Force For Good

The Annabel Griffiths Rare Disease Project 2027

Applications are open globally for the Annabel Griffiths Rare Disease Project 2027, offering pro bono support and up to £50,000 (or local currency equivalent) funding for a project in rare diseases.

Apply by Sunday 27^th September 2026, 23:59 BST. Initial responses will be provided within six weeks of the deadline.

About Annabel

Annabel Griffiths joined Costello Medical in 2015 and spearheaded our rare diseases services and establishing the division in 2018. As Global Head of Rare Diseases she played a critical role in driving our academic research efforts and had a huge positive impact on the rare disease sector.

Following a diagnosis of a rare cancer in early 2024, Annabel passed away in March 2025. Annabel’s Legacy, including the Annabel Griffiths’ Rare Disease Project, has been established in her name to remember her and carry forward the work and values she cared about most.

More details about Annabel and Annabel’s Legacy can be found on our website.

About Costello Medical

Costello Medical provides scientific support to the healthcare industry in the analysis, interpretation and communication of clinical and health economic data. Our global team span offices across the UK, North America and the Asia Pacific region.

The majority of our clients are pharmaceutical and MedTech companies, but we recognise that commercial channels are not the only route to improving health. We therefore devote ourselves to non-profit projects in which our knowledge can be applied to effect real benefits to public and mental health. We are committed to delivering 3,100 days of pro bono work for healthcare charities and non-profits this year.

About the Annabel Griffiths Rare Disease Project

For one pro-bono project each year, we offer the opportunity to a charity or non-profit organisation working in rare diseases, the chance to secure our services free of charge alongside a one-off donation up to £50,000 (or local currency equivalent) to be used in support of the same project. This opportunity is open globally, and sits alongside our ongoing provision of pro bono support to health charities and non-profits.

We are seeking a project to support through 2027 where the combination of our support and the financial donation can really drive forward an initiative and the impact of your charity. Given Annabel’s incredible professional and personal bravery we are particularly looking for projects that are pushing your organisation outside its comfort zone.

What kind of projects can be supported?

We welcome applications for projects that fall within the scope of the professional services and expertise we can provide. These are described on the What We Do pages of our website. You can also visit our portfolio for examples of projects that we have completed on a pro bono basis.

We encourage applications from any project that demonstrates innovation and impact. The list below provides some illustrative examples of project types we can support:

Funding and developing a series of face-to-face training sessions, with us providing the necessary materials
Funding and generating a series of scientific advisory board meetings to facilitate expert guidance
Providing initial funding and strategic or technical guidance to establish a rare disease patient registry, creating a valuable resource for research and patient support
Organising and funding a national (or even international, in the case of ultra-rare diseases) education activity aimed at increasing awareness of specific conditions. Such an event would bring together patients, their families, healthcare professionals, academics, and pharmaceutical companies – fostering collaboration to make a meaningful difference
Implementing and funding awareness and advocacy campaigns or toolkits, potentially targeting government officials to influence policy and funding priorities
Supporting creation of a patient app – for example, to track symptoms – involving collaboration among patients, clinicians, and technology specialists, which could then be rolled out nationally to maximise reach and impact

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible:

Applications are invited from charities and non-profit organisations working in rare diseases
Projects should aim to create meaningful, patient-centred impact for people living with rare diseases and/or their families
Projects should be suitable for support through a combination of pro bono scientific or professional expertise from Costello Medical and a one-off donation of up to £50,000 (or local currency equivalent)
The funding and pro bono support must be used towards the same project
Projects should be ready to start in the first quarter of 2027 and be feasible to complete within the calendar year
Organisations should be able to clearly describe the need their project addresses, the intended outcomes, and how Costello Medical’s support would help advance the work beyond their usual scope of what could be achieved

Guide to this Form

The questions in this form will help us:

Learn about your organisation, including the work you do to improve outcomes for people affected by rare diseases and/or raise awareness of rare disease communities
Understand how you propose to use both the pro bono services and funding elements of support available. We are particularly interested in projects where these two elements are meaningfully connected, with applicants outlining:
- The specific professional services and expertise being requested from Costello Medical. See our ‘What We Do’ webpage for more information
- How the financial donation would be used in 2027 (capped at £50,000, or local currency equivalent) to support and strengthen the same project being supported by pro bono services
- The intended impact for people affected by rare diseases

We do not expect every detail of your project or budgetary needs to be finalised at this stage. However, applications should demonstrate a clear vision for the project, including why both forms of support are needed and how they would help the organisation deliver meaningful change.

Applications will be reviewed and short-listed and we may contact you for further information and/or to arrange an informal discussion if your project reaches the shortlisted stage.

If you do not have a specific project in mind and need input from Costello Medical on how we can best support your organisation, please complete the Expression of Interest Form rather than applying via this form.