Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 19 071

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 19 071

This funding opportunity, titled "Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (PAR-19-071), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program in the health research area (CFDA 93.866). It uses the R21 mechanism, which is generally meant to support early-stage, exploratory, and developmental research. The core goal is to help move promising research tools and approaches forward by generating the additional preliminary data needed to validate them, refine them, and make them usable by a wider set of researchers working on Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRD).

The emphasis of the announcement is not on running clinical trials, but on building and strengthening the foundational research "building blocks" that can accelerate progress across the field. The FOA explicitly invites applications that propose new or improved tests, animal models, techniques, and similar research-enabling resources relevant to AD/ADRD. In practical terms, this could include developing or optimizing experimental assays, creating or characterizing model systems, improving methodological approaches, or producing other broadly applicable tools that address current needs in dementia research. A key point is that the proposed resource or approach should be at a stage where it is promising but still needs more preliminary evidence and broader exposure to establish it for more general use.

Another defining feature is that the most important research topics under this opportunity are not fixed permanently within the announcement itself. Instead, the NIH plans to announce priority topics through a series of Notices published after the FOA. This means applicants are expected to pay attention to those subsequent NIH Notices to understand which specific "current topics" are being highlighted at a given time and to align proposals accordingly.

Eligibility is broad and is designed to include a wide range of organizations capable of contributing to AD/ADRD research infrastructure and methods development. Eligible applicants include various levels of U.S. government (state, county, city/township, and special district governments), independent school districts, public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized. The opportunity is also open to nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education), for-profit organizations other than small businesses, and small businesses. In addition, the FOA notes other eligible applicant categories such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations). The inclusion of these categories signals an intent to draw from a diverse set of institutions and communities to strengthen the research ecosystem around dementia.

From the funding details provided, the award ceiling is listed as $200,000, indicating the maximum amount expected per award under the terms shown in the source data. The original closing date in the record is 2021-11-12, and the FOA record shows a creation date of 2018-11-16. While the record includes a field for expected awards, it is not populated in the provided data, so the number of awards is not specified here. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as a targeted R21 program aimed at accelerating AD/ADRD progress by funding the development and validation of widely useful research tools and methods, with the exact topical priorities evolving over time via NIH-issued Notices.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2018-11-16.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-11-12. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $200,000.00 in funding.
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for PAR 19 071

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: