From 25–28 May 2026, Barcelona will host the next EURORDIS Open Academy Schools. Applications for the Medicines Research & Development School and the Scientific Innovation & Translation School open on 8 September 2025. Subscribe to the Open Academy and EURORDIS newsletters to receive the link as soon as the call goes live.
What awaits in Barcelona
Participants will move between School-specific sessions and joint workshops on patient engagement and leadership. The blended design—e-learning modules, pre-training webinars and four intensive face-to-face days—also features:
• an off-site visit to a Barcelona research centre or hospital
• extensive contact time with faculty and EURORDIS staff
• structured opportunities to exchange experience with fellow advocates and researchers
Last year’s edition achieved “high engagement, deeper impact”, as highlighted in ERDERA’s 2025 review article (read it here). Alumni have since helped form Community Advisory Boards, co-designed funded research proposals and served as patient experts at the European Medicines Agency.
Data, Ethics & AI: dates still to be confirmed
A second run of “Navigating Rare Disease Research: Data, Ethics and AI in Europe” is planned for 2026. Unlike last year, the call for applications will not be issued in September; dates will be announced once the team finalises a new hybrid format that combines six to eight hours of online sessions over six months with one in-person training day. Stay tuned via the newsletters.
Funding and access
With support from the European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA), eighty places in Barcelona are fully funded. ERDERA covers course fees, three nights’ accommodation (including a registered carer where needed) and meals during training hours.
