Translational Bioinformatics and Experimental Approaches to Advance Drug Repositioning and Combination Therapy Development for Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
Can you apply?
This grant is for researchers and research institutions seeking funding for translational bioinformatics and experimental research aimed at drug repositioning and combination therapy development for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. R01 awards from the National Institutes of Health support a wide range of research and development efforts conducted by eligible domestic and international institutions, including universities, medical schools, research hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations. Applicants must have an established research infrastructure and typically a demonstrated track record in relevant research areas. The grant explicitly does not support clinical trials. Eligible recipients include domestic for-profit and nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, tribal organizations, and foreign institutions; applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. Applications must describe innovative bioinformatics approaches, experimental methodologies, or both combined to identify and validate new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disease.
This grant is for researchers and research institutions seeking funding for translational bioinformatics and experimental research aimed at drug repositioning and combination therapy development for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. R01 awards from the National Institutes of Health support a wide range of research and development efforts conducted by eligible domestic and international institutions, including universities, medical schools, research hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations. Applicants must have an established research infrastructure and typically a demonstrated track record in relevant research areas. The grant explicitly does not support clinical trials. Eligible recipients include domestic for-profit and nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, tribal organizations, and foreign institutions; applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. Applications must describe innovative bioinformatics approaches, experimental methodologies, or both combined to identify and validate new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disease.
Program description
This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications that propose to use mouse models to conduct rigorous preclinical testing of drugs or drug combinations currently used for other conditions, as well as investigational drugs at various stages of clinical development, predicted to be efficacious in AD/ADRD. This initiative will also support preclinical testing of repurposable or investigational drug candidates in combination with non-pharmacologic interventions leading to robust translational outcomes. The central goal is to establish robust proof of concept that will enable rational drug repurposing and combination therapy development for the treatment and prevention of AD/ADRD.
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
Details
This grant is for researchers and research institutions seeking funding for translational bioinformatics and experimental research aimed at drug repositioning and combination therapy development for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. R01 awards from the National Institutes of Health support a wide range of research and development efforts conducted by eligible domestic and international institutions, including universities, medical schools, research hospitals, and other nonprofit organizations. Applicants must have an established research infrastructure and typically a demonstrated track record in relevant research areas. The grant explicitly does not support clinical trials. Eligible recipients include domestic for-profit and nonprofit organizations, state and local governments, tribal organizations, and foreign institutions; applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents. Applications must describe innovative bioinformatics approaches, experimental methodologies, or both combined to identify and validate new therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disease.
How to apply
Application links
Required documents
- NIH Form SF-424 (R&R) or equivalent application form
- Project Narrative and Research Strategy (typically 15 pages maximum)
- Specific Aims page (1 page)
- Research Design and Methods section
- Literature review and significance statement
- Preliminary data and feasibility evidence
- Budget and budget justification (Form PHS 398)
- Biographical sketches of key personnel (including principal investigator)
- Facilities and resources available to the project
- Letters of support from collaborating institutions or organizations (if applicable)
- Institutional Review Board (IRB) or Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) approval documentation if applicable
- Data management and sharing plan
- Conflict of interest disclosures
Program contact
- 👤 National Institutes of Health
- 📧 grantsinfo@nih.gov
- 📞 301-402-2541
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 is eligible to apply for this R01 grant?
Eligible applicants include researchers at domestic and international institutions (universities, medical centers, hospitals, research institutes) that are 501(c)(3) nonprofits, state and local governments, tribal organizations, and for-profit entities. At minimum, the principal investigator must typically have a Ph.D. or M.D. and demonstrated research experience in relevant areas.
What is the deadline and how often is this opportunity available?
The fixed application deadline for this cycle is May 7, 2028, with applications opening December 30, 2024. NIH R01 programs typically have multiple deadlines per year (often in February, June, and October), so similar opportunities will likely recur.
Can this grant fund clinical trials?
No. This specific R01 explicitly excludes clinical trial activities. The grant is designed for basic, translational, and preclinical research using bioinformatics and experimental approaches.
What activities does the grant support?
The grant supports translational bioinformatics research, experimental drug development, drug repositioning studies, and combination therapy development specifically targeting Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Projects should employ computational, laboratory, or integrated approaches to identify and validate new therapeutic candidates.
How competitive is this grant and what funding should I expect?
R01 awards are highly competitive. Individual R01 awards typically range from $200,000 to $500,000 per year, depending on the field and complexity, with project periods commonly 4-5 years. Success rates for NIH R01s generally range from 15-25% nationally; competition is substantial and applications must demonstrate scientific innovation and feasibility.
💡 Tips for applicants
- Establish preliminary data demonstrating feasibility of your bioinformatics approach or experimental methods before application; reviewers expect evidence that your strategy can work.
- Clearly articulate how your drug repositioning or combination therapy approach is novel compared to existing efforts; explain why this specific therapeutic direction for Alzheimer's disease is promising and timely.
- Build a multidisciplinary team with complementary expertise in bioinformatics, neurobiology, pharmacology, and/or chemistry; R01 success often correlates with collaborative strength and access to specialized resources.
- Allocate realistic budget and timeline that reflect the complexity of translational research; demonstrate access to necessary computing resources, laboratory facilities, and biorepositories for your work.
- Address potential barriers to translation (regulatory pathway, scalability, cost) and explain how your findings will move toward clinical application or inform future clinical development, even though clinical trials are excluded from this award.
⚠️ Common mistakes
Applications are frequently rejected when they lack sufficient preliminary data or appear to be exploratory fishing expeditions rather than targeted hypothesis-driven research. Another common pitfall is underestimating the complexity and timeline required for rigorous translational work or proposing overly ambitious aims that cannot be completed in the project period. Finally, many applications fail to clearly articulate the public health significance for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias or to convincingly explain how their approach differs from or builds meaningfully on prior work in drug repositioning.
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