Best Grants for Rare Diseases in Massachusetts

Nonprofit 501(c) organizations improving health equity through nutrition, healthcare access, STEM education, or climate and nature programs in Massachusetts can apply for the Community Solutions Challenge, with awards up to US $30,000. Grants from Astrazeneca Foundation help community-based programs address health disparities, including respiratory and other conditions affecting historically excluded populations in the U.S. and its territories.

With a mission to support respiratory health, American Respiratory Care Foundation provides respiratory therapists in Massachusetts and nationwide with up to US $5,000 for postgraduate education in respiratory care. Individual therapists pursuing advanced degrees related to respiratory diseases and systems may receive tuition assistance plus travel, lodging, and registration for the AARC Congress.

Researchers conducting original university or hospital-based respiratory care and airway management studies in Massachusetts may be eligible for this fellowship, which supports projects using bench, animal, or human models. Grants from American Respiratory Care Foundation help respiratory diseases and systems researchers attend the AARC Congress with travel, lodging, registration, and recognition.

Graduate students and other qualified investigators conducting respiratory care education or credentialing research can apply for grants up to US $5,000, including applicants in Massachusetts. Grants from American Respiratory Care Foundation support projects with practical value to the respiratory care profession, which may include work related to rare respiratory diseases.

Nonprofit organizations conducting respiratory care research in Massachusetts may be eligible for the Parker B. Francis Respiratory Research Grant, with awards up to US $10,000 to supplement existing project support. Administered by the American Respiratory Care Foundation, projects must meaningfully involve respiratory therapists or technicians, and principal investigators may be physicians or respiratory care practitioners.

Nonprofit organizations conducting respiratory care research in Massachusetts can seek support for projects involving respiratory therapists or technicians in a meaningful way. Focused on respiratory diseases and systems, the American Respiratory Care Foundation invites proposals in applied clinical or basic research, including respiratory care theory, practice, management, and education; awards up to US $10,000.

Early-career respiratory care researchers focusing on pediatric respiratory therapy can receive up to US $5,000 to support research-related growth and initial projects. Grants from American Respiratory Care Foundation help Massachusetts and other U.S. investigators fund mentoring, hands-on experience, and small equipment or supplies for their first pediatric respiratory research project.

Health care professionals from outside the U.S. interested in respiratory care can access a 20-day observational fellowship in Massachusetts and other U.S. cities, covering lodging, food allowance, and local transportation. American Respiratory Care Foundation provides this program to support global advancement of respiratory care, including participation in the AARC Congress and clinical site visits.

Biomedical, behavioral, and clinical science faculty in Massachusetts seeking mentored career development for cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, or sleep research can apply for up to US $130,000 in K01 funding. The US Dept. of Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health supports institutions with eligible faculty, including those working on respiratory diseases and related rare conditions.

U.S. institutions with missions serving health disparity populations and strong cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, or sleep research training programs can apply for NIH’s T32 Training Program for Institutions That Promote Diversity. This national opportunity supports predoctoral, health professional, and postdoctoral research training, which may benefit Massachusetts programs working on rare or respiratory diseases.

Early-stage pulmonary fibrosis researchers in Massachusetts and across the U.S. can apply for Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation’s PFF Scholars awards; grants provide US $100,000 for mentored basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological, or health services research. Eligible applicants hold doctoral or professional degrees, are post-docs or junior faculty, and are building careers in interstitial lung disease research.

Biomedical research institutions and hosts for NHLBI intramural postdoctoral fellows conducting clinical trial–required work in areas like respiratory and cardiovascular diseases in Massachusetts can apply for this career transition support. The National Institutes of Health backs a two-phase, five-year pathway helping fellows move from mentored intramural research to independent extramural positions nationwide.

Biomedical research institutions and scientists conducting leprosy research in the U.S., including Massachusetts, can apply for The New York Community Trust’s Heiser Program, which awards US $87,500 - US $250,000 for projects. Funding supports diagnosis tools, transmission blocking, treatment development, surveillance programs, and related work that may benefit rare disease research efforts.

Early-career clinical or scientific investigators conducting innovative sarcoidosis research at U.S. institutions can receive US $150,000 over two years to support their fellowship compensation. With a mission to advance sarcoidosis research, Foundation for Sarcoidosis Research provides Massachusetts and other respiratory disease researchers with support to build academic careers and improve care for sarcoidosis patients.

Early-career research scientists in low- and middle-income countries conducting clinical research on conditions such as respiratory or other major diseases can apply for the Emerging Global Leader Award, with approximately US $140,000 in support. Grants from the National Institutes of Health help provide three to five years of mentored career development, benefiting collaborators in places like Massachusetts and beyond.

Early-career research scientists in low- or middle-income countries conducting health-related research can apply for the Emerging Global Leader Award from the National Institutes of Health, with approximately US $140,000 to support mentored career development and research. Projects on respiratory or other priority diseases may benefit patients in places like Massachusetts and worldwide.

With a mission to advance nonmalignant hematology research, the National Institutes of Health provides Massachusetts biomedical researchers and institutions with R01 funding for innovative basic and early translational studies. Projects focused on hematological systems, aging, kidney, digestive, endocrine, respiratory, sleep, or related rare disease mechanisms may be eligible; multiple application cycles run through 2027.

Small businesses developing heart, lung, blood, or sleep disorder technologies for rare diseases or young pediatric populations can seek up to US $3,500,000 to advance products toward regulatory approval and commercialization, including work in Massachusetts. With a mission to support biomedical innovation, NIH provides Phase IIB SBIR funding for later-stage research requiring eventual Federal regulatory clearance.

Small business concerns developing heart, lung, blood, or sleep disorder technologies can seek up to US $3,500,000 to advance Phase IIB SBIR projects toward regulatory approval and commercialization. Grants from US Dept. of Health & Human Services: National Institutes of Health (NIH) support later-stage R&D, which may benefit Massachusetts innovators working on rare or respiratory diseases.

Graduate students pursuing doctoral research in physical therapy and respiratory diseases can receive up to US $7,500 in scholarship support from the Foundation for Physical Therapy Research, including those studying in Massachusetts. Funding supports pre-candidacy and candidacy phases, especially projects in acute care, cardiology and pulmonary, PT education, and pelvic health.

The T32 Training Program aims to enhance the participation of individuals from underrepresented backgrounds in cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic, and sleep disorders research. This initiative, funded by the NIH, supports institutions committed to diversity and health disparity populations. By providing training opportunities for students and postdoctoral trainees, the program seeks to foster research that improves health outcomes for these communities. Note that appointed trainees cannot lead independent clinical trials but can gain experience in trials conducted by mentors.

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.