Human Cell Biology of Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Variants (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PAR 18 516

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 18 516

This grant opportunity, titled "Human Cell Biology of Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Variants (R01 - Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-18-516), is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant aimed at clarifying how specific genetic variants linked to Alzheimer's disease actually affect brain-relevant cell biology. The core idea is to move beyond statistical associations from large human genetic studies and instead establish clear, functional genotype-to-phenotype relationships in human neural cells. In practical terms, the opportunity supports projects that take variants suspected of changing Alzheimer's disease risk (including variants identified through genome-wide association studies and genome sequencing efforts) and test what those variants do inside human neural cell systems, with the expectation that this will reveal actionable molecular pathways and potential therapeutic targets tied to the underlying causes of Alzheimer's disease.

A central emphasis of the FOA is the use of human induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) or other human cell reprogramming approaches to generate neural cells suitable for mechanistic experiments. The program is focused on human genetics studied in human cells, reflecting the view that animal models and non-neural systems often cannot fully capture the human-specific biology and regulatory effects of many Alzheimer's-associated variants. The ultimate goal is to connect a given risk variant to measurable molecular and biological phenotypes in neural cells, such as changes in gene regulation, protein function, cellular pathways, or other disease-relevant cellular behaviors that can help explain how genetic risk contributes to Alzheimer's etiology.

The funding mechanism is the NIH R01, meaning it is intended for substantial, hypothesis-driven research projects rather than small pilot efforts. The opportunity is explicitly labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," which means the supported work should be basic or translational laboratory research rather than studies that prospectively assign human participants to interventions to measure health outcomes. The activity category is health research, and the listing is associated with CFDA number 93.866. While the provided source information does not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards, it does indicate this is a discretionary grant program administered by NIH.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. organizations and government entities, such as state, county, city/township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; and public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities. It also includes federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations, as well as nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status. For-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses are also eligible, along with additional categories captured under "Others." The FOA also highlights additional eligible applicants, 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, non-U.S. (foreign) entities, Indian/Native American Tribal Governments that are not federally recognized, and U.S. territories or possessions. This wide eligibility suggests NIH is encouraging diverse institutional participation in this area of Alzheimer's disease research.

Key administrative details from the source data include a creation date of December 19, 2017, and an original closing date listed as November 7, 2020. Overall, the opportunity is designed for investigators who can combine human genetics with modern human neural cell modeling to pin down how Alzheimer's-associated genetic differences translate into concrete cellular phenotypes, thereby improving biological understanding of disease mechanisms and helping prioritize molecular targets for future therapeutic development.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Human Cell Biology of Alzheimer's Disease Genetic Variants (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 2017-12-19.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2020-11-07. (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.

Apply for PAR 18 516

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: