Research Project Cooperative Agreements in Aging and/or Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD) Research
Can you apply?
This grant is for research institutions and investigators conducting aging and Alzheimer's disease research. Eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, hospitals, and other organizations with research capacity. U.S. institutions and foreign organizations with a U.S. based component may apply.
The research must align with NIA's mission and address aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD), or Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRD). Funded projects require substantial NIH programmatic involvement, including milestone plans, collaborative activities, and coordination committees.
This is a cooperative agreement mechanism requiring significant collaboration between the researcher and NIA program staff. Prior contact with NIA is strongly encouraged before submitting.
Key dates
- Jan 20, 2026 Applications open
- Jun 20, 2026 Application deadline in 19 days
- Apr 30, 2027 Award announced
- Apr 30, 2027 Project start
This grant is for research institutions and investigators conducting aging and Alzheimer's disease research. Eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, hospitals, and other organizations with research capacity. U.S. institutions and foreign organizations with a U.S. based component may apply.
The research must align with NIA's mission and address aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD), or Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRD). Funded projects require substantial NIH programmatic involvement, including milestone plans, collaborative activities, and coordination committees.
This is a cooperative agreement mechanism requiring significant collaboration between the researcher and NIA program staff. Prior contact with NIA is strongly encouraged before submitting.
Program description
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit new, renewal, and competing revision applications, and their resubmissions, for research project cooperative agreements. The proposed research must be relevant to the mission of NIA. Areas of research that fall within NIA’s mission include: genetic, biological, neuroscientific, preclinical, clinical, behavioral, social, psychological, and economic research on aging and the health and well-being of older people. This includes research to understand the nature of aging and the aging process, research on diseases and conditions associated with aging, and other special problems and needs associated with growing older, in order to extend the healthy, active years of life. NIA places major emphasis on, and has substantial resources for, research on Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD). ADRDs include Frontotemporal dementia, vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia, Lewy body dementias, and multiple etiology dementias based on similarities in clinical symptoms and brain pathologies between these and pathologic AD and/or clinical AD.
The NOFO intends to utilize the U01 activity code. The U01 activity code requires substantial programmatic involvement in order to execute the research. This includes, but is not limited to, the following: establishing milestone plans, access to various NIH resources, collaborative activities of a consortium, the development of working groups and/or coordinating committees, and the formation of an External Scientific Panel.
Applications are not being solicited at this time. This notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.
Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIA program staff prior to submitting an application to discuss the responsiveness of their proposed research to the NOFO and its relevance to NIA’s programmatic priorities.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- County Government
- Hospital
- 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 and investigators conducting aging and Alzheimer's disease research. Eligible applicants typically include universities, research institutes, hospitals, and other organizations with research capacity. U.S. institutions and foreign organizations with a U.S. based component may apply.
The research must align with NIA's mission and address aging, Alzheimer's disease (AD), or Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (ADRD). Funded projects require substantial NIH programmatic involvement, including milestone plans, collaborative activities, and coordination committees.
This is a cooperative agreement mechanism requiring significant collaboration between the researcher and NIA program staff. Prior contact with NIA is strongly encouraged before submitting.
How to apply
Application links
Key dates & requirements
Required documents
- SF-424 (R&R) Application for Federal Assistance
- Project Narrative (research plan)
- Budget and Budget Justification
- Biographical Sketches of Key Personnel
- Facilities and Administrative (F&A) Cost Rate Agreement
- Letters of Support from Collaborating Institutions
- Data Management and Sharing Plan
Program contact
- 👤 NIA Scientific Contact
- 📧 NIA-NOFO-Scientific@nih.gov
- 📞 Please contact via e-mail
Funding track record
Recent awards under CFDA 93.866 from the last 3 years — real organizations that won funding through this same program.
Top 10 Largest Recent Awards
-
$463,372,200
-
$172,327,224
-
$115,145,694
-
$99,649,073
-
$93,275,174
-
$78,657,309
-
$75,825,492
-
$75,398,895
-
$70,985,470
-
$64,812,576
Top States by Funding
- MI 2 awards $511.9M
- CA 8 awards $511.1M
- MO 8 awards $437.0M
- IN 4 awards $303.9M
- PA 6 awards $298.0M
Source: USAspending.gov — federal spending transparency. Data covers last 3 years.
Funding history
Annual funding for this program — Federal obligations (CFDA 93.866). How funding has trended year over year.
| 2024 | $3,746,886,731 | |
| 2025 | $3,777,464,644 | |
| 2026 est. | $261,814,471 |
FAQ
Who can apply for this grant?
Research institutions, universities, and organizations with research capacity can apply. Contact NIA staff before applying to ensure your research aligns with their priorities.
What types of research are funded?
Genetic, biological, neuroscientific, clinical, behavioral, social, and economic research on aging and Alzheimer's disease/related dementias. Research must be relevant to NIA's mission.
What is a U01 cooperative agreement?
A cooperative agreement providing federal funding with substantial NIH involvement in project execution. This includes milestone planning, access to NIH resources, and collaborative activities.
When is the application deadline?
The deadline is June 20, 2026. This is a fixed deadline, not rolling. Contact NIA in advance to discuss your proposal's alignment with priorities.
How competitive is this funding?
Very competitive. Applicants should have significant research capacity and demonstrated expertise in aging or dementia research. Strong preliminary data and clear collaborative plans strengthen applications.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Contact NIA program staff early to discuss your research idea and ensure responsiveness to the NOFO before investing application effort.
- Clearly articulate how your research addresses NIA's mission and fits within their priority areas for aging or AD/ADRD research.
- Plan for substantial programmatic involvement: develop detailed milestone plans and identify collaborative structures, working groups, and external advisory panels.
- Demonstrate strong institutional capacity and research infrastructure to support a cooperative agreement with active NIH collaboration.
- Build the collaborative relationships and consortium structures described in the NOFO before submitting your application.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Submitting research proposals without prior contact with NIA program staff about responsiveness and fit. Underestimating the level of collaboration and programmatic involvement required in a U01 cooperative agreement. Failing to develop detailed milestone plans and clear governance structures for collaborative projects.
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