Alzheimers Research Program Transforming Diagnosis Award

The FY25 Alzheimer's Research Program Transforming Diagnosis Award (TrDA), administered by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) under the Department of Defense (DoD), supports impactful, solutions-oriented research to enhance the diagnosis and prognosis of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD). This program, managed by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC) and funded through USAMRAA, is part of the broader Alzheimer’s Research Program (AZRP) which aims to mitigate the impacts of these conditions, particularly those associated with traumatic brain injury (TBI), military service, and diverse risk populations. The Transforming Diagnosis Award seeks research projects that directly address and overcome current barriers to early, accessible, and reliable diagnosis or prognosis of AD/ADRD. These barriers might include technological limitations, cost, access disparities, and the lack of biomarker validation or longitudinal data. Projects must represent a non-incremental advance in the field, exclude animal research and clinical trials, and require preliminary data to demonstrate feasibility. A unique element of this award is the required integration of Community collaboration, ensuring that the perspectives of individuals with lived experience of AD/ADRD are central to the research process, from design through dissemination. The funding opportunity offers up to $1.5 million for single Principal Investigator (PI) applications and up to $1.7 million for projects submitted under the Career Initiation or Transition (CIT) Partnership Option, which fosters collaboration between new or transitioning researchers. Awards will have a performance period of up to four years and must use funds appropriated for FY25, which expire by September 30, 2031. Only invited applicants may submit full proposals, following a two-step process starting with a pre-application due by June 12, 2025. Full applications are due by August 29, 2025. Eligible applicants include both intramural and extramural organizations—domestic or foreign, public or private, nonprofit or for-profit entities. PIs can be at any career stage, though CIT Partnership applicants must meet specific criteria related to their career progression or field transition. Cost-sharing is not a requirement. Each application must demonstrate a clear path to clinical applicability and inclusivity, especially regarding underrepresented populations, and include a detailed Community Collaboration Plan. Applications will be evaluated in a two-tiered process consisting of peer and programmatic review. Reviewers will consider the impact of the project, scientific rationale, integration of community perspectives, feasibility, team qualifications, and the proposed plan for progression to clinical use. Submissions that include clinical trials, animal research, or fail to include required Community collaboration will be administratively withdrawn. Contact information includes the eBRAP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org or 301-682-5507 for submission-related assistance, and Grants.gov support at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726 for portal-related queries. Final award decisions will be made by September 30, 2026, based on merit, relevance, and the availability of federal funds.