ATTRACT is the first international initiative to accelerate drug development for rare cancers through cross-border clinical academic research. Building on the success of the first edition (ATTRACT 2023), we are excited to announce the launch of a second call for projects in September 2024.

Rare cancers

Rare cancers account for as many as 20% of new cancer cases. Yet, for most of them, there are hardly any specific, effective drugs available, leaving patients with limited or no treatment options. Main hurdle for rare cancer drug development is the small patient populations, resulting in limited interest from the industry and difficulties in setting up clinical trials with adequate statistical power. International collaborations are necessary and require appropriate funding. 

Aim of the call

Therefore, 6 European anti-cancer charities join forces and launch the ATTRACT 2025 call to stimulate international research on the treatment of rare cancers: Anticancer Fund (Belgium), Scientific Foundation of the Spanish Association Against Cancer (Spain), Fondation ARC (France), Kom op tegen Kanker (Belgium), KWF Dutch Cancer Society (the Netherlands) and, joining the consortium for this new edition, Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research (Switzerland). 

We are pioneering with this partnership to tackle the funding gap for international research projects, especially in the field of rare cancer therapeutics. Our ambitious aim is to improve the treatment of rare cancers by helping new drug innovations from research into clinical practice, making the best possible treatments accessible to rare cancer patients everywhere. 

Information for applicants

For more information, please refer to the documents below.

ATTRACT 2025 will be implemented through a two-stage submission procedure: pre-proposals and full proposals through the Fondation ARC Submission System exclusively.

The call-text, specific guidelines for applicants and a preview of the pre-proposal application form will be announced prior to opening of the call. A dedicated Question & Answer Session (webinar) for applicants will be held online second half of September.

PROVISIONAL TIMELINE

Application Open Pre-proposal: 9 Sep 2024

Application Deadline Pre-proposal: 11 Oct 2024, 3pm CET

Application Open Full proposal: First half of Feb 2025

Application Deadline Full proposal: End of Apr 2025

Rebuttal week: First half of Sep 2025

Funding decisions: Oct-Nov 2025

Contact

For questions regarding the application process, please contact the joint call secretariat: 
Email: attract@fondation-arc.org 
Tel: +33 (0)1 45 59 58 45

For other questions, please contact the national contact points: 
ACF (BE) – Rica Capistrano
FC AECC (ES) – Estela Cepeda / Marina Reguero
KOTK (BE) – Robrecht Lembrechts
KWF (NL) – Tessa Nauta
RTFCCR (CH) – Alexandre Alencar