Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: November 6, 2026 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | February 8, 2027 (New) | March 8, 2027 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | June 9, 2027 (New) | July 9, 2027 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | October 8, 2027 (New) | November 8, 2027 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | February 7, 2028 (New) | March 7, 2028 (Renewal/Resubmission/Revision) | May 7, 2028 (Closing date)
Funding Amounts: Award ceiling: $1,000,000; direct-cost budget cap: $1,000,000 annually; maximum project period: 5 years
Summary: Supports rigorous preclinical testing of repurposed drugs and combination therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Key Information: Clinical trials, computational-only studies, basic disease-mechanism research, and development of new therapeutic agents are not supported.
Description
This NIH R01 program, administered by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), supports rigorous preclinical proof-of-concept studies for drug repositioning and combination therapies for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). It focuses on drugs used for other conditions and investigational compounds, including candidates from failed Phase II/III trials, predicted to benefit AD/ADRD. Drug candidates may also be tested with non-pharmacologic interventions such as exercise, diet, sleep, or cognitive training.
The program seeks robust translational evidence through experimental testing informed by data-driven approaches. Relevant work includes efficacy, toxicity, synergy, target engagement, blood-brain barrier permeability, pharmacokinetics/pharmacodynamics, and molecular-network analyses. NIA particularly encourages testing candidates identified through its ACTDRx AD program and partnerships with researchers experienced in preclinical neurodegenerative-disease drug development.
