Best Grants for Rare Diseases in California

Napa Valley Community Foundation

We work side-by-side with local donors and nonprofits to tackle the most important challenges our Valley faces.

Our Board and staff are completely dedicated to the people and causes of Napa Valley and represent communities from American Canyon to Calistoga. They share skills, perspectives and the collaborative spirit that define our Napa Valley diversity.

Healthcare Scholarship Fund

The Healthcare Scholarship is made possible by Queen of the Valley Foundation and benefits Napa County residents enrolled in nursing and respiratory therapy programs at Napa Valley College or Pacific Union College. Previous recipients are eligible to reapply in subsequent years for additional funding while completing their studies.

U.S.-based 501(c) nonprofit organizations running community programs in nutrition, healthcare access, STEM education, or climate and nature that serve historically excluded groups in California can apply for the Community Solutions Challenge, with awards up to Up to US $30,000. Grants from Astrazeneca Foundation may benefit programs addressing respiratory diseases and related health inequities.

The Jimmy A. Young Memorial Education Recognition Award, offered by the American Respiratory Care Foundation, honors contributions to respiratory care education. Up to $1,000 is available for students enrolled in accredited respiratory care programs, provided they meet GPA requirements and submit necessary recommendations. This award includes a certificate, airfare, lodging, and registration for the AARC Congress, aiming to support deserving candidates in their educational pursuits.

The NBRC William W. Burgin, Jr., MD and Robert M. Lawrence, MD Education Recognition Award, offered by the American Respiratory Care Foundation, provides up to $7,500 to third or fourth-year students in accredited respiratory therapy programs. This prestigious award includes a recognition certificate, travel expenses, and registration for the AARC Congress, supporting future leaders in respiratory care. Eligible students must demonstrate academic excellence and obtain letters of recommendation to showcase their potential.

The Charles D. McArthur Memorial Scholarship recognizes outstanding third and fourth-year students in accredited respiratory therapy programs. Funded by the American Respiratory Care Foundation, this award honors Charlie McArthur's legacy as a dedicated educator in respiratory care. Recipients may receive up to $1,000, including a certificate, travel, and registration for AARC Congress. Preference is given to Native American students or those from Minnesota, fostering diversity in the field of respiratory therapy.

Respiratory therapists in California pursuing postgraduate degrees can apply for the American Respiratory Care Foundation’s NBRC Gareth B. Gish Memorial Award, offering up to US $5,000 plus travel and registration support. Eligible applicants must show a minimum 3.0 GPA, acceptance into an accredited advanced degree program, and strong faculty and physician recommendations.

Respiratory therapists pursuing advanced degrees, including those in California, can apply for postgraduate education funding from the American Respiratory Care Foundation. With a mission to promote respiratory health, the foundation provides up to US $5,000 plus travel, lodging, and AARC Congress registration to support continued study in respiratory care.

Researchers conducting university hospital studies in respiratory care and airway management can receive support for original research, including projects using bench, animal, or human models. Grants from American Respiratory Care Foundation help California respiratory diseases and systems investigators attend the AARC Congress with airfare, lodging, registration, and recognition for high-quality accepted abstracts.

Graduate students and other qualified investigators conducting respiratory care education or credentialing research can apply for grants from American Respiratory Care Foundation, including those in California. Awards up to US $5,000 support master’s theses, doctoral dissertations, or complete research proposals that advance respiratory diseases and systems knowledge, including rare respiratory conditions.

Nonprofit organizations in California conducting respiratory care research can apply for the American Respiratory Care Foundation’s Parker B. Francis Respiratory Research Grant; awards up to US $10,000 to supplement other project funding. Projects must involve respiratory therapists or technicians in a meaningful way and may benefit programs addressing rare respiratory diseases.

Nonprofit organizations conducting respiratory care or cardiopulmonary research in California can apply for the Jerome M. Sullivan Research Fund, offering up to US $10,000 to supplement other project support. Focused on respiratory diseases and systems, the American Respiratory Care Foundation requires meaningful involvement of respiratory therapists or technicians as principal or co-principal investigators.

Early-career respiratory care researchers focusing on pediatric respiratory therapy can receive up to US $5,000 to support their first research projects and professional development. Grants from American Respiratory Care Foundation help California rare and respiratory disease investigators fund mentoring, hands-on experience, and small equipment or supplies through the Smallwood Young Investigator Fellowship.

Health care professionals focused on respiratory diseases and systems in California may be eligible for the American Respiratory Care Foundation’s International Fellowship, which offers a structured U.S.-based observational program. Fellows visit multiple hospitals and educational programs, observe respiratory care in diverse settings, and attend the AARC Congress, with in-country lodging, food allowance, and local transportation covered.

Early-stage pulmonary fibrosis researchers in the U.S., including those based in California, can apply for Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s PFF Scholars awards of US $100,000 over two years to support mentored basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological, or health services research. Eligible applicants hold doctoral or professional degrees and junior academic appointments pursuing interstitial lung disease careers.

Biomedical and clinical research institutions in California conducting work on respiratory or related diseases can access funding through the National Institutes of Health for NHLBI-supported career transition awards. This K22 program supports NHLBI intramural postdoctoral fellows moving into extramural faculty roles, with a mentored intramural phase followed by independent research support at a new institution.

Biomedical research institutions and early-career or senior scientists conducting leprosy research can apply for US $87,500 - US $250,000 in funding, including projects based in California. The New York Community Trust’s Heiser Program supports work on diagnosis, transmission blocking, treatment development, and surveillance related to leprosy and associated skin and neurological conditions.

Early-career clinical and scientific investigators conducting innovative sarcoidosis research at U.S. institutions can receive US $150,000 over two years to build skills and advance patient care. With a mission to deepen understanding of sarcoidosis, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research supports respiratory and immune disease projects; international applicants are welcome if hosted by a U.S. institution.

Early-career medical and health researchers at low- or middle-income country institutions conducting clinical trials can apply for the Emerging Global Leader Award, with approximately US $140,000 in support. Grants from the National Institutes of Health help California and other LMIC-based investigators build independent research careers in areas like respiratory, cardiovascular, neurological, cancer, and environmental health.

Early-career research scientists in low- or middle-income countries with junior faculty appointments can apply for the Emerging Global Leader Award to support mentored health research and career development. This NIH program provides approximately US $140,000 over three to five years for projects addressing national health priorities, including respiratory and other diseases, potentially benefiting rare disease research in California-linked collaborations.

With a mission to advance nonmalignant hematology research, the National Institutes of Health provides California medical and research institutions with R01 funding for basic and early translational studies in blood and related systems. Projects on hematological mechanisms underlying conditions like respiratory, kidney, digestive, or sleep-related rare diseases may be eligible across multiple NIH institutes.

The IRSS RIFM Special Award for Inhalation Toxicology offers a $500 prize for trainees contributing to inhalation toxicology research. Sponsored by the Society of Toxicology, this award encourages innovative evaluations of inhaled toxicants, exposure science advancements, and risk assessment research. Applicants must submit a one-page summary of their work and a pending abstract for presentation at the SOT Annual Meeting, alongside a mentor's support letter. This award aims to promote excellence in the field.

The Community Foundation of Shelby County

Our Mission

To inspire donor generosity and transform it into meaningful, lasting impact through charitable gifts.

Our Vision

To be the primary partner for donors who want to advance the community’s quality of life and capacity for excellence.

Heidi Norris Scholarship

Auglaize, Shelby or Mercer County residents majoring in Respiratory Therapy or a closely related field who are one year removed from high school, surpassed college freshman status and, have maintained a college GPA of not less than 2.5, and who are pursuing an Associate’s, Bachelor’s, or Master’s degree.

Selection based upon:

Financial need, academic ability, community and school service, and recommendations.

Awards

• One $1,500 scholarship

The Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) intends to release an Implementation of Findings From PCORI's Research Investments PCORI Funding Announcement (PFA) on Aug. 4, 2026, seeking to fund implementation projects that promote the uptake of peer-reviewed findings from specific PCORI-funded patient-centered comparative clinical effectiveness research (CER) in the context of the body of related evidence. This PFA is an open competition opportunity for principal investigators to propose implementation projects that move evidence toward practical use in improving health care and health outcomes. Applicants may propose projects with budgets up to $1.8 million in total direct costs.

PCORI seeks to fund implementation projects that incorporate active, multicomponent strategies that will lead to uptake and integration of evidence generated by PCORI-funded research in practice settings. Implementation should target specific end users with a clear interest in — and ability to benefit from — the evidence. Proposed implementation projects will adapt findings as needed to facilitate uptake in the proposed settings and accomplish scale-up to reach larger numbers and/or scale-out to reach broader populations and settings. Applicants must demonstrate commitment and buy-in — including from leadership as well as frontline staff critical to the success of the project — from proposed implementation sites across multiple health systems, such that they provide a supportive context and infrastructure for undertaking the proposed project. In addition, projects should involve regional and national stakeholder organizations positioned to extend uptake in broader venues.  

Applications must be guided by an established conceptual model or framework and, where possible, by evidence regarding effective strategies for implementing evidence-based practices and interventions. Additionally, applications must include a rigorous evaluation plan that documents the successful execution of the implementation approach and the impact of the project on health care and health outcomes as feasible and appropriate within the project scope.

The Childhood Asthma in Urban Settings Clinical Research Network (CAUSE) aims to enhance asthma prevention and treatment in economically disadvantaged pediatric populations. Funded by the NIH, CAUSE supports multi-site clinical studies to identify innovative strategies and treatment targets for asthma. Utilizing systems biology, the network seeks to discover specific disease endotypes suitable for new therapeutic approaches, addressing the high burden of asthma in urban settings.

The Asthma and Allergic Diseases Cooperative Research Centers (AADCRC) program, supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), aims to enhance research on asthma and related allergic diseases. This initiative fosters multi-center, multidisciplinary research to explore disease mechanisms and treatment responses. By promoting clinical trials and observational studies, the AADCRC seeks to advance understanding and improve interventions for conditions such as asthma and food allergies, ultimately benefiting public health.

The US Flu Vaccine Effectiveness (VE) Network aims to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines against influenza and other respiratory pathogens, which are significant contributors to morbidity and mortality. This funding opportunity invites proposals for surveillance studies, including annual VE assessments, acute respiratory illness tracking, household transmission research, and immunogenicity studies. Applicants can apply for either Component A or B, with the option to include additional components based on their primary selection.

Quality Improvement Grant Request for Proposals

Optimizing Maternal RSV Immunization Delivery: A Systems-Based Quality Improvement Initiative to Improve Uptake, Equity, and Newborn Outcomes

Pfizer, in collaboration with the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM), is pleased to announce a competitive grant opportunity to support independent Quality Improvement (QI) initiatives focused on advancing maternal immunization, with a specific emphasis on Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) vaccination during pregnancy.

This initiative builds upon insights generated from the Maternal Immunization Needs Assessment (MINA) project, a multi-stakeholder collaboration that identified persistent clinical, behavioral, and system-level gaps in the delivery and uptake of maternal vaccines.

We seek to fund projects that implement measurable, evidence-based interventions to improve real-world delivery of maternal RSV immunization across healthcare systems and care settings. Proposed initiatives should aim to optimize access, strengthen provider–patient communication training and tools, enhance care coordination, and address structural and behavioral barriers impacting vaccine uptake and equity.

Pfizer Global Medical Grants (GMG) supports the global healthcare community’s independent initiatives (e.g., research, quality improvement or education) to improve patient outcomes in areas of unmet medical need that are aligned with Pfizer’s medical and/or scientific strategies. Pfizer’s GMG competitive grant program involves a publicly posted Request for Proposal (RFP) that provides detail regarding a specific area of interest, sets timelines for review and approval, and uses an expert review panel (ERP) to make final grant decisions. Organizations are invited to submit an application addressing the specific gaps in clinical practice or care as outlined in the specific RFP.

For all QI grants, the applicant (and ultimately the grantee) will be solely responsible for the design, implementation, and conduct of the proposed initiative. Pfizer will have no involvement in project development, execution, or outcomes.