Best Grants for Rare Diseases in Hawaii

The FY26 Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (DEPSCoR) aims to enhance research capabilities in eligible states by increasing the number of university researchers and institutions conducting relevant science and engineering research. Sponsored by the Department of Defense, this program will fund multiyear awards to promote research aligned with national security needs. Applications require a multi-stage submission process, emphasizing early registration and timely proposal submissions.

The ARS Resident Research Grant aims to foster innovative research in rhinology, supporting residents engaged in basic, translational, or clinical projects. Applicants must collaborate with a preceptor and obtain departmental approval. Eligible residents in U.S. or Canadian programs can apply, ensuring that their projects align with the standards of the American Rhinologic Society. This grant does not cover salary for the Principal Investigator but allows funding for assistants.

Researchers conducting university hospital studies in respiratory care and airway management can receive support that includes travel, lodging, and registration for the AARC Congress; awards are selected from high-quality accepted abstracts. Grants from American Respiratory Care Foundation help Hawaii respiratory diseases and systems researchers whose work may intersect with rare disease topics. Industry-submitted or ghostwritten abstracts are not eligible.

Researchers and graduate students conducting respiratory diseases and systems educational or credentialing research in Hawaii can seek support from the American Respiratory Care Foundation. Grants from American Respiratory Care Foundation help Hawaii respiratory health investigators with up to US $5,000 plus recognition, travel, lodging, and registration to present at the AARC Congress.

Nonprofit organizations conducting respiratory care research in Hawaii may be eligible for the American Respiratory Care Foundation’s Parker B. Francis Respiratory Research Grant, offering up to US $10,000 to supplement existing project funding. Projects must involve respiratory therapists or technicians meaningfully, and principal investigators can be physicians or respiratory care practitioners.

Focused on respiratory disease research, the American Respiratory Care Foundation invites Hawaii nonprofit organizations to seek support for original studies in respiratory care and cardiopulmonary medicine. Projects must meaningfully involve respiratory therapists or technicians and may be especially relevant to programs addressing rare respiratory diseases and related lung health challenges.

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 Hawaii and other U.S. investigators fund mentoring, hands-on experience, and small equipment or supplies for respiratory diseases and systems research.

Health care professionals working in respiratory care in Hawaii and other countries can access an international observational fellowship that covers U.S.-based lodging, food allowance, local transportation, and AARC Congress registration. The American Respiratory Care Foundation program supports non-U.S. professionals committed to advancing respiratory care, including those focused on rare respiratory diseases.

Biomedical, behavioral, and clinical science faculty conducting research on cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic diseases or sleep disorders in Hawaii can access mentored career development funding through the National Institutes of Health. This K01 award supports investigators from diverse and underrepresented backgrounds with up to US $130,000 to build independent research careers, including projects that may address rare respiratory conditions.

Early-stage investigators in pulmonary fibrosis research, including those in Hawaii, 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 focused on interstitial lung disease.

Postdoctoral biomedical researchers conducting NHLBI-related clinical research, including respiratory or cardiovascular disease studies, may be eligible for this career transition award supporting intramural and extramural phases at U.S. institutions, including Hawaii. US Dept. of Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health offers this K22 mechanism to help fellows establish independent research programs.

Biomedical research institutions and early-career or senior scientists conducting leprosy research in Hawaii and beyond can apply for The New York Community Trust’s Heiser Program, with awards of US $87,500 - US $250,000 for leprosy-focused projects. Work on skin, neurological, eye, respiratory, or related rare disease complications may be eligible.

Early-career clinical and scientific investigators conducting innovative sarcoidosis research at U.S. institutions, including those serving Hawaii patients, can receive US $150,000 over two years to support a fellowship compensation package. With a mission to advance sarcoidosis research, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research provides international applicants with funding to build skills, pursue mentored projects, and strengthen long-term careers in this rare disease field.

Early-career research scientists at academic or research institutions in eligible low- and middle-income countries can apply for National Institutes of Health Emerging Global Leader Award support for mentored clinical research careers. Grants from NIH help Hawaii respiratory and other disease researchers with LMIC appointments pursue three- to five-year projects, with approximately US $140,000 available for research and protected time.

Early-career research scientists at academic or research institutions in eligible low- or middle-income countries can apply for the Emerging Global Leader Award, with approximately US $140,000 for mentored health research career development. This US Dept. of Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health program supports projects, including respiratory disease work, that address national health priorities and may involve mentors in Hawaii.

Research institutions and investigators conducting basic or early translational nonmalignant hematology studies, including respiratory and related rare disease mechanisms, in the U.S. (including Hawaii) can apply for R01 funding through the Stimulating Hematology Investigation: New Endeavors (SHINE) program. With a mission to advance hematology science, the National Institutes of Health provides support on multiple standard and renewal deadlines through 2027.

Small businesses developing heart, lung, blood, or sleep disorder technologies for rare diseases or young pediatric populations in Hawaii can seek Phase IIB SBIR funding to advance toward regulatory approval and commercialization. With a mission to improve public health, National Institutes of Health provides support to bridge the funding gap after Phase II and attract third-party investment.

Small business concerns developing heart, lung, blood, or sleep disorder technologies that need federal regulatory approval can seek Phase IIB SBIR Bridge Awards supporting later-stage R&D and commercialization; awards up to US $3,500,000. Grants from US Dept. of Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health help Hawaii respiratory disease innovators advance clinically relevant products with third-party investment.

Doctoral students conducting physical therapy or respiratory systems research at accredited institutions, including those in Hawaii, can receive up to US $7,500 to support the coursework phase of their studies. Foundation for Physical Therapy Research scholarships may benefit emerging academic researchers focused on respiratory diseases, cardiology, acute care, pelvic health, or physical therapy education.

The EMF/Fisher and Paykel High Flow Therapy Research aims to explore the use of high flow therapy as a first-line respiratory support in emergency departments. This research seeks to assess the number of patients with acute respiratory failure who may benefit from this therapy, understand the characteristics of EMS services, and identify patient outcomes. By analyzing these factors, the study intends to enhance patient care and inform effective health policies in emergency medicine.

The Hope APFED/AAAAI Grant Award aims to support innovative research projects related to Eosinophilic Disorders, excluding asthma, rhinitis, and eczema. This initiative encourages collaboration between the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology and the American Partnership for Eosinophilic Disorders, providing a platform for independent researchers to secure future funding. Applicants must be AAAAI members and hold relevant academic positions, ensuring a commitment to advancing knowledge in allergy and immunology.

The NHLBI Catalyze program aims to transition basic science discoveries into effective treatments for diseases under the NHLBI mission. This initiative supports early-stage product definition, prototype design, and assay development for HLBS disorders. The R61 phase focuses on initial designs and experimental setups, while the R33 phase extends support for prototype testing and user feedback. Successful completion prepares products for in vivo testing, enhancing health and societal outcomes with NIH and other support.

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.