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Office of AD/ADRD Strategic Coordination (OASC)

The Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) supports social and behavioral research on Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) in eight broad categories which can be found in more depth on the Behavioral and Social Research on Alzheimer's Disease & Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias webpage. The Office of AD/ADRD Strategic Coordination (OASC) works diligently to align priorities with those of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) to help work toward the plan’s goals of preventing, effectively treating, and supporting care for those living with dementia and their care partners. While continuing to support AD/ADRD research, OASC works with academic and industry experts, as well as innovators and public advocates, to develop AD/ADRD Research Implementation Milestones through NIA supported Research Summits that serve the purpose of detailing steps and success criteria for achieving scientific goals. OASC’s and BSR’s participation in developing the research implementation milestones also helps to inform the annual NIH Alzheimer’s Disease Bypass Budget.

OASC in BSR was established in 2022 to accommodate the drastic growth in BSR-supported research and activities surrounding AD/ADRD and provide a coordinated response to various partners and stakeholders.

OASC’s Major Activities

Major activities in this section include:

National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA)

In January 2011, the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA) was signed into law, calling for a coordinated national plan to accelerate research on AD/ADRD and to provide better clinical care for persons living with dementia and their care partners.

The National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease established six ambitious goals to both prevent future cases of AD/ADRD, and to better meet the needs of the millions of American families currently facing this disease.

  • Prevent and effectively treat AD/ADRD by 2025.
  • Enhance care quality and efficiency.
  • Expand supports for people with AD/ADRD and their families.
  • Enhance public awareness and engagement.
  • Improve data to track progress.
  • Accelerate action to promote healthy aging and reduce risk factors for AD/ADRD.

May and June 2022 marked the 10th Anniversary of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease. Within these past 10 years, NAPA and its federal partners, including NIH, have reached many milestones that have contributed to the overall goal of the Plan.

Research Implementation Milestones

The AD/ADRD Research Implementation Milestones represent a research framework detailing specific steps and success criteria toward achieving the goal of the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease: to treat and prevent AD and ADRDs by 2025.

The milestones were developed based on recommendations from over 350 leading academic and industry experts, innovators, and public advocates participating in the above-mentioned Research Summits.

The milestone database is updated annually to inform the development of the annual NIH Alzheimer’s Disease Bypass Budget.

AD Bypass Budget (ADBB)

NIH annually submits to the Presidents, and then Congress, a Professional Judgement Budget that estimates the additional funding, above the base for Alzheimer’s and related dementias, needed to effectively treat and prevent these disorders by 2025. The estimate — often referred to as a "bypass budget" because it is presented without modification through the traditional federal budget process — also summarizes NIH-funded research and promising research opportunities. The current report can be found below.

National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and their Care Partners/Caregivers (Dementia Care and Caregiving Research Summit)

In conjunction with the Department of Health and Human Services as part of the National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), the National Institute on Aging (NIA) hosts a triennial Dementia Care and Caregiving Research Summit. This Research Summit is planned in coordination with the Alzheimer’s Research Summits, and the Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementia Summits in response to the National Plan to Address Alzheimer’s Disease.

Each summit provides an opportunity for individuals to share perspectives about critical scientific gaps and opportunities that reflect critical scientific priorities for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) research. The summits can inform updates to the NIH AD+ADRD Research Implementation Milestones that address the National Plan.

Strategic Partnerships and Outreach

OASC works collaboratively with NIA Divisions and Offices, NIH Institutes and Centers, Federal partners, and external stakeholders to share scientific information and forge partnerships in support of AD/ADRD.

Other Resources

Program Contacts

nia.nih.gov

An official website of the National Institutes of Health