New/Unconventional Animal Models of Alzheimers Disease (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | RFA AG 21 003

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 21 003

The New/Unconventional Animal Models of Alzheimers Disease (R24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) opportunity, listed as RFA-AG-21-003, is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) research grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services focused on building better experimental tools for studying late-onset (sporadic) Alzheimers disease. The central aim is to fund projects that create, deeply characterize, and validate new or unconventional non-rodent mammalian models that more faithfully reproduce key features of late-onset AD. In practice, this means the NIH is looking for models that can capture important molecular and cellular changes, brain pathology, and measurable behavioral or cognitive impairments that resemble what is seen in humans with sporadic AD, rather than relying on traditional rodent models or models primarily driven by rare familial mutations.

A major emphasis of this FOA is innovation in model choice and model development. Applicants are expected to propose mammalian species other than rodents and to justify why the chosen organism is likely to reveal aspects of sporadic AD biology that current models miss. The supported work is intended to go beyond simply generating a model; it should establish a convincing evidence base that the model is relevant and useful. That generally implies careful phenotyping across multiple levels of analysis, such as mapping disease-relevant molecular pathways, documenting cellular dysfunction, demonstrating Alzheimer-like neuropathological signatures, and showing behavioral or cognitive readouts that align with late-life neurodegeneration and memory decline. The overall expectation is that these models will become broadly valuable research platforms that help the field test hypotheses that are difficult to answer in existing systems.

The scientific rationale behind the funding is that gaps remain in understanding the molecular mechanisms driving sporadic AD, and those gaps may persist partly because many commonly used models do not reflect the complex, age-related, multifactorial nature of late-onset disease. By enabling new non-rodent mammalian models, the NIH aims to provide investigators with tools that can illuminate underexplored biology, clarify which mechanisms are truly central to disease initiation and progression, and uncover or prioritize potential therapeutic targets. In other words, the output is not only a new animal model, but also a clearer roadmap of what pathways and processes matter most in sporadic AD and where intervention might be effective.

Administratively, this is a discretionary grant using the R24 activity code, and it explicitly states that clinical trials are not allowed under this announcement, meaning the funded research must be preclinical and model-focused rather than involving human participants in a clinical trial framework. The listing includes CFDA number 93.866 and indicates an expected total of four awards. No award ceiling is specified in the provided source data (listed as 0), which typically means applicants must rely on the FOA text and NIH budget guidance to determine appropriate budget levels and to justify costs based on the scope of work.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S. domestic organizations. Eligible applicants include state, county, and 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 and other tribal organizations; public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (excluding higher education institutions in those specific nonprofit categories); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; small businesses; and other entities as clarified in the FOA. The opportunity was created on January 13, 2020, with an original closing date of October 7, 2020, indicating it was a time-bound solicitation aimed at accelerating model development in an area NIH considered high priority.

Taken together, this FOA is best viewed as a targeted push to expand the toolbox for Alzheimers research by investing in non-rodent mammalian systems that can better mimic the biology of sporadic, age-associated AD. The intended impact is to strengthen mechanistic understanding and improve the preclinical foundation for identifying and evaluating therapeutic targets, by grounding that work in models that more closely reflect the human disease course and complexity.

• The Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "New/Unconventional Animal Models of Alzheimers Disease (R24 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 Jan 13, 2020.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Oct 07, 2020. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 4 candidate(s).
• 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 (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for RFA AG 21 003

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