Funding Opportunities in AI-Driven Discovery & Rare Disease Clinical Trials
Innovation is accelerating across Europe’s research landscape, with new funding opportunities supporting both next-generation AI-enabled science and clinical development in rare diseases.
Horizon Europe – AI in Science (RAISE Pilot) has been launched by the European Commission, with two highly anticipated Horizon Europe topics under the AI in Science (RAISE) initiative (call opening on 22nd of September), designed to transform how scientific discoveries are made through the integration of artificial intelligence, laboratory automation, robotics and advanced data infrastructures.
HORIZON-RAISE-2027-01-01: Automated Scientific Discovery
- Budget: €29 million
- Projects funded: 3
- Deadline: 2 February 2027
- Funding rate: 100% HE grant funding
- Focus: Development of AI-enabled, closed-loop scientific experimentation systems, particularly in materials science and other research domains. Projects should demonstrate how existing laboratories can be enhanced with AI-driven decision making, automation and real-time experimentation to accelerate discovery and improve reproducibility.
HORIZON-RAISE-2027-01-02: Automated Scientific Discovery – Food
- Budget: €3 million
- Projects funded: 1
- Deadline: 2 February 2027
- Funding rate: 100% HE grant funding
- Focus: Application of AI-driven laboratory automation to food science, biotechnology, precision fermentation and sustainable food systems. The call aims to create autonomous or semi-autonomous experimentation platforms capable of accelerating innovation in food and bio-based sectors
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European Rare Diseases Research Alliance (ERDERA) Clinical Trial Call 2026
The ECTC call has been officially launched the 1st of July, to support the generation of regulatory-relevant clinical evidence and accelerate the development of new therapies for patients with rare diseases and conditions (pediatric, rapidly progressive, others with no approved therapies or significant unmet medical needs).
- Deadline: 10 September 2026 mandatory Expression of Interest (EOI) | 15 September – 29 October 2026: Stage 1 short proposal submission window.
- Focus: The call supports multinational, early-phase clinical trials (Phase I, I/II and II), encouraging collaboration among research institutions, hospitals, patient organisations and SMEs. Given the challenges of recruiting rare disease patients across countries, multinational collaboration is a core requirement of the programme.
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