Team Science Approaches Integrating Experimental and Computational Brain Aging Models (R21/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AG 24 018

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 24 018

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity RFA-AG-24-018, titled "Team Science Approaches Integrating Experimental and Computational Brain Aging Models (R21/R33 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)," supports interdisciplinary projects that tightly link experimental and computational research to answer focused questions about brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease (AD), including Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (ADRD). The central goal is to build new collaborations, or meaningfully expand existing ones, where wet-lab or in vivo/in vitro experimental teams and computational/modeling teams work in an integrated way rather than as parallel, loosely connected efforts. Projects are expected to use this team structure to address key mechanistic or translational questions in brain aging and AD/ADRD by combining data generation with computational analysis, modeling, or simulation approaches that can improve interpretation, prediction, and generalization across systems.

The award uses a phased R21/R33 mechanism designed to move teams from early-stage development into a larger, more mature research effort. The first phase provides up to two years of R21 support aimed at developmental work, which typically includes launching or solidifying the collaboration, aligning experimental and computational workflows, developing shared data standards, establishing preliminary datasets, piloting integrated methods, and demonstrating feasibility around the targeted research question. If the collaboration and milestones are successful, the project can transition into the R33 phase, which provides up to three additional years to scale up the work. The R33 phase is intended for expanded activities such as deeper experimentation, more advanced computational modeling, broader validation, and producing results that demonstrate the value of the integrated experimental-computational framework. A key emphasis is sustainability: the collaboration should be built in a way that persists beyond the award and supports continued interdisciplinary research capacity across participating laboratories.

This is a health-related discretionary grant opportunity under CFDA 93.866 and explicitly does not allow clinical trials, meaning the supported work should not be structured as a clinical trial as defined by NIH policy. The opportunity is open to a wide range of applicant organizations. Eligible applicants include many types of U.S. government entities (state, county, city/township, and special districts), independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and public or state-controlled institutions of higher education. It also includes Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and other tribal organizations, nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education), private institutions of higher education, for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), and small businesses. In addition, NIH highlights eligibility for a broad set of mission-aligned and capacity-building institutions and organizations, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), eligible federal agencies, faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, tribal governments that are not federally recognized, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. (foreign) organizations.

Key administrative details from the listing include an original closing date of 2023-09-22 and an award ceiling of $275,000. The funding instrument is a grant, and the activity category is health. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at accelerating progress in brain aging and AD/ADRD by pushing teams to do genuinely integrated work that joins experimental model systems and computational approaches into a coordinated, milestone-driven project that can grow from proof-of-concept development into a larger, more impactful research program.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Team Science Approaches Integrating Experimental and Computational Brain Aging Models (R21/R33 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 2023-01-31.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2023-09-22. (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 $275,000.00 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 24 018

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