Institutional Training Programs to Advance Translational Research on Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (ADRD) (T32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 24 121

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 24 121

Institutional Training Programs to Advance Translational Research on Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (ADRD) (T32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) discretionary grant opportunity (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-24-121; CFDA 93.866) designed to strengthen the pipeline of researchers who can move discoveries along the full translational spectrum for AD and ADRD. The central aim is workforce development: building a diverse, interdisciplinary community of scientists and clinician-scientists prepared to tackle Alzheimer's and related dementias from early-stage target discovery through steps that support clinical development, while staying within a training framework that does not allow clinical trials as part of the program.

The award mechanism is a T32 institutional training grant, meaning the application is submitted by an eligible institution rather than by an individual trainee. Successful programs are expected to create a structured training environment for both predoctoral and postdoctoral researchers, deliberately recruiting trainees from varied educational and disciplinary backgrounds. The emphasis is on integrating fields that are often siloed, such as basic biology and disease mechanisms, translational and clinical research perspectives, behavioral research, and modern data science approaches. In practice, NIH is looking for training programs that do more than offer standard coursework or laboratory rotations; the intent is to develop a coherent, interdisciplinary training experience that equips participants with the conceptual and practical skills needed for rigorous, cutting-edge AD/ADRD research.

A key feature of this opportunity is its focus on translational readiness. Programs should prepare trainees to understand and contribute to the steps that connect mechanistic insights to therapeutic strategies, including traditional and emerging drug discovery disciplines. That can include exposure to the types of competencies researchers need to evaluate targets, interpret human-relevant datasets, develop or apply biomarkers and outcome measures (as part of research training, not as clinical trial execution), and navigate challenges that are common in neurodegenerative disease translation, such as heterogeneity in disease presentation and progression. Data science is explicitly named as a core competency area, signaling NIH's expectation that trainees will be prepared to work with complex datasets and contemporary analytical methods that increasingly shape Alzheimer's research.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations, reflecting the training and workforce mission. Eligible applicants include state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses, as well as other categories NIH may consider. The notice also highlights additional eligible applicant types that NIH encourages, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, tribal governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, non-domestic entities are not eligible: foreign organizations cannot apply, foreign components of U.S. organizations are not eligible, and non-U.S. institutional applicants are explicitly excluded.

Operationally, the opportunity is open with an original closing date of 2026-09-25, and it is categorized as a grant within the health funding activity area. The listing does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards in the provided source text, so applicants typically need to consult the full NOFO for budget structure, allowable trainee costs, and programmatic expectations that are standard to T32 mechanisms (for example, trainee support categories, training-related expenses, and required training components). Overall, the program is aimed at helping institutions build robust training ecosystems that produce investigators ready to contribute meaningfully to AD/ADRD translational research, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinarity, methodological rigor, and diversification of the research workforce.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Institutional Training Programs to Advance Translational Research on Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD-Related Dementias (ADRD) (T32 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2024-03-13.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2026-09-25. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

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