Notice of Intent to Publish a Funding Opportunity Announcement for Role of Environmental Stress in the Health Inequities of Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias (ADRD) (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Key Dates

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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications for basic, translational, and clinical research that propose studies on the role of environmental stress on health inequities in Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (ADRD). ADRDs include Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD), Lewy Body Dementia (LBD), Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID), and Mixed Etiology Dementias (MED). The goal of this initiative is to increase our knowledge of how environmental stressors such as heat, crowding, air quality, noise, and violence in adulthood affect ADRD inequities in lower resourced communities. These and other non-inheritable factors are major contributors to racial and ethnic health inequities. Dementia is more prevalent and severe in people who live in lower-resourced environments and there is a need to identify the most important environmental stress risk factors for dementia and to determine their mechanistic underpinnings. 

This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop integrated, multidisciplinary collaborations and more time to develop responsive projects.

The NOFO is expected to be published in Summer 2023 with an expected application due date in Fall 2023.

This NOFO will utilize the R01 (Clinical Trials Not Allowed) activity code. The NOFO will include human subjects studies, but only basic experimental studies. All clnical trials will be out of scope for the NOFO. Any application designated by NIH as a clinical trial will be withdrawn prior to review. Information about the planned NOFO is provided below.

This Notice encourages collaboratives of investigators with expertise and insights into the areas of the etiologies of ADRD, environmental stressors, and health inequities to consider applying for this new NOFO. 

The NOFO will support research on ADRDs including FTD, LBD, VCID, and MED. The scope of the NOFO will include mechanistic, translational, and human subjects studies research. Examples of the types of projects include, but are not limited to, mechanistic research on the relationship between environmental stressors and the racial and ethnic health inequities observed in ADRDs, the role of environmental stress in the etiology of ADRD prevalence in people who live in lower-resourced environments, and new interventional strategies based on validated stress factors to mitigate health disparity. 

The expected outcomes of these studies are: 1) increased understanding of environmental stressors associated with ADRDs, 2) mechanistic insight that would address the biological plausibility of these stressors having a clinically relevant effect on known and new targets of ADRD, 3) better understanding about how environmental stress plays a role in ADRD inequities, 4) identification of new therapeutic targets for treatment of ADRDs, 5) new pragmatic interventional strategies based on validated stress factors to mitigate health disparity, and 6) moving toward the long term goal of reduction in ADRD health disparities in lower-resourced communities. 

Collaborative investigators combining expertise in basic, translational, and/or clinical ADRD research, environmental stressors that negatively impact health, and the causes of health inequities in vulnerable populations are encouraged to begin considering applying to this NOFO. 

Funding Information

Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education
Private Institution of Higher Education
Nonprofit with 501(c)(3) IRS Status (Other than Institution of Higher Education)
Small Business
For-Profit Organization (Other than Small Business)
State Government
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized)
County governments
Independent school districts
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization (Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
U.S. Territory or Possession
Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized)
Non-domestic (non-U.S.) Entity (Foreign Organization)
Regional Organization
Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government

Applications are not being solicited at this time. 

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

David A. Jett, Ph.D.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
301-768-9584
[email protected]