Rare diseases affect over 300 million people worldwide, yet research is often limited by scarce data and small patient populations.

The Mavatar Discovery Rare Disease Award supports researchers working where insight is hardest to reach. In 2026, four scientists will each receive a full-year Mavatar Discovery license, awarded quarterly, to accelerate data-driven discovery across disease mechanisms, biomarkers, and therapeutic targets.

Mavatar Discovery is an AI- and data-driven research platform that turns complex transcriptomic data into clear, biologically meaningful insights - in hours, not months. 

Researchers use the platform to: 

·   Identify disease drivers and molecular mechanisms 

·   Explore cross-disease biology and shared pathways 

·   Discover and validate biomarkers 

·   Generate pilot data and test hypotheses 

·   Advance research even with limited patient data 

Built on millions of peer-reviewed public datasets, Mavatar Discovery is uniquely suited for rare disease research, where new data is often difficult or impossible to collect. 

Check out the Mavatar Discovery Case Study:

Researchers worldwide working on: 

·   Rare or ultra-rare diseases 

·   Pediatric rare conditions 

·   Genetic, metabolic, immunological, or neurodegenerative diseases 

Applicants may come  from academia, clinical research, biotech, pharma, or early-stage research groups. 
Both early-career and senior researchers are encouraged to apply. 

Award recipients receive: 

• One-year full-access license to Mavatar Discovery 
• Personal onboarding and scientific support 
• Opportunities to showcase research through webinars or case studies 

One award will be granted each quarter: 

·   Q1 Award — Deadline: 22 March 2026 

·   Q2 Award — Deadline: 19 June 2026 

·   Q3 Award — Deadline: 25 September 2026 

·   Q4 Award — Deadline: 15 December 2026 

Researchers may apply once per year. Applications not selected in one quarter will be automatically considered for the next.