The European Rare Disease Research Alliance (ERDERA) has launched its Networking Support Scheme (NSS), a continuously open call designed to knit together researchers, clinicians and patient advocates working on rare diseases and rare cancers. Proposals may be lodged at any time, but the first collection round will be assessed immediately after the 7 October 2025 deadline, allowing successful teams to start planning events without delay.
Under the scheme, applicants can request up to €30 000 per networking event to cover meeting costs, travel costs, hybrid-meeting platforms and other essentials. Rounds will be held every six months until April 2029—or until the dedicated budget is exhausted—providing a response pathway for emerging collaborations of the partnership.
Eligibility is broad: researchers (including early-career investigators), clinicians, research managers and patient advocacy organisations may all act as principal applicants. Each event must gather applicants from at least three ERDERA countries and focus squarely on knowledge exchange in rare disease or rare cancer research. Meetings may run in person or in hybrid formats to maximise reach.
A cornerstone of the call is inclusiveness. ERDERA “strongly encourages” convenors from 18 underrepresented countries—among them Bulgaria, Greece, Poland, Romania and Türkiye—to apply, aiming to widen Europe’s rare disease network and ensure that expertise flows to and from regions that have historically lacked access.
“The NSS is not just another grant; it is a catalyst that turns good ideas and knowlegde into collective momentum,” says Živilė Ruželė, Advisor, International Cooperation Unit at Research Council of Lithuania, and co-architect of the call. “By lowering the threshold for transnational collaboration, we can shorten the distance between researchers and patients, from discovery to real-world solutions for the people who need them most.”
Applications are screened for eligibility, then scored by an independent, transnational evaluation committee using transparent criteria aligned with Horizon Europe standards. Projects that clear the bar, have satisfactory ethics assessment and fit within the available budget—receive rapid confirmation so organisers can set dates, secure venues and invite speakers.
More information, such as guidance notes, evaluation criteria and the full list of eligible countries are available on the ERDERA website.
Through this competitive funding instrument for networking events, ERDERA aims to seed the collaborations that can help accelerate diagnosis, treatment and equity for the millions living with rare conditions across Europe and beyond.
Picture via pxhere (CC0)
