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).Apply for PAR 25 331
- 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name of this funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Research on Current Topics in Alzheimer's Disease and Its Related Dementias (R21 Clinical Trial Optional)" with Funding Opportunity Number (FON) PAR-25-331.
Which agency is offering this grant?
The agency listed is the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What type of funding mechanism is used?
This opportunity uses the NIH R21 mechanism, which is generally designed for early-stage, exploratory research and proof-of-concept projects.
What is the overall purpose of PAR-25-331?
The stated goal is to accelerate the development and early validation of new research-enabling resources for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRD). This includes resources such as tests, animal models, tools, assays, techniques, platforms, and other methodological advances that improve how AD/ADRD research is conducted.
What kinds of projects are a good fit for an R21 under this announcement?
This program is aimed at novel, potentially high-impact ideas that are not yet mature enough for widespread use and still need preliminary evidence to demonstrate feasibility, performance, reproducibility, or transferability to other investigators or settings.
Are clinical trials required?
No. The opportunity is "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning clinical trials are allowed but not required.
Are non-clinical or preclinical projects allowed?
Yes. Because clinical trials are optional, the opportunity is also open to preclinical research and methods-focused work, when appropriate to the proposed research-enabling resource.
What research areas does this opportunity cover?
The focus is Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRD), particularly projects that create or strengthen tools and resources that enable or improve AD/ADRD research.
What does "research-enabling resources" mean in this context?
Based on the description provided, research-enabling resources include items such as tests, animal models, tools, assays, techniques, platforms, and other methodological advances that help the broader research community conduct AD/ADRD studies more effectively.
Does NIH define specific scientific priority topics for this program?
Yes, but the priorities are expected to be defined over time. Specific priority topics will be communicated through separate NIH Notices released after this NOFO.
How should applicants keep up with changing or newly announced priority topics?
Applicants should monitor subsequent NIH Notices associated with PAR-25-331, since those Notices will communicate the most current topic areas NIH wants to emphasize.
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and some non-U.S. entities as well.
Are U.S. government entities eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants include state governments, county governments, city/township governments, and special district governments.
Are school districts eligible?
Yes. Independent school districts are listed as eligible applicants.
Are colleges and universities eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants include public and state-controlled institutions of higher education and private institutions of higher education.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Federally recognized Native American tribal governments are eligible, and Native American tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments are also listed as eligible.
Are nonprofits eligible?
Yes. Nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status are listed as eligible (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories).
Are for-profit organizations eligible?
Yes. For-profit organizations other than small businesses are listed as eligible, and small businesses are also listed as eligible.
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. The opportunity explicitly highlights faith-based or community-based organizations as eligible groups.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible to apply?
Yes. U.S. territories or possessions are listed among the additional eligible groups.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The eligibility description explicitly includes non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations.
Are minority-serving institutions specifically called out as eligible?
Yes. The opportunity highlights several categories including 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), and Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs).
What is the funding activity area for this opportunity?
The opportunity is categorized under Health as the funding activity area.
What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?
The CFDA number listed is 93.866.
Is there an award ceiling listed?
No. In the provided information, the award ceiling is not stated.
Are expected award numbers provided?
No. The provided information does not specify expected award numbers.
When is the closing date?
The record lists an original closing date of 2027-11-16.
Does the long closing date mean there are multiple submission dates?
The information suggests a multi-year submission window, with due dates that may occur on a standard NIH cycle or as specified in the full NOFO. The excerpt does not provide the specific due dates.
When was this opportunity created or posted?
The record shows a creation date of 2024-12-30.
What should a competitive proposal emphasize under this kind of call?
Based on the description provided, competitive projects typically emphasize: clear innovation; a rigorous plan for feasibility testing and early validation; and a credible pathway for dissemination or general use by the broader community (for example, demonstrating reproducibility, defining performance characteristics, or showing that other labs or settings could implement the approach).
Is this program mainly for mature tools already widely used in the field?
No. The emphasis is on innovations that are promising but not yet mature enough for widespread use and that need targeted support to generate early evidence that increases credibility, reproducibility, and transferability.
What should applicants do if they need budget caps, project period limits, or institute participation details?
The provided information indicates these details are not included in the excerpt, so applicants would need to consult the full announcement for budget caps, project period limits, and any institute-specific participation details.
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| Single Source: Bench to Bassinet Congenital Heart disease Advancing New understanding in GEnomics Cohort (B2B CHANGE Cohort) Data Coordinating Center (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) Apply for RFA HL 26 007 Funding Number: RFA HL 26 007 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $4,010,000 |
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