NIA Expanding Research in AD/ADRD (ERA) Summer Research Education Program
The NIA will fund summer programs to give high school students, undergraduates, and science teachers hands-on research experience in Alzheimer's and related dementias to grow the future research workforce.
Funder: National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Due Dates: May 27, 2026 | May 26, 2027
Funding Amounts: Up to $200,000 direct costs per year; project period up to 5 years.
Summary: Supports summer research education programs to broaden the Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) research workforce by providing research experiences for high school students, undergraduates, or science teachers.
Key Information: No independent clinical trials allowed; participants may gain research experience in mentor-led clinical trials.
Description
This opportunity from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the NIH, invites applications to develop and implement summer research education programs focused on Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias (ADRD). The primary goal is to expand and diversify the AD/ADRD research workforce by providing hands-on, intensive research experiences to high school students, undergraduate students, or science teachers—especially those from groups underrepresented in biomedical and behavioral sciences.
Programs should offer authentic, open-ended research experiences and complementary educational enrichment activities (such as workshops, journal clubs, and technical laboratory coursework) designed to stimulate interest and advance participants’ knowledge in AD/ADRD research. Science teacher programs must include a clear plan for integrating the summer experience into their teaching.
Programs must focus specifically on AD/ADRD research; general STEM programs are not responsive to this opportunity.
