NIH / Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (P50) - Limited Submission Internal Due Date
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The National Institute on Aging (NIA) invites applications from qualified institutions for support of Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs).
Centers are expected to provide an environment and core resources which will enhance cutting-edge research by bringing together biomedical, behavioral, and clinical investigators to study the etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of AD, and to improve health care delivery. Centers should also foster the development of new lines of research and provide a rich training environment for fellows and junior faculty to acquire research skills and experience in interdisciplinary AD research. The centers provide investigators and research groups with well-characterized patients and control subjects, family information, and brain tissue and biological specimens. Centers should incorporate contemporary biochemical and molecular techniques and pursue research, when feasible, in genomics, epigenomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. Centers are encouraged to develop in accordance with local talents, interests, and resources, but should also be responsive to national needs related to AD.
Centers should work together with other AD research groups in collaborative research activities and cooperate with other federal, state, and local agency-supported AD programs (such as the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS) and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)), as well as the Alzheimer's Association in furthering mutual goals. Centers should also, whenever possible, cooperate with other NIA Centers such as Pepper, Shock, and RCMAR Centers, and Udall Centers sponsored by National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS).
ADRCs are required to include administrative, data management and statistical, clinical, neuropathological, and education cores. Other cores can be proposed if they contribute to the overall mission of the center, are scientifically justified, support projects funded by the center or by other mechanisms, and fit within the budget guidelines. ADRC applications will include, in addition, two or three research projects with a duration of up to five years (equivalent to small R01 grants) at least one of which should depend on clinical or neuropathology core resources at the home center or another center, and at least one of which must have a junior investigator as the project leader. The number of research projects funded and their duration will depend upon scientific quality. Funding for one to three smaller one year pilot grants should also be requested.
The Center Grant may incorporate ancillary activities such as longitudinal studies and limited patient care necessary to support the primary research effort. The spectrum of activities should comprise a multi-disciplinary approach to the problem of AD and other neurodegenerative diseases, including distinguishing early stages from normal aging, investigating mixed dementias, as well as studying unique aspects and subtypes of these very complex and heterogeneous disease processes.
