Centers without Walls for mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD)
Can you apply?
This grant is for research institutions conducting collaborative Alzheimer's disease-related dementia (ADRD) neurodegeneration studies.
Eligible applicants include universities, medical centers, and research institutes with established research capabilities. Institutions must form interdisciplinary consortia with complementary expertise across multiple specialties.
Projects should use state-of-the-art technologies, disease models, clinical science, and human specimens. One awardee will serve as coordinating center for all participating sites.
Geographic scope is national. This is a research consortium-based program, not currently accepting applications (pre-solicitation notice only).
Key dates
- Mar 11, 2026 Applications open
- Oct 1, 2026 Application deadline in 122 days
- Jul 1, 2027 Award announced
- Jul 1, 2027 Project start
This grant is for research institutions conducting collaborative Alzheimer's disease-related dementia (ADRD) neurodegeneration studies.
Eligible applicants include universities, medical centers, and research institutes with established research capabilities. Institutions must form interdisciplinary consortia with complementary expertise across multiple specialties.
Projects should use state-of-the-art technologies, disease models, clinical science, and human specimens. One awardee will serve as coordinating center for all participating sites.
Geographic scope is national. This is a research consortium-based program, not currently accepting applications (pre-solicitation notice only).
Program description
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is interested in supporting ambitious research projects to elucidate mechanisms of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD) organized as a “Center without Walls” consortium. NINDS Centers without Walls are collaborative research networks that bring together diverse expertise from different institutions to tackle complex neurological problems that are not tractable by individual research projects.
This program is considering using an activity code, such as the RM1, that enables interdisciplinary research consortia capable of identifying and characterizing novel ADRD mechanisms. Teams may include cross-disciplinary and cross-specialty expertise to address the complex co-pathologies, mixed etiologies, and disease heterogeneity in ADRD.
This program is anticipated to support teams that can combine multiple approaches, such as state-of-the-art technologies, disease-relevant models, clinical science, and human specimens, to investigate unique disease mechanisms and identify new therapeutic targets, biomarkers, and other factors influencing ADRD susceptibility, resilience, and pathology. One awardee team would serve as a coordinating center for all awardees to facilitate recurring meetings, data harmonization and sharing, cross-site communication, and support the implementation of inter-laboratory rigor and reproducibility plans.
This program is informed by key priorities from the ADRD Summit 2025, including embracing ADRD complexity and breaking down topic- and disease-based silos, and is intended to provide a mechanistic foundation for future translational and clinical ADRD research.
Applications are not being solicited at this time. Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects. Investigators with complementary expertise in ADRD mechanisms, clinical phenotypes, and advanced technologies are encouraged to contact agency staff listed below for additional information.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- Community Health Center
- County Government
- Nonprofits
- Private University
- Public Authority
- Public K-12 School
- Public University
- Small Business (SBA-defined)
- Special District
- State Government
- Tribal Nation
- Tribal Organization
Demographic focus
Details
This grant is for research institutions conducting collaborative Alzheimer's disease-related dementia (ADRD) neurodegeneration studies.
Eligible applicants include universities, medical centers, and research institutes with established research capabilities. Institutions must form interdisciplinary consortia with complementary expertise across multiple specialties.
Projects should use state-of-the-art technologies, disease models, clinical science, and human specimens. One awardee will serve as coordinating center for all participating sites.
Geographic scope is national. This is a research consortium-based program, not currently accepting applications (pre-solicitation notice only).
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- NIH R&R Application (SF-424 R&R)
- Project Narrative
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Biographical Sketches (all key personnel)
- Consortium Agreement or MOU between institutions
- Data Management and Sharing Plan
- Coordination Plan (if applying as coordinating center)
- Letters of Support from partner institutions
Program contact
- 👤 NINDS ADRD Administration and Program Staff
- 📧 NINDSDONADRD@mail.nih.gov
- 📞 Please contact via e-mail
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.853 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$82,511,281
-
$67,362,785
-
$62,646,087
-
$56,144,651
-
$45,268,737
-
$40,959,789
-
$35,655,349
-
$35,655,116
-
$35,335,145
-
$34,183,297
Top States by Funding
- MA 6 awards $186.5M
- CA 4 awards $129.9M
- OH 4 awards $112.5M
- FL 3 awards $100.3M
- MN 2 awards $99.4M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.853). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $2,362,835,459 | |
| 2025 | $2,345,500,401 |
FAQ
Who can apply to this grant?
Research institutions, universities, and medical centers with strong research infrastructure. Applicants must form interdisciplinary consortia with complementary ADRD expertise.
What is the deadline?
October 1, 2026. Applications are not currently being accepted; this is a pre-solicitation notice for planning purposes.
What research activities are supported?
Mechanistic ADRD research using advanced technologies, disease models, clinical phenotyping, and human specimens. Projects must address disease complexity and heterogeneity through collaborative approaches.
Will my application be competitive?
Competitiveness depends on consortium depth, complementary expertise, and capacity to implement rigorous cross-site protocols. Coordinating center applicants should emphasize data harmonization and communication infrastructure.
What is the funding range?
Specific dollar amounts per award are not published. Total program funding is $10 million across all awards.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Start building your consortium NOW. Identify collaborators with complementary expertise in ADRD mechanisms, clinical science, and technologies before applications open.
- Contact NINDS staff early for guidance on consortium structure, coordinating center requirements, and mechanistic priorities relevant to the ADRD Summit 2025 recommendations.
- Emphasize interdisciplinary rigor. Describe cross-site protocols for data harmonization, reproducibility standards, and inter-laboratory validation of mechanisms.
- Leverage human specimens and clinical phenotypes alongside basic science models. Mixed pathology and disease heterogeneity require integrated clinical and mechanistic approaches.
- If serving as coordinating center, detail infrastructure for data sharing, recurring meetings, cross-site communication, and oversight of consortium-wide standards.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applying as a single institution rather than forming a true interdisciplinary consortium. Proposals must demonstrate complementary expertise across institutions.
Failing to address ADRD complexity and disease heterogeneity. Mechanistic approaches alone without clinical integration or human-relevant models weaken competitiveness.
Unclear coordinating center structure and data-sharing infrastructure. Consortia without robust communication and harmonization plans lack the operational foundation this program requires.
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