European Joint Programming on Rare Diseases (EJP RD)

The European Joint Programming on Rare Diseases (EJP RD, 2019–2023) continues the work started by the ERA-NETs E-Rare-1, -2 and -3 to fund European research into rare diseases. The Research Council of Finland is a member of the EJP RD.

The EJP RD has 130 member organisations – funders, infrastructures, European Reference Networks and research organisations – from 35 EU member states and partner countries. The activities are coordinated by the French National Institute of Health and Medical Research (INSERM).

Two Finnish parties received funding from the first EJP RD call in 2019.

Research into rare diseases has been limited and scattered among individual laboratories in different countries. The fragmentation of what little expertise we do have, in turn, easily leads to slow diagnosis of rare diseases, limited medical opportunities and difficulties in obtaining treatment. This is why research into rare diseases can hugely profit from international research collaboration and coordination.