Eligibility
Applicants:
- Researchers with faculty appointments (e.g. Assistant Professor (entry level) and Associate Professor (mid level). In general, scientists and clinicians from public, and private research laboratories, medical centers, non-profit research institutes, hospitals, and universities from around the world are eligible to apply.
- Overlapping funding of more than one Alzheimer's Association grant is not allowed. Investigators who currently have an active Association grant may apply for this program if the projects are distinctly different.
- Investigators delinquent in reporting: The Alzheimer's Association will not accept new grant applications from currently funded investigators who are delinquent in submitting required reports and other deliverables on active grants. Investigators who have previous Alzheimer’s Association awards closed as ‘Incomplete’ are not eligible to apply. This policy will be strictly adhered to with no exceptions.
The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to excellence through equity. We encourage applicants from representative backgrounds to apply to our funding opportunities, which will promote the expression of diverse perspectives, approaches, and experiences, including those of underrepresented groups.
Summary
Neurological diseases are the leading cause of poor health and disability, and the second leading cause of death (Lancet Neurology, 2019). As the global population ages and grows – in part as a result of advances in research, treatment, and the public health initiatives that have followed in cardiovascular disease and cancer – the prevalence of neurological diseases in an aging population will increase. The number of people living with dementia across the world is expected to rise from 55 million in 2019 to 139 million in 2050, according to the World Health Organization.
The purpose of this funding program is to support research to study the incidence, etiology, and underlying pathology, diagnostic and treatment challenges, clinical presentation, healthcare access and behavior, health outcomes, and/or disease burden of AD/ADRD in minoritized and disproportionately affected populations, who are underrepresented in AD/ADRD research. Prioritizing inclusivity in research will broaden our understanding of AD/ADRD, leading to greater awareness, earlier and more accurate diagnosis, and ultimately to equitable treatments and interventions that benefit all communities.
For this Funding Opportunity, minoritized populations include but are not limited to, Black/ African American, Hispanic/ Latino/ Latinx, Asian/ Asian American, Native American/ Indigenous, national or ethnic, religious or linguistic minoritized groups, LGBTQIA+, those in lower socioeconomic groups, persons with disabilities, refugees, internally displaced people, and individuals living in geographies identified as underserved (rural and urban). We welcome applications from international academics researching these areas.
Applications should focus on studies in minoritized populations around one or more of the following areas:
- Understand context and history of health-related disparities: Research to advance understanding of the medical history, ethical considerations, and the underpinning of health-related disparities for AD/ADRD within a community (including appropriate community organizations);
- Understand and investigate other understudied or less understood social determinants, such as illiteracy, food access, etc.
- Health Services in Clinical Care: Research to evaluate how systems and structures contribute to racism, discrimination, and other gaps in clinical care in AD/ADRD;
- Disease burden: Research towards robust estimates of AD/ADRD incidence and/or prevalence within communities; this may include specific aspects related to increased awareness or diagnosis within a setting;
- Access to care: Exploration of structural and systematic barriers that prevent access to evaluation of cognition and overall care as related to cognition, and availability and access to/uptake of interventions, therapies, and care-related support. This could include direct access to care, measuring the availability of care, and identifying gaps in resources or could include discussion about workforce-related issues more broadly.
The goal of this RFA is to increase our understanding of and develop strategies to address disparities in AD/ADRD research and clinical care, including projects aimed at identifying and understanding determinants. This could include determinants that are direct or indirect (i.e. could be upstream factors or more proximal, downstream contributions and could be contributors for a community or for the individual). Projects should provide the context for what may be institutional, systemic, and structural determinants of disparities. As we understand these determinants, we will look toward the translation and implementation of strategies to effectively address these disparities in future implementation projects.