The National Institutes of Health (NIH), through the National Institute on Aging (NIA), has announced a non-competitive funding opportunity to support Wave VII of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). The Add Health study, originally launched in 1994-1995 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is a longitudinal, nationally representative research initiative that tracks individuals from adolescence into adulthood, with the latest wave targeting participants now in midlife. This single source funding opportunity is intended to continue and enhance the data collection and dissemination efforts of the Add Health project.
The grant is structured as a U01 Research Project – Cooperative Agreement, emphasizing close coordination between NIH and the award recipient. The purpose is to gather and share comprehensive data on the life course factors influencing risk and resilience for Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD), particularly among midlife adults. Key project activities will include conducting mixed-mode participant surveys, in-home health visits with venous blood collection, assays for AD/ADRD biomarkers, cognitive and physical function assessments, and updated mortality tracking. The NIH plans to commit approximately $13.1 million to support this five-year project.
Only the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is eligible to apply due to its exclusive access to participant data, infrastructure, and institutional knowledge necessary for successful project continuity. Applications from other institutions or those that fail to include required governance, resource sharing, data management, and project management plans will be deemed non-responsive and will not be reviewed.
The funding opportunity opens on September 16, 2025, with a required Letter of Intent due by September 17, 2025, and the final application due by October 17, 2025. Review and advisory council meetings will occur in March and May 2026, respectively, with the earliest start date anticipated in July 2026. Applications must be submitted through the NIH ASSIST system or other approved submission systems and comply with all NIH application guidelines.
The application must include specific aims related to both core and enhancement activities, a detailed project timeline with milestones, risk management strategies, and plans for data sharing and governance. Evaluation criteria include the significance and innovation of the research, feasibility and rigor of the approach, qualifications of the investigators, and adequacy of resources. The NIH also requires applicants to demonstrate data security protocols and the ability to manage biological specimens responsibly.
For questions related to scientific or programmatic aspects, applicants can contact Amelia Karraker, Ph.D., at the National Institute on Aging via amelia.karraker@mail.nih.gov or call 301-496-3131. Additional contacts at NICHD and NIDA are also available for inquiries relevant to their respective areas of interest.
