Health Research

Support for scientific medical research that addresses major needs in society.

Medical progress does not fall from the sky; it comes after long and costly years of research. It is work that opens the door to new therapeutic treatments for the benefit of patients and those near and dear to them. Thanks to the means made available by philanthropists, the King Baudouin Foundation supports research in healthcare at Belgian and European levels, complementing public investment and working alongside partners in the public and private sectors.

Our activities

  • supporting medical research projects and providing grants to top level researchers in various fields of health, including rare diseases, cancer, neurology, cardiology and rheumatology
  • notable research on rare diseases, thanks to significant resources allocated by the Generet Fund, which awards a Prize of one million euros to a leading researcher each year
  • developing ‘niche approaches’ that are not financed by others but focus on innovation.

Medical research is part of the programme Health

Calls for projects

Alphonse and Jean Forton Fund and the Belgian Cystic Fibrosis Association

Support for research into cystic fibrosis

Selection announced

Sophia (Fund)

Supporting research into Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) and related diseases

Ongoing

Fund Benevermedex - Assure your future

Support to research in the field of private insurances for the benefit of victims of accidents

Ongoing

Grantees

Research into rare thyroid diseases

Use of human thyroid organoids to reproduce rare thyroid diseases in the laboratory.

Université Libre de Bruxelles

An innovative epitranscriptomic approach to target cancer persister cells

Research study by Evelyne Collignon: Drug-tolerant persister (DTP) cells are a major obstacle to chemotherapy and can lead to deadly cancer relapses. Building up on emerging data…

Université Libre de Bruxelles

Rescuing mutant CFTR by delivering stabilizing nanobodies

Project of Cédric Govaerts supported by the Fund A & J Forton and the Belgian CF Association, muco.be: 'We have developed stabilizing CFTR-nanobodies that can help rescue exp…

Events

Award ceremony 5th Prize Generet into rare diseases

16/02/2023 17:30 until 16/02/2023 21:00

Award Ceremony of the 5th Generet Prize for Rare Diseases

Award ceremony - laureates 2022 Funds for health research

05/10/2023 10:30 until 05/10/2023 12:30

Award ceremony - Laureates 2022 of the Funds for health research

Funds and philanthropic tools

GENeHOPE (Fund)

The Fund GENeHOPE aims at accelerating research on genetic diseases by encouraging collaboration between expert centers in Belgium and abroad

Guillet (Fund)

The fund's mission is scientific/medical research and the protection of our natural heritage.

Dionysia Vermote (Fund)

The Fund supports:- medical-scientific research on the detection and treatment of serious diseases- combating poverty among young people abroad- promoting animal welfare

Press Releases

Mental Health Research Mapping

KBF releases 4 million euro for mental health research

16 02 2024

The KBF is setting up the Fund for Mental Health Research to map mental health research in Belgium.

Over 6 million euros allocated to health research

06 10 2023

In 2022, 60 Funds dedicated to scientific medical research allocated a total of 6.6 million euros to 72 research projects.

One million euros for research into motor neuron disease ALS

16 02 2023

Prof. Dr Ludo Van Den Bosch is awarded the Generet Prize for Rare Diseases (€ 1,000,000) for his research into motor neuron disease ALS.

Stories

From asthma research to better treatment for cystic fibrosis complications?

Health Research

"When we see a patient whose cystic fibrosis is deteriorating, it is often hard to identify the cause. There is a need for better diagnosis of allergic reactions to fungi."
Dr Eva Van Braeckel
Pulmonologist (UGent and UZ Gent)

Pancreatic cancer: gradually untangling a complex knot

Health Research

“In families where there are more cases of pancreatic cancer, we are also seeing an association with colon and breast cancer.”
Prof. Kathleen Claes
UGent, Lab for Cancer Predisposition and Precision Oncology

New perspective on DNA variations leads to explanation for rare disease

Health Research

“We have shown that it is also worthwhile to look at the variants just before and just after genes.”
Prof. Eric Legius
Head of Centre for Human Genetics UZ Leuven