare diseases and pain.
The award will distinguish:
- or a researcher, scientific leader of a team contributing through his/her research to major advances in the field of rare diseases and pain,
- or a young researcher whose work is promising in the field of rare diseases and pain.
The prize amounts to 15 000 €This amount will be used to continue research work on the theme.
Submission deadline: February 16, 2026, 5 p.m.(Paris time).
JOINT CALL FOR PROJECTS
Call for ProjectsHADDTS Foundation – " Natural History Study of CTBP1-related syndrome"
Due to the specific nature of rare diseases, the HADDTS Foundation and the Rare Diseases Foundation (FMR) have agreed to form apartnership to support and stimulate natural history research on CTBP1/HADDTS syndrome.
Maximum budget: €60,000
Maximum duration: 24 months
Submission deadline : March 5, 2026, 5 p.m.(Paris time).
PARTNERSHIP RESEARCH AWARD
AlnylamPharmaceuticals 2026 Research Award "Interfering RNA & Rare Diseases"
The Rare Diseases Foundation is pleased to announce the launch of the 2026 "Interfering RNA & Rare Diseases" research award in partnership with Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.
The prize will reward an innovative research project in the field of rare diseases and
focusing on one of the following themes :
• Translational research developing an RNA interference approach and using
an animal or cellular model,
• Innovative vectorization of interfering RNAs targeting an organ or tissue.
The winner will receive a prize of €20,000 to continue their research.
The prize will be awarded to an established researcher, scientific leader of a team attached to a French research organization, whose research has contributed to major advances in the field of rare diseases.
Maximum budget: €20,000
Submission deadline: February 12, 2026, 5 p.m.(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.