Specialized Center Cooperative Agreements in Aging and/or Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (ADRD) Research
🏛 National Institutes of Health (HHS-NIH11)
✓ Free, no account · Source: Grants.gov · Last verified Jul 16, 2026
Can you apply?
This grant is for large-scale, complex aging and Alzheimer's disease research through specialized center cooperative agreements. Eligible applicants include research institutions, academic medical centers, and consortia of institutions with multidisciplinary research teams. The research must address aging and/or AD/ADRD and be conducted within the United States. Proposed projects must involve highly integrated components focused on a common research question.
Applicants with previous NIA funding must align their renewal or revision applications with the original parent NOFO requirements. Early consultation with NIA program staff is strongly recommended to ensure project responsiveness and relevance to NIA priorities.
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Key dates
- Jan 20, 2026 Applications open
- Jun 26, 2026 Application deadline
- Apr 30, 2027 Award announced
- Apr 30, 2027 Project start
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 U54 Specialized Center cooperative agreements that support large-scale, complex research projects with multiple highly integrated components focused on a common research question relevant to aging and/or Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD) research. It is anticipated that such projects will likely involve an integrated multidisciplinary team of investigators within a single institution or a consortium of institutions. If submitting renewal or revision applications the research objectives and scope of applications submitted through this NOFO must adhere to the requirements outlined in the parent NOFO under which the original application was funded.
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. Prospective applicants are strongly encouraged to contact NIA program staff prior to applying to discuss the responsiveness of their proposed research to this NOFO and its relevance to NIA’s programmatic priorities. Applicants should be aware that NIA anticipates funding only a limited number of meritorious applications under this announcement. Given this high level of competition, consultation with program staff will help applicants determine whether their proposed project is a good fit for the goals and priorities of this NOFO.
Who can apply
Eligible applicants
- 501(c)(3) Public Charity
- City / Municipal Government
- 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
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
- Institutional Support/Commitments Letters
- Vertebrate Animals Section (if applicable)
- Human Subjects Protection Section (if applicable)
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
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$463,372,200
-
$172,327,224
-
$115,145,694
-
$99,649,073
-
$93,275,174
-
$82,572,681
-
$81,344,612
-
$78,657,309
-
$75,825,492
-
$75,398,895
Top States by Funding
- CA 10 awards $633.7M
- MI 2 awards $511.9M
- MO 8 awards $453.5M
- 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 is eligible to apply for this grant?
Research institutions, academic medical centers, and consortia of institutions are eligible. Applicants must have multidisciplinary research teams conducting aging or Alzheimer's disease research.
What is the deadline?
The deadline is June 26, 2026. Prospective applicants should contact NIA staff early to develop their applications.
What types of research activities are supported?
Large-scale, complex research projects with multiple integrated components addressing a common question in aging, AD, or ADRD research.
How competitive is this funding?
This is highly competitive. NIA anticipates funding only a limited number of meritorious applications, so early consultation with program staff is essential.
Must I provide cost-sharing?
No cost-sharing is required for this cooperative agreement program.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Contact NIA program staff early to discuss project responsiveness and alignment with agency priorities before drafting your full application.
- Emphasize the multidisciplinary nature of your team and how components integrate to address a single research question.
- If renewing a previous award, carefully review the original parent NOFO to ensure compliance with those requirements.
- Develop strong partnerships and collaborations across institutions to strengthen competitiveness.
- Focus on large-scale, complex research that justifies the specialized center cooperative agreement mechanism rather than smaller grants.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications failing to demonstrate clear integration among multiple research components addressing a single research question. Lack of early consultation with NIA staff about project fit and relevance to agency priorities. Submissions from renewal applicants that deviate from or ignore the original parent NOFO requirements.
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