Limited Competition: Renewal of, and Revisions to, the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium (U01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 18 889

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 889

This funding opportunity, PAR-18-889, is a limited-competition NIH notice from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) focused on continuing and updating the work of the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC). It is set up specifically to invite the existing NIA ADGC to submit either a renewal application (to continue the consortium’s work into a new project period) and/or a revision application (to modify or expand the scope, activities, or resources of an active award). The scientific focus is the genetics of Alzheimer’s disease, meaning the supported work is expected to center on discovering, validating, and characterizing genetic factors that influence Alzheimer’s risk, biology, and related outcomes, as well as enabling the broader research community through well-coordinated consortium-scale genetics efforts.

The mechanism is a U01 cooperative agreement, which typically means NIH staff will have substantial programmatic involvement beyond a standard grant. In practice, that structure is commonly used for large, multi-site or consortium projects where coordination, shared standards, data harmonization, and collaborative governance are central to success. The opportunity is explicitly labeled “Clinical Trial Not Allowed,” so applications are expected to avoid proposing prospective interventional studies that meet NIH’s definition of a clinical trial. Research could still include genetics-driven analyses, use of existing cohorts and datasets, method development, and other non-trial human subjects research activities, as long as they do not cross into clinical trial territory.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organization types, but the competition itself is limited to the NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium, so it is not an open call where any new group can apply competitively. The eligible applicant categories listed include many domestic entities such as state, county, and local governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; special district governments; federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities; a wide range of nonprofits (with or without 501(c)(3) status); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. It also highlights inclusion of organizations such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and certain regional organizations. Even with those categories listed, the intent remains to fund the ongoing ADGC effort rather than create a new consortium from scratch.

There are strict restrictions on foreign involvement. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply, and foreign components (as defined by the NIH Grants Policy Statement) are not allowed. In other words, this program is designed to be carried out entirely within eligible U.S. organizational structures without foreign components.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity falls under the NIH’s Health category, uses the cooperative agreement funding instrument, and is associated with CFDA number 93.866. The listed award ceiling is $2,500,000, indicating the maximum anticipated budget level per award under this announcement. The posting indicates an original closing date of 2021-09-07 and a creation date of 2018-08-03, which places it as a time-bounded solicitation intended to support a specific renewal/revision cycle for the ADGC.

Overall, the announcement is best read as a continuation and adjustment pathway for an established, NIA-supported Alzheimer’s genetics consortium: it supports coordinated, large-scale genetics research and consortium infrastructure under NIH cooperative oversight, allows renewals and revisions by the existing consortium, prohibits clinical trials, and limits participation to eligible U.S. organizations with no foreign components.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Limited Competition: Renewal of, and Revisions to, the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium (U01 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 2018-08-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2021-09-07. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $2,500,000.00 in funding.
• 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.

Apply for PAR 18 889

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