Click Here to Download PDF Version
DATES
Optional Letter of intent deadline: October 9, 2026 (Friday)
Full application deadline: December 4, 2026 (Friday)
Anticipated award notification: February 2027
Anticipated start date: July 1, 2027
PURPOSE
The Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) and the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium (AAC) invites applications for Developmental grant proposals to support basic or clinical biomedical, translational, epidemiological, caregiving, educational, or behavioral studies in AD and related disorders (ADRD), or brain aging research.
The goal of the Developmental grant is to assist investigators in obtaining data to serve as the basis of a grant application to the NIH or other funding agency and is aimed at fostering engagement with the Arizona ADRC and its faculty. Funding decisions are based on scientific merit, further development of the applicant’s career, and the likelihood the project will lead to additional independent funding to continue the research beyond the end date of the Developmental grant.
Projects that address “blood biomarkers and brain imaging for the early detection, diagnosis, and prevention of Alzheimer’s and related disorders,” the overall theme of the Arizona ADRC, are encouraged. Projects not focused on this theme but that are novel, focus on an area of research underrepresented in the Arizona ADRC or AAC, are transdisciplinary and expand the breadth of collaborations, will be strongly considered.
Clinical trials are NOT permitted. Please refer to NIH’s Definition of Clinical Trials: https://grants.nih.gov/policy/clinical-trials/definition.htm. If you are not sure whether your proposed research is a clinical trial, please check with us before applying.
APPLICANT ELIGIBILITY
Who May Apply: Candidates should be faculty, or an advanced fellow/postdoctoral student with clear plans for transition to faculty status. Senior investigators interested in developing new research methods in AD/ADRD, or who are looking to expand into a new area of research within AD/ADRD, may apply.
Prior Award Restrictions: Researchers who have previously received an NIA-sponsored Developmental grant are not eligible to receive a second NIA-sponsored Developmental grant but may apply for a state-funded grant if it has been 4 or more years since receiving the NIA-sponsored grant. The application must be a departure from original award received. In total, each researcher may only receive one NIA-sponsored Developmental grant and one state-funded Developmental grant.
Citizenship or Residency Status: Due to NIH regulations, only U.S. citizens or non-citizen nationals, or an individual lawfully admitted for permanent residence who possesses an Alien Registration Receipt Card (I-151 or I-551), or some other verification of legal admission as a permanent resident prior to appointment, are eligible. Individuals on temporary or student visas are not eligible.
Geographic Location and Institutional Affiliation: The Program will only consider proposals from applicants within Arizona at the time of submission or from candidates who will relocate to an Arizona university, hospital, or non-profit institution before July 1, 2027. Applicants based at for-profit institutions must be collaborating with researchers at an AAC Member or Affiliate Institution, with the primary Principal Investigator having an appointment at one of the Institutions below. All work must be carried out in the U.S.
Member Institutions
Arizona State University
Mayo Clinic Arizona
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute
Translational Genomics Research Institute
Banner Sun Health Research Institute
University of Arizona (UA)
Barrow Neurological Institute
Affiliate Institutions
Banner Alzheimer’s Institute – Tucson
Northern Arizona University
Critical Path Institute
UA – College of Medicine, Phoenix
Midwestern University
MECHANISMS OF SUPPORT
Available Funding: We aim to fund up to one NIA-sponsored Developmental project, contingent on the availability of funding from the NIA; and up to two state-funded Developmental projects, contingent on the availability of funding from the state of Arizona. Applicants may request a budget of up to $60,000 per year in direct costs with a project term between 12 and 24 months. For projects requesting two years, the second year of funding is dependent on project progress, as captured in a 12 month progress report, and availability of funding.
Allowable Costs: Requested funds should support costs that are allowable, allocable, and necessary to accomplish the specific aims of the Developmental project. Allowable costs may include, but are not limited to:
- Personnel (salary and fringe benefits for the Developmental PI, research staff, postdoctoral fellows, or graduate students directly contributing to the project)
- Supplies and materials required for the proposed research
- Equipment essential to the project (if not otherwise available through institutional or Core resources), not exceeding $5,000 for a single item
- Biospecimen acquisition or data access fees
- Travel directly related to the conduct of the research or dissemination of findings
The following are not allowable: capital expenditures unrelated to the project and costs associated with clinical trials. All budget requests must be justified in the Budget Justification section of the application. Applicants are encouraged to leverage available Arizona ADRC Core resources to maximize the use of requested funds.
- Foreign Travel is not allowed for state-funded projects. Foreign travel may be allowable for an NIA-sponsored project if it is exceptionally well Since the potential funding source will not be known at the time of application, please take this into consideration. You may be asked to submit a revised budget if your project is selected for funding.
- Developmental PI must have measurable
- Indirect Costs or Facility & Administrative Costs, see
Indirect Cost Guidelines: Awards may be funded by the NIA and/or the state of Arizona. If your project is selected for funding from the state of Arizona, indirect costs (IDC) are not allowed. If your project is selected for funding by the ADRC with funding from the NIA, IDCs are allowed at your institution’s federally negotiated rate. Since the funding source (NIA vs state) will not be known at the time of application review, you may include IDCs in your proposed budget using your institution’s federally negotiated rate. However, please note that if your project is selected for NIA funding, you may be asked to submit a revised budget as total costs (directs costs with IDC) cannot exceed $100,000 Total Costs for AAC Member and Affiliate Institutions, and $72,025 Total Costs for Non-Member and Affiliate Institutions.
A separate RFP for one year Pilot projects ($30,000 direct costs) funded by the state of Arizona will be distributed by November 2026.
APPLICATION GUIDELINES & RESOURCES
Career Development Narrative: Please describe how this award would help support the applicant’s career development and trajectory. Please also provide a provisional plan and timeline for the submission of a subsequent competitive grant application to NIA or other funding agency.
ADRC Core Resources: Applicants are encouraged to take advantage of the vast resources available through the Arizona ADRC and national ADRC network (e.g., those related to its Administrative, Clinical, Neuropathology, Biomarker, Outreach Recruitment and Engagement [ORE] or Data Management and Statistics [DMS] Cores). Proposals that are related to the disciplines of the ADRC Cores are encouraged but not required. We strongly recommend consultation with Yi Su, PhD (see contact info below), who oversees our Statistics Program. If you have any questions about ADRC Core resources, please contact Winnie Liang, PhD, or Jessica Langbaum, PhD (see contact info below).
Biospecimens & Data Resources: Information on obtaining biospecimens and data from the Arizona ADRC can be found on the ADRC website: https://azadrc.org/our-research-center/; or by contacting Yi Su, PhD. Data collected from all NIA-funded ADRCs across the United States (US) can be accessed through the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) and their website is: https://www.naccdata.org/. Biological materials, such as DNA, plasma, serum, RNA, CSF, cell lines and brain tissue from ADRCs and other Centers across the United States can be requested through the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (NCRAD): https://ncrad.iu.edu/.
Mentors, Collaborators, & Consultants: Applicants may also wish to identify a mentor, collaborator, or consultant to advise or assist them on the project. Potential mentors, collaborators, consultants should be listed in the grant cover letter. Applicants who would like suggestions for appropriate matches should contact Dr. Jessica Langbaum (see contact info below), or Dr. Carol Barnes (Director, Ad Hoc Review Program, carol@nsma.arizona.edu).
APPLICATION PROCEDURES
Optional letter of intent (LOI): Interested applicants may submit an optional LOI, not to exceed one page, by October 9, 2026 to Trish Walsh (trisha.walsh@bannerhealth.com).
The LOI should include a descriptive title; name and address of the applicant; concise description of the proposed project; names of study team members; and mentors. While LOIs are not required, it allows the Ad Hoc Review Program to plan reviews. Scientific feedback on proposed projects will not be provided.
Full Application: PHS research grant application fillable forms must be used in applying for these funds (available at https://grants.nih.gov/grants/funding/phs398/phs398.html) All components of the proposal, including appendices, should be sent in a single PDF (<10Mb) by 5PM AZ time on December 4, 2026 to Trish Walsh (trisha.walsh@bannerhealth.com). Please make sure that you receive an email confirming receipt of your application. If you do not receive an email, please contact Trish Walsh.
Applications must include:
A cover letter with the names and contact information for 3-4 potential qualified reviewers outside of Arizona, and if previously reviewed: a summary of substantive changes made to the proposal
Face page (form page 1)
Summary, Relevance, Project/Performance Sites, Senior/Key Personnel, etc. (form page 2)
Detailed Budget for Initial Budget Period (form page 4) – Budget limited to $60,000/yr direct costs (plus applicable IDC; please see the “Mechanisms of Support” section above)
Budget for Entire Proposed Project Period (form page 5)
Budget Justification
Biographical Sketch(es) for Key Personnel – Please use ScienCV to prepare the Common Form: https://grants.nih.gov/grants-process/write-application/forms-directory/biographical-sketch-common-form
Resources (Facilities and Other Resources, Equipment)
Research Plan – limited to 5 pages and should include:
- Specific Aims
- Research Strategy (Significance, Innovation, Approach)
c. Timeline and Plan for Submission of Competitive Grant Application
Bibliography and References Cited
Protection of Human Subjects (if applicable)
PHS Inclusion Enrollment Report – Planned Enrollment (if applicable) https://apply07.grants.gov/apply/forms/readonly/PHS_Inclusion_Enrollment_Report-V1.0.pdf
Vertebrate Animals (if applicable)
Letters of Support (if applicable)
Checklist Form Page (including your institutional indirect cost calculation)
Appendices are limited to three publications, manuscripts, abstracts, patents, or other printed materials directly relevant to the proposal.
APPLICATION REVIEW CRITERIA
Applications will be reviewed for scientific and technical merit by two relevant outside experts. Applications will be rated based on 1) significance, 2) quality, innovation, and feasibility, 3) use of NACC, NCRAD and/or Arizona ADRC Core facilities, 4) potential of applicant to develop a successful research program in the field, 5) likelihood of leading to a successful grant application, and 6) sound experimental design and statistical approach. If the grant was reviewed previously, the applicant may include a summary of the substantive changes made to the proposal in their cover letter.
Notification of the Developmental award recommended for potential NIA funding, as well as any proposal identified for potential state funding, will be sent by February 2027. Other meritorious applications will be invited to revise and submit proposals to the one year state-funded Pilot grant program. The anticipated funding start date of successful applications is July 1, 2027.
POST AWARD EXPECTATIONS
Successful applicants will be requested to provide one-year progress reports prior to receiving second year funds. Recipients of the NIA-sponsored Developmental award will be invited to present at an Arizona ADRC All-hands meeting. All Developmental award recipients will be invited to attend the Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium Annual Retreat in the spring and are encouraged to attend the Consortium’s Scientific Conference.
Recipients will also be asked to provide updates on planned and submitted manuscripts and grant applications related to study findings, as well as on their publications, presentations, grant awards, and broader research activities in AD, related disorders, and aging research.
CONTACTS & INQUIRIES
Inquiries are encouraged. Inquiries regarding ADRC Core resources or expertise related to the applicant’s field of interest should be directed to:
Jessica B. Langbaum, PhD, Director, Arizona ADRC Email: Jessica.Langbaum@bannerhealth.com
Eric M. Reiman, MD, Director, Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium Email: Eric.Reiman@bannerhealth.com
Inquiries regarding statistical approaches and access to Arizona ADRC biospecimens and data be directed to:
Yi Su, PhD, Data Management & Statistics Core Leader, Arizona ADRC Email: Yi.Su@bannerhealth.com
General Arizona ADRC and Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium questions may be directed to:
Winnie Liang, PhD, Administrative Director, Arizona ADRC and Administrative Director, Arizona Alzheimer’s Consortium
Email: Winnie.Liang@bannerhealth.com
Inquiries regarding application and review procedures can be directed to: Trisha Walsh, Email: Trisha.Walsh@bannerhealth.com
