Applicant Resources for Mechanism-Focused Research to Promote Adherence to Healthful Behaviors to Prevent Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (R61/R33)
Funding Opportunity
Pre-Recorded NOFO Guidance
FAQs
What is the overall goal of this NOFO?
The ultimate goal of these NOFOs is to identify meaningful (e.g., causal), modifiable factors that promote adherence to lifestyle changes or to other (e.g., cognitive training) behaviors that hold potential for prevention of cognitive decline, MCI, and AD/ADRD. Specifically, this will be done by conducting research to understand how, why, and for whom particular features of behavior change interventions engage specific psychological or interpersonal processes that promote maintenance of (adherence to) health behaviors.
Should the application focus only on Alzheimer’s disease?
Not necessarily. We want to understand adherence to lifestyle changes or to other (e.g., cognitive training) behaviors that hold potential for prevention of cognitive decline, MCI, and AD/ADRD across a variety of dementia subtypes including Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body, and frontotemporal dementias.
Does the application need to include individuals with diagnosed MCI or AD/ADRD?
Not necessarily. Special attention needs to be paid to particular adherence challenges among high-risk individuals in midlife, including individuals with family history of AD/ADRD, those with predisposing risk factors, and those in health disparities populations known to be at greater risk for AD/ADRD, but it is not a requirement to study individuals with diagnosed MCI or AD/ADRD. Applications should be grounded in evidence that the behavioral or lifestyle change under study has potential for preventing cognitive decline, MCI, and AD/ADRD.
Am I required to include a health disparities focus in my application?
NIA encourages applications that focus on individuals in midlife who are at greater risk for AD/ADRD, including health disparities populations, but this is not a requirement.
Is the focus of this NOFO on adherence, AD/ADRD prevention, or both?
Research projects developed through this NOFO should focus on adherence outcomes (i.e., measures of sustained engagement and/or repeated re-engagement in lifestyle or behavior change). Achieving such adherence will be essential to any long-term public health efforts to prevent AD/ADRD. Measures of cognitive function, AD/ADRD risk factors, and relevant AD/ADRD cognitive or functional outcomes should be included in the study and may provide important preliminary data for future studies. This NOFO is not intended to support the development of primary AD/ADRD prevention trials.
Is my application required to follow the NIH Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development framework?
Yes.
How do I learn more about the NIH Stage Model?
View the Stage Model for Behavioral Intervention Development page.
Is my application required to use the Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) program methods and measures?
No, the SOBC program methods and measures are a research resource and example for how to design and conduct mechanisms-focused research, which is a requirement for this NOFO. Applications are not required to use specific SOBC targets (mechanisms) and measures. Applications are encouraged to consider individual-level or interpersonal factors that impact adherence to lifestyle changes, operate as moderators of the effectiveness of a behavior change intervention via effects on adherence, and/or inform tailoring approaches to promote adherence in specific populations over time. Such applications are encouraged to consider adherence-relevant behavioral phenotypes, mechanisms, or moderators of intervention effectiveness that operate at the individual and/or interpersonal level.
How do I learn more about the Science of Behavior Change (SOBC) program, methods, and measures?
View the Science of Behavior Change page.
View the "What is SOBC?" page.
View "The Measures" SOBC page.
Is a letter of intent required?
A letter of intent is not required, is not binding, and does not enter into the review of a subsequent application, but the information that it contains allows staff to estimate the potential review workload and plan the review.
By the date listed in Part 1. Overview Information, prospective applicants are asked to submit a letter of intent that includes the following information:
- Descriptive title of proposed activity
- Name(s), address(es), and telephone number(s) of the PD(s)/PI(s)
- Names of other key personnel
- Participating institution(s)
- Number and title of this funding opportunity
The letter of intent should be sent to:
Luke Stoeckel, Ph.D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 202-570-9388
Email: NIAAdherenceFOAs@mail.nih.gov
Are foreign institutes eligible?
Yes.
Are there special review criteria?
Yes. Please review Section V of the NOFO carefully.
How much funding will NIA allocate to the NOFO?
NIA intends to commit $1.4 million in fiscal year 2023 to fund 2-4 awards
What are the budgets for the R61 and R33 phases?
For the R61 planning phase, the budget for direct costs may not exceed $225,000 in any single year.
For the R33 implementation phase, the budget for direct costs may not exceed $500,000 in any single year.
Application budgets need to reflect the actual needs of the proposed project.
Can unspent funds from the R61 phase carry over into the R33 phase?
No.
How does the R61/R33 work?
The R61/R33 is a 5-year phased award. The R61 pilot and planning phase (1-2 years) will establish the feasibility of identifying groups of participants at high risk for AD/ADRD and non-adherence to healthful behaviors that hold potential for prevention of cognitive decline, MCI, and AD/ADRD. This will also include Stage I research to create tailored adherence interventions for use in AD/ADRD prevention trials. If successful, projects can transition to an R33 phase (3-4 years) for implementation of Stage II-IV trials. The specific activities and milestones appropriate for the R61 phase will depend on the type of intervention and its stage of development.
The transition from the R61 to the R33 phase of the award will be administratively reviewed for and be dependent upon successful completion of the go/no-go criteria specified for the R61 phase.
Prospective applicants should note that funding of a grant application for the R61 phase does not guarantee support of the R33 phase. Transition to the R33 phase of the project will occur only if an administrative review process recommends that the R61 planning activities have been successful, the implementation phase of the project can proceed with confidence of success, and funds are available.
What should be included in the Milestone Plan and Transition Request?
The application must propose a well-defined set of milestones (see required milestones in the R61 phase section of the NOFO) for the planning phase (R61) and annual milestones for the implementation phase (R33 phase section of the NOFO). At the completion of the R61 planning phase, the applicant will be required to submit a detailed transition request for the R33 implementation phase. Specifically, the transition from the R61 to the R33 phase of the award will be administratively reviewed for successful completion of the go/no-go criteria that must be clearly specified in the R61 phase. Applicants can establish go/no-go criteria as they deem fit for their application, but must address each area as described in the NOFO (R61 and R33 phase sections).
Do I submit a separate Research Plan for the R61 and R33 phases?
Separate specific aims should be presented for both the R61 and R33 phases on one page. The research strategy should contain separate sections that describe both the R61 and R33 phases. Separate research design and methods could be presented as needed for the R61 and R33 phases. It is not necessary to repeat information or details in the R33 section that are described in the R61 section.
Is preliminary data required?
Preliminary data are not required for an R61/R33 application. However, any preliminary data that will support or justify the proposed hypothesis, rationale, or development plan may be included.
Is my application responsive?
This NOFO is NOT intended to fund the following:
- Applications that do not include a primary focus on adherence, including adherence measures.
- Applications that do not propose a causal study design or experimental medicine approach to determine causal psychological or interpersonal mechanisms related to adherence.
- Applications that propose stand-alone adherence trials that do not focus on behaviors relevant to the prevention of AD/ADRD.
- Applications that propose trials designed to test the ability of a new intervention to promote adherence to behaviors relevant to AD/ADRD prevention in ongoing trials.
- Applications that propose non-human research studies.
Who do I contact if I have further questions?
Application Submission Contacts
eRA Service Desk (Questions regarding ASSIST, eRA Commons, application errors and warnings, documenting system problems that threaten submission by the due date, and post-submission issues)
Finding Help Online: http://grants.nih.gov/support/ (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-402-7469 or 866-504-9552
General Grants Information (Questions regarding application instructions, application processes, and NIH grant resources)
Email: GrantsInfo@nih.gov (preferred method of contact)
Telephone: 301-945-7573
Grants.gov Customer Support (Questions regarding Grants.gov registration and Workspace)
Contact Center Telephone: 800-518-4726
Email: support@grants.gov
Scientific/Research Contact(s)
Luke Stoeckel, Ph.D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-496-3136
Email: luke.stoeckel@nih.gov
Peer Review Contact(s)
Ramesh Vemuri, Ph.D.
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-402-7700
Email: ramesh.vemuri@nih.gov
Financial/Grants Management Contact(s)
Ryan Blakeney
National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Telephone: 301-451-9802
Email: ryan.blakeney@nih.gov