Enhancing Use of Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol Data?(R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AG 24 032

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 24 032

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is offering this discretionary grant opportunity (RFA-AG-24-032) to expand and deepen research using Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (HCAP) data. The central aim is to improve understanding of how cognitive aging and Alzheimers disease and Alzheimers disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) unfold over time, and how the lived experience of having, caring for, or managing AD/ADRD differs depending on the surrounding context. Rather than focusing only on biology or clinical factors, this funding call emphasizes the role of behavioral, social, cultural, environmental, and institutional influences that can shape risk, progression, detection, and everyday impacts of dementia.

The opportunity is specifically geared toward projects that analyze existing HCAP datasets from the United States or from other countries where HCAP has been implemented, as well as projects that compare results across countries or regions using harmonized data. In practical terms, this means NIA is prioritizing studies that can leverage the unique value of HCAP: comparable cognitive and related measures collected in multiple settings, which allows researchers to examine how differences in education systems, healthcare access, social supports, neighborhood and environmental exposures, cultural expectations around aging and caregiving, and policy environments may contribute to different cognitive aging trajectories and dementia experiences. Cross-national or cross-regional analyses are particularly relevant because they can help separate what appears universal about cognitive aging from what is strongly shaped by local context.

This is an R01 research grant mechanism with the explicit note that clinical trials are not allowed, signaling that NIA is looking for observational, secondary data analysis, and related analytic work rather than interventional studies. The listing shows an award ceiling of $500,000, indicating the maximum amount expected per award under the call. The original application due date associated with the posting is October 2, 2023. The program sits under the health funding activity category and is associated with CFDA number 93.866, which aligns with NIA and aging-related research support.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types such as state, county, and local governments; independent school districts; public and private institutions of higher education; nonprofits (both 501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and Native American tribal governments and organizations (including federally recognized tribal governments and other tribal organizations). The announcement also highlights additional eligible applicants that NIA specifically calls out, reflecting an interest in inclusion across institution types and communities: Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, non-U.S. entities (foreign organizations), regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, and U.S. territories or possessions. Taken together, the eligibility language suggests NIA wants to encourage applications from a wide range of research and community settings, including institutions that serve populations often underrepresented in research.

Overall, this NOFO is essentially a call to make fuller use of a powerful, harmonized cognitive assessment resource to answer questions that are difficult to tackle within a single country or single cohort. The expected payoff is stronger evidence about how social and structural conditions interact with aging and dementia, with results that can inform future research directions, improve interpretation of dementia prevalence and risk across populations, and potentially guide public health and policy approaches tailored to different regional or national realities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Enhancing Use of Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol Data?(R01 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 2023-05-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-10-02. (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 $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 RFA AG 24 032

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