The purpose of this Notice of Special Interest (NOSI) is to increase the number of early stage physician-scientists in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD) research and improve patient care for veterans. To accomplish this goal, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have created a two-part opportunity for early career VA physician-scientists to pair with both VA- and NIA-funded mentors in the AD/ADRD field through an IK2 career development award from the VA and an administrative supplement from NIA. This will also facilitate the development of a sustainable process for collaboration and address key barriers or challenges that often hinder communication, sharing of resources, and increased coordination between the VA and NIA.
Eligible Applicants
This opportunity is for VA-appointed physician-scientists who are early in their careers, defined as those who are no more than 5 years past their last clinical training (e.g., residency, internship, clinical fellowship) and no more than 10 years beyond receipt of their MD or DO.
Research Objectives
NIA seeks to support research focused on one or more of the following areas:
- Alzheimer's disease (AD): Includes AD diagnosis, treatment, etiology, and prevention. Mild cognitive impairment research is relevant to AD prevention research and thus is included. Cognitive decline in aging is also relevant to this category.
- Alzheimer's disease related dementias (ADRD): Includes frontotemporal dementia (FTD), Lewy body dementia (LBD), vascular cognitive impairment/dementia (VCID), and mixed etiology dementias (MEDs).
- Related diseases: Studies that focus on traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a risk factor for AD/ADRD will be considered. Other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's disease with dementia, are included when AD is also being studied and when common pathways are described. Other neurologic diseases, such as Huntington's disease, major depressive disorder, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, Batten disease, schizophrenia, and AIDS dementia are not included unless AD/ADRD is also studied and common pathways are described.
- Caregiving: Studies on family caregivers of AD/ADRD patients, as well as Alzheimer's care in nursing homes, are included.
- Basic research: Basic research on disease mechanisms, neuropathology, cognitive decline, memory loss, amyloid, tau, Lewy bodies, etc. is included when a relationship to AD/ADRD is stated.
Application and Submission Process
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and PA-20-272, "Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)" must be followed, with the following additions:
- Applicants should first enlist the support of at least two mentors. The primary mentor should be an appropriately qualified, VA-employed investigator with an active VA Merit Award. The second mentor should be an investigator in the AD/ADRD field with an active R01 or RF1 award from NIA with at least 3 years of remaining funding on the award. Scientists not funded by the VA or NIA may be included as co-mentors.
- For the IK2 award, when the mentoring team is in place, applicants should submit a letter of intent (LOI) to [email protected] by September 16, 2021 (Fall Cycle) or March 9, 2022 (Spring Cycle). The LOI instructions are provided on pages 20-22 of the VA RFAs: BX-21-030, CX-21-030, HX-21-030, or RX-21-030. LOIs are not required for the NIA administrative supplement.
- Based on the letter of intent, NIA and the VA will invite promising applicants to apply for support to conduct research in the NIA-funded mentor’s laboratory. Further information on the application process will be provided at that time. In brief, the process involves two simultaneous applications:
- The prospective prospective career development awardee applies for an IK2 award from the VA through BX-21-030, CX-21-030, HX-21-030, or RX-21-030. The IK2 award is supported by the VA and not by Administrative Supplements solicited via this Notice.
- Based on the prospective career development awardee's proposed research in the IK2, the NIA-funded mentor applies for an administrative supplement through PA-20-272 or its subsequent reissued equivalent.
- Application Due Date(s) are aligned with the VA receipt dates for funding in FY 2022: November 9, 2021 and May 6, 2022, by 5:00 PM local time of the applicant organization.
- For funding consideration, applicants must include NOT-AG-21-054 (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.
- The process for Streamlined Submissions using the eRA Commons cannot be used for this initiative.
Award Details
The IK2 award supported by the VA will provide up to $65,000 per year for clinician salary, travel expenses, and limited support for research supplies.
The NIA administrative supplement solicited by this Notice will support research expenses for conducting the study in the NIA mentor's laboratory (e.g., materials and supplies, support for a technician, post-doc, and/or consultant(s)). Funding can be requested for up to 5 years, with a maximum annual award of $185,000 in direct costs. The project and budget periods must be within the currently approved project period for the existing parent award. It is anticipated that up to 10 awards will be funded. An annual progress report will be required.
Criteria and instructions for administrative supplements are outlined in PA-20-272.
Application and Submission Information
Applications for this initiative must be submitted using the following opportunity or its subsequent reissued equivalent.
- PA-20-272, "Administrative Supplements to Existing NIH Grants and Cooperative Agreements (Parent Admin Supp Clinical Trial Optional)"
All instructions in the SF424 (R&R) Application Guide and PA-20-272 must be followed, with the following additions:
- Application Due Date(s): November 9, 2021 and May 6, 2022, by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization.
- For funding consideration, applicants must include NOT-AG-21-054 (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.
- The Research Strategy section of the application is limited to 6 pages.
- The process for Streamlined Submissions using the eRA Commons cannot be used for this initiative.
- Applicants are strongly encouraged to notify the program contact at NIA that a request has been submitted in response to this FOA in order to facilitate efficient processing of the request.
