Biobehavioral and Technological Interventions to Attenuate Cognitive Decline in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment or Dementia (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed) | PA 18 473

Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 18 473

This National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity, titled "Biobehavioral and Technological Interventions to Attenuate Cognitive Decline in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment or Dementia (R15 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-18-473), is designed to support clinical research that aims to slow or reduce cognitive decline in people living with dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), or cognitive changes linked to aging or disease. The focus is on practical, real-world interventions that are biobehavioral (for example, approaches that modify behavior, routines, skills, coping strategies, or social and environmental factors) or technological (for example, tools and systems that help monitor, prompt, train, or support cognition and daily functioning). A key theme is moving beyond purely laboratory-based concepts and toward interventions that can meaningfully help people function better day to day.

A major priority within the announcement is community implementation. NIH highlights particular interest in interventions that can be delivered or used in everyday settings, including in the home or other community environments, and that can be carried out by the person affected, informal caregivers (such as family members), or other community members and providers. In other words, the FOA is looking for research that fits into the realities of living with cognitive impairment, including interventions that are feasible outside specialty clinics, scalable, and accessible to the people most likely to use them.

In addition to testing intervention approaches, the FOA also supports research that helps build and refine these interventions, including studies that inform how an intervention should be designed, optimized, or tailored for different individuals or settings. The announcement also explicitly encourages work that examines mechanisms of action and biomarkers tied to intervention response. That means investigators can propose studies that not only evaluate whether an approach helps, but also explore why it helps, who benefits most, and what measurable biological or behavioral indicators track with improvement or slowed decline.

The intended impact is broader than cognitive test scores alone. NIH anticipates that successful projects will help individuals maintain independence and quality of life, including preserving the ability to manage activities of daily living (ADLs) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs), such as personal care, preparing meals, managing medications, handling finances, shopping, and other tasks required for independent living. The FOA also recognizes the central role of caregivers and seeks outcomes that reduce caregiver stress, burden, and other negative consequences that often accompany supporting someone with cognitive impairment or dementia.

This is an R15 mechanism, which is commonly associated with supporting research at institutions that emphasize undergraduate and graduate training and that may have less extensive NIH funding histories. The FOA is labeled "Clinical Trial Not Allowed," meaning applicants must design human research that does not meet NIH's definition of a clinical trial (for example, it cannot prospectively assign participants to an intervention to evaluate effects on health-related outcomes). Projects can still involve human participants and intervention-relevant research, but the design must comply with the "no clinical trial" restriction and fit within allowable clinical research boundaries for this FOA.

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of U.S.-based organizations and governments. Eligible applicants listed include state, county, city or township, and 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; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. The FOA also explicitly calls out additional eligible applicant categories such as 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, and U.S. territories or possessions.

Foreign eligibility is limited in a way that is common for many NIH opportunities. Non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities and foreign institutions are not eligible to apply as the primary applicant organization, and non-domestic components of U.S. organizations are also not eligible to apply. However, foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed, which generally means a U.S. applicant may include certain foreign activities or collaborations when permitted and well-justified under NIH policy.

The opportunity falls under the NIH discretionary grant category and is associated with CFDA numbers 93.361 and 93.866. The source information provided lists an original closing date of May 9, 2018, a creation date of December 18, 2017, and an award ceiling of $300,000.

• The National Institutes of Health in the education, health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Biobehavioral and Technological Interventions to Attenuate Cognitive Decline in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment or Dementia (R15 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): 93.361, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2017-12-18.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-05-09. (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 $300,000.00 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.

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