Opening of Call of the European Rare Disease Research Alliance (ERDERA)

The European Rare Disease Research Alliance ( ERDERA ) has launched its first Call funding for joint transnational research and innovation projects. Pre-proposals may be submitted until 1:00 p.m. (Mainland Portugal time) on February 13, 2025.

This Call, with the theme "Pre-clinical therapy studies for rare diseases using small molecules and biologicals – development and validation,"involves 35 European and international funding agencies, including FCT, and aims to support projects covering at least two of the following topics: Development of novel therapies in a pre-clinical setting; Creation and validation of predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers; Replication of pre-clinical findings to enhance reliability; and Pre-clinical proof-of-concept studies for therapy readiness.

Co-funded under Horizon Europe, and following on from the previous European Joint Program on Rare Diseases, ERDERA aims to support the coordination of research efforts between Member States, Associated Countries, and non-European countries in the field of rare diseases and to implement the objectives ofthe International Rare Disease Research Consortium(IRDiRC).

An online information session will be held on December 17, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. (Mainland Portugal time). Seedetailed information aboutthis event andregister byDecember 17.

ERDERA brings together more than 170 organizations from 37 countries, with Portugal represented by FCT, the Agency for Clinical Research and Biomedical Innovation (AICIB), the University of Coimbra (UC), and the National Institute of Health Dr. Ricardo Jorge (INSA).

You can find more information about this Call  the ERDERA website. For more information about applications from national entities, please visit the page dedicated to Call the FCT website.

2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the European Union Framework Program, the largest instrument for promoting European research, development, and innovation, and a beacon for international scientific cooperation.