Alzheimer's-related Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (AD-RCMAR) (P30) | RFA AG 18 002

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 18 002

The Alzheimer’s-related Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (AD-RCMAR) (P30) opportunity, released by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) under NIH (Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AG-18-002; CFDA 93.866), supports the creation of specialized research centers that strengthen behavioral and social science work connected to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), while also building a stronger and more diverse pipeline of researchers focused on minority aging. The overall idea is to fund institutional centers that do two things at once: first, provide high-quality mentoring and career development for promising scientists from under-represented backgrounds so they can build sustained, independent careers in ADRD-relevant research; and second, put shared infrastructure in place so that research in the center’s chosen scientific focus area can grow faster, reach further, and ultimately improve the health and well-being of minority older adults.

At its core, the RCMAR model is designed around social, behavioral, and economic research that explains how aging unfolds at both individual and societal levels. These centers are meant to support work ranging from foundational/basic studies through translational research that can be applied in real-world settings. While the broader RCMAR program spans many levels of analysis (including research that can connect to genetics or larger comparative and cross-national studies), this particular AD-RCMAR cycle explicitly expands the program’s scientific scope to include a subset of centers focused on priority behavioral and social science issues tied directly to ADRD. Examples highlighted in the announcement include research on the epidemiology of ADRD (how dementia affects different populations and why), the development and testing of preventive interventions (especially those that can be delivered at community or systems levels), and the formal and informal caregiving challenges faced by individuals living with ADRD and the family members and caregivers who support them. The expectation is that funded centers will not just produce studies, but also create a supportive environment that makes it easier for new investigators to enter this space and for the field to generate more practical knowledge that improves function, independence, and quality of life for older adults.

A major, non-negotiable theme is minority aging and health disparities. Even when a center’s scientific focus is Alzheimer’s-related social or behavioral research, it is still expected to incorporate mentoring and research education that explicitly addresses health disparities and minority aging issues. In practice, this means the center’s training and mentoring components should prepare early-stage and mid-career investigators to ask and answer questions that matter to underserved communities, use methods that are appropriate for diverse populations, and design research that can actually reduce inequities in outcomes and care. The long-term purpose is to increase the number of well-trained researchers who prioritize the health and well-being of minority elders, and to ensure the science produced through the program has relevance across the full diversity of the aging U.S. population.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governmental entities. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township governments; 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; tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with and without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The announcement also calls out additional eligible applicant categories that align with the program’s workforce diversity goals, 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 (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the opportunity makes clear that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are not eligible to apply as applicants; however, foreign components (as NIH defines them in the NIH Grants Policy Statement) may be included as part of an otherwise eligible application, which can matter for certain cross-national or specialized collaborations.

From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant using the P30 center mechanism, meaning it is intended to support shared resources and a center structure rather than a single standalone research project. The source information provided lists an award ceiling of $500,000 and an original closing date of 2017-07-20, with the opportunity created on 2017-04-04. In plain terms, the funding is aimed at building durable center capacity: mentoring and career development systems for under-represented investigators, plus the research infrastructure needed to support a coherent Alzheimer’s-related behavioral or social science agenda that advances knowledge, strengthens the research workforce, and improves outcomes for minority older adults and their communities.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Alzheimer's-related Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (AD-RCMAR) (P30)" 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 2017-04-04.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2017-07-20. (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.

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