Administrative supplements program: Still going strong to broaden Alzheimer’s research topics
August 24, 2022

Kimberly KRAMER,
Health Specialist,
Division of Extramural Activities (DEA).

Over the past five years, Congress has appropriated significant funds to NIA for allocation to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research. As stewards of these funds, we must be mindful not only of expanding the science we support, but also of growing the community of investigators currently conducting this research, or who are interested in expanding their work into the field.

In 2018, as one of several strategies for developing the field, NIA invited other Institutes, Centers, and Offices (ICOs) across the broader NIH to join our program that enables investigators to apply for administrative supplements to add Alzheimer’s and related dementias research components to NIH grants that are not currently focused on those areas of research. This approach received a very warm reception, and its popularity has continued in the years since. We’re thrilled that the Notice of Special Interest calling for fiscal year 2023 applications — published last month as NOT-AG-22-025 — enables grantees from 24 ICOs, including NIA, to apply.

Supporting a spectrum of science

One of the most exciting aspects of the “Alzheimer’s to non-Alzheimer’s” administrative supplements program is the wide variety of research it supports. Here is a small sample of the topics NIA funded in FY 2022:

• Examining the connection between traumatic-brain-injury-induced bleeding disorders and Alzheimer’s
• Creating new techniques to help people living with dementia discuss advance care planning with their loved ones
• Focusing on genetic variants that cause hearing loss as potential early biomarkers of Alzheimer’s
• Exploring how strength training can improve postmenopausal women’s cognitive and cerebrovascular function
• Understanding the role of non-neuronal cells in Alzheimer’s
• Investigating the role of pesticide exposure in neurodegenerative disease

We can’t wait to see the broad range of science proposed in this year’s batch of applications!

Apply now for FY 2023 supplements

The FY 2023 iteration of the “Alzheimer’s to non-Alzheimer’s” administrative supplements program is now open for applications! The deadline to apply is Oct. 1, 2022. Active awards with project end dates in FY 2024 or later are eligible.

Keep in mind that the parent award must not currently be focused on Alzheimer’s and related dementias, and that the work proposed in the supplement must be within the scope of the research or training supported in the parent award. Funding for this current program is dependent on the FY 2023 NIH appropriations. Find more information at NOT-AG-22-025.

As you’re planning your application, be sure to look at the program contacts listed in the notice and reach out to the contact from the ICO that supports your grant. They’re in the best position to answer any questions you may have about eligibility and the application process.