RARE Drug Development Symposium
From 02 to 04 May 2023
At : Philadelphia, USA
From 02 to 04 May 2023
At : Philadelphia, USA
On 02 May 2023
At : Online

NORD will be holding a series of Community Listening Sessions for Latino/a/x individuals affected by a rare disease in the United States. The sessions are community-specific, with the exception of the virtual session on 1st June, which is open nation-wide. Below is a list of the different virtual sessions to be held:
A number of in-person sessions will also be held.
From 03 to 04 May 2023
At : Online
On 04 May 2023
At : Online

This event is open to ERN-EuroBloodNet members, affiliated and supporting partners, and ePAGs. Interested parties are invited to contact elina.melik@vhir.org to receive the meeting link.
From 04 to 06 May 2023
At : Tutzing, Germany
On 27 May 2023
At : Online
On 06 May 2023
At : Washington DC, USA

NORD will be holding a series of Community Listening Sessions for Latino/a/x individuals affected by a rare disease in the United States. The sessions are community-specific, with the exception of the virtual session on 1st June, which is open nation-wide. Below is a list of the different in-person sessions to be held:
A number of virtual sessions will also be held.
On 07 May 2023
At : Washington DC, USA (hybrid)
On 11 May 2023
At : Online
On 20 April 2023
At : Online
On 19 May 2023
At : Online
From 23 to 25 May 2023
At : Antwerp, Belgium
From 23 to 24 May 2023
At : Milano, Italy

In the context of EJP RD’s ERN Workshops, a workshop entitled “EJP RD – ERN Workshop: Desmoid tumors (DTs) in patients with Familial Adenomatous Polyposis (FAP): an interdisciplinary approach” is being organized by Dr Marco Vitelarro.
The in-person event will take place on 22-23 May 2023 at Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori di Milano, in Milano, Italy.
Registration is open here, and closes on March 7th.
This workshop is addressed to physicians, researchers from ERN Full Members or Affiliated Partners from the junior to senior level.
More information here
From 24 to 26 May 2023
At : Washington DC, USA (hybrid)
The World Orphan Drug Congress, USA will be taking place from 23-25 May in a hybrid format. For those interested in attending, Rare Diseases International has a number of fellowships available to help cover registration, travel, and accommodation expenses. Applications are assessed on a rolling basis and must be submitted before 1 March.
From 25 to 28 May 2023
At : Ljubljana, Slovenia
From 26 to 28 May 2023
At : Stockholm, Sweden

EURORDIS will be hosting their 2023 Membership Meeting (EMM) from Thursday 25 May to Saturday 27 May in Stockholm, Sweden. The event, which is open to non-members, provides an opportunity for engaging discussions on holistic approaches to addressing the needs of people living with a rare disease and ensuring their full inclusion in society. The programme for this year's EMM focuses on current issues facing the rare disease community such as the role of digital healthcare, and will feature workshops, moderated networking sessions, and more.
Registration for the 2023 EMM is now open!
On 27 May 2023
At : Online
On 05 June 2023
At : Krakow, Poland
On 08 June 2023
At : Online
From 11 to 14 June 2023
At : Glasgow, Scotland, UK (hybrid)
From 12 to 16 June 2023
At : Bologna, Italy
On 28 June 2023
At : Online
From 07 to 08 July 2023
At : Madrid, Spain
From 28 to 29 August 2023
At : Jerusalem, Israel
From 16 to 18 October 2023
At : Washington DC, USA
From 22 to 23 October 2023
At : Kyoto, Japan
From 02 to 06 November 2023
At : Washington DC, USA
From 09 to 11 November 2023
At : Rotterdam, Netherlands

The new session of the MOOC "From Lab to Clinic: Translational Research for Rare Diseases" has been launched today. Learn the fascinating journey of translating research into treatments for Rare Diseases.
With expert guidance, explore drug discovery, clinical trials, regulatory approval, and challenges in this unique field. Gain insights from patients and experts, understand trial planning, design, and data sharing. By the end, you'll have a comprehensive understanding of how evidence is built for safe and effective treatments.
Join now and make a difference in Rare Disease research!

From 12 to 14 May 2023
At : Prague, Czech Republic
This May, Charles University Hospital and Motol University Hospital will once again be co-hosting their annual Spring School of Primary Immunodeficiencies. The three-day programme includes case presentations, topic overviews, and speakers covering all aspects of the field from pathogenesis to diagnosis to treatment. There will also be an array of opportunities for socialising, networking, and cultural experiences.
The School is primarily aimed at young participants interested in the many different aspects of inborn errors of immunity. There is no registration fee, and all expenses are included except for travel costs to and from Prague. Registration will close on 31 March 2023.
From 23 to 27 May 2023
At : Amsterdam, Netherlands
From 22-26 May 2023, the TREAT-NMD neuromuscular network will be holding a series of in-person masterclasses exploring diagnosis, patient and parent perspectives, standards of care and emerging therapies for different neuromuscular diseases. Three masterclasses will be held in total, on the topics of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, Gene Therapy, and Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The classes will each be 1.5 days long and are aimed at clinicians and other healthcare professionals and researchers working in the field of neuromuscular diseases.
From 09 to 10 June 2023
At : Coimbra, Portugal



The Cross-ERN Workshop "Liver Transplant for Inborn Errors of Metabolism" will be held from 8-9 June 2023 in Coimbra, Portugal. Co-organised by the ERNs MetabERN, TransplantChild and RARE-LIVER and supported by the EJP RD, the workshop aims to share knowledge and expertise across Networks to deepen understandings of liver transplantation as a treatment for inborn errors of metabolism. Discussion will cover topics such as optimal timing and indications for combined liver-kidney transplant. The workshop is aimed at physicians, patient associations and patient advocacy organisations from the participating ERNs. Those who are interested in participating are invited to contact ERN.RareLiver@uke.de for more information.
From 23 to 25 June 2023
At : Heidelberg, Germany
From 22-24 June 2023 in Heidelberg, Germany, the Recordati Foundation will be organising a course on genetic therapies for rare diseases. The course is aimed at healthcare professionals and scientists with an interest in the subject matter, as well as industry representatives and regulators involved in gene therapy development and licensing. The programme will consist of a series of expert lectures, workshops, and panel discussions. The deadline for registration is 5th May 2023.
From 05 to 08 July 2023
At : Zurich, Switzerland
From 4-7 July 2023, the University of Zurich's ITINERARE program will be organising their 9th Rare Disease Summer School on the topic of "Innovative Therapies in Rare Diseases."
Participants will attend expert lectures, workshops, poster viewing sessions, and oral presentations, all with the goal of providing a comprehensive overview of the different aspects of rare disease care and research. The School is primarily aimed at clinicians, physician-scientists, postdocs, and PhD students. Travel grants are also available for some eligible participants.
From 11 to 15 July 2023
At : Leiden, Netherlands

In collaboration with TREAT-NMD, EURO-NMD will be hosting their 5th annual neuromuscular translational summer school from 10-14 July 2023 in Leiden, Netherlands. The Summer School will present lectures about the management of neuromuscular diseases, drug development, and patient communication and engagement.
From 30 September to 01 October 2023
At : Paris, France
From 29-30 September 2023, the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO) will be hosting a course on the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and management of hereditary cancers. It is aimed at oncologists residing in Europe, but is open to all ESMO members. For successful applicants, there is no cost to apply and accommodation will be provided. A travel grant of up to 400 EUR is also available to help cover travel costs. Applications for the course will close on 27 June 2023.


The European Reference Network for Rare Neurological Diseases (ERN-RND) organises joint free educational webinars on rare neurological and movement disorders with EAN. These 1-hour webinars take place throughout the year and are presented by international experts. They discuss various aspects from more general clinical features, examination, disease diagnosis, medical interventions, and disease management to more specific ones as use of scales or imaging. Adult and paediatric neurology are both covered.
Further information about ERN-RND webinars in collaboration with EURO-NMD and the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) is available here.
From 27 to 28 October 2023
At : Gdańsk, Poland

As part of the training activities proposed by the EJP RD, a course aimed at patient representatives titled "Training for patient representatives and advocates on leadership and communication skills" will be offered from 26-27 October 2023. Organised by Medical University of Gdańsk in collaboration with EURORDIS, the 2-day training and preparatory activities aims to teach participants presentation, negotiation and leadership skills through a range of activities.
The training will be free of charge for selected participants. There are also 21 fellowships available to help cover travel expenses up to 435€. The EJP RD is committed to ensuring that the training is accessible to patient representatives and advocates from all backgrounds, with those from Eastern Europe particularly encouraged to apply.
Applications for the training as well as the travel fellowship must be submitted before 26 April 2023.

Throughout the year, the Recordati Foundation is organising a series of courses to help advance knowledge in rare diseases. The programme contains the following sessions:
For more information about the content of the courses and details about registration, please visit the Foundation's website.


The EJP-RD is holding workshops aiming at training ERN researchers and clinicians in relevant innovative themes with a cross-ERN added value. These 2-days ERN workshops are open to interested persons (clinicians/scientists) affiliated to ERNs or Affiliated Partner Institutions.
Training themes may include innovative research methodologies, diagnostic research methodologies, interdisciplinary treatment approaches, such as gene therapy and transplantation, etc. Topics have to be proposed by the ERNs or by investigators belonging to EJP RD beneficiary institutions. Registrations are now open for several workshops.
Does your initiative aim to embed genomics in healthcare, set genomic data sharing policies, expand data access, or achieve other goals related to responsible use of human genomic data? Apply to become a GA4GH Driver Project! Driver Projects shape the development of GA4GH standards, tools, and frameworks and help drive forward our mission: to expand responsible genomic data use that benefits human health. See eligibility criteria and apply to become a GA4GH Driver Project by 30 April 2023.

AFM-Téléthon has launched their first international call for proposals for Translational Research Projects on the theme "A single therapeutic product for multiple mitochondrial disorders." The call is open to any project on primary mitochondrial diseases that will develop a therapeutic approach which targets several mitochondrial diseases. Collaborative projects are encouraged.
Selected projects can be awarded a maximum of €200,000 per year, for up to two years. Funding will be available for salaries, consumables, subcontracting, and may be available for equipment. Applications must be submitted by 3rd May 2023, with awards to be announced in December 2023.
As part of their RARE Impact Grant Program, the organisation Global Genes is providing financial support, marketing, materials, and resources for in-person meet-ups of rare disease advocacy organisations. In order to be eligible, applicant foundations must be a member of Global Gene's Global Advocacy Alliance and the planned event must fall into one of three categories: caregiver/patient support, scientific updates and/or clinical research, or capacity building. A total of 8-10 awards are available of up to $15,000. Applications must be submitted by 12 May 2023 at 12:00pm EST.

The European Commission's Horizon Europe Health Calls 2023 are now open, with several funding calls specific to rare diseases:
The call “European Partnership on Rare Diseases” is part of Destination 3 “Tackling diseases and reducing disease burden.” It is a single-stage call, and the deadline is 19 September 2023 at 17:00 CEST.
The topic “Modelling and simulation to address regulatory needs in the development of orphan and paediatric medicines” is part of Destination 6 “Maintaining an innovative, sustainable and globally competitive health industry.” It is a single-stage call, and proposals must be submitted before 13 April 2023 at 17:00 CEST.
The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Office of Orphan Products Development (OOPD) has announced a grant to support efficient and innovative natural history studies that advance medical product development in rare diseases with unmet needs. The funding opportunity announcement is entitled “Efficient and Innovative Natural History Studies Addressing Unmet Needs in Rare Diseases (R01) Clinical Trials Not Required”. The purpose of this grant is to address critical knowledge gaps and facilitate rare disease product development.
The receipt dates for this funding opportunity are 15 February 2022 and 13 February 2024.