Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R21 Clinical Trial Optional) | PAR 25 331

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 25 331

This funding opportunity, titled "Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-25-331), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant program that supports early-stage, exploratory projects aimed at advancing research in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRD). It uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is generally intended for novel, high-impact ideas that are still at the proof-of-concept stage and need additional preliminary data to validate feasibility or performance before the approach can be broadly adopted by the field. Clinical trials are allowed but not required ("Clinical Trial Optional"), meaning applicants can propose human studies when appropriate, but the opportunity is equally open to preclinical and methods-focused work.

The central goal of the NOFO is to accelerate the development and early validation of new research-enabling resources such as tests, animal models, tools, assays, techniques, platforms, and other methodological advances that could improve how AD/ADRD research is conducted. The emphasis is on innovations that are promising but not yet mature enough for widespread use, and that would benefit from targeted support to generate the kind of preliminary evidence that makes the tool credible, reproducible, and transferable to other investigators. A key feature of this announcement is that the most important scientific priorities will be defined over time: specific priority topics will be communicated through a series of separate NIH Notices released after this NOFO. In practice, that means applicants should pay close attention to subsequent Notices tied to PAR-25-331 to align proposals with the most current topic areas NIH wants to emphasize.

From an applicant standpoint, eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and, notably, some non-U.S. entities as well. Eligible applicants include 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; Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The NOFO also explicitly highlights additional eligible groups such as Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), 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 non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations. This wide eligibility suggests NIH is interested in drawing tool-building and model-development ideas from a broad range of sectors and communities, including those that may be well positioned to address gaps in representation, infrastructure, or research resources.

Administratively, the opportunity is categorized under Health as the funding activity area and is associated with CFDA number 93.866. The posting lists NIH as the agency, identifies the program as a grant, and indicates an original closing date of 2027-11-16, implying a multi-year submission window with due dates that may occur on a standard NIH cycle or as specified in the full NOFO. The award ceiling is not stated in the provided excerpt, and expected award numbers are not specified, so applicants would need to consult the complete announcement for budget caps, project period limits, and any institute-specific participation details. The record shows a creation date of 2024-12-30, which helps place it as a relatively recent announcement that is designed to remain active while NIH updates the field on priority topics through later Notices.

In plain terms, this program is meant for investigators who have a potentially useful new AD/ADRD research tool or approach, but who still need focused funding to generate convincing early evidence and make the method something the broader community can adopt. Competitive projects under this kind of call typically emphasize clear innovation, a rigorous plan for feasibility testing and validation, and a credible pathway for dissemination or general use in the field (for example, showing reproducibility, defining performance characteristics, or demonstrating that other labs or settings could implement the approach).

• 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 Optional)" 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 2024-12-30.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2027-11-16.
• 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 25 331

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