Single Source: National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (NCRAD) (U24 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), through the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and its National Institute on Aging (NIA), has announced a reissued funding opportunity under announcement number RFA-AG-26-002. This opportunity pertains to a single-source cooperative agreement intended to fund the continued operation and development of the National Centralized Repository for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (NCRAD), hosted at Indiana University Indianapolis. This opportunity is a renewal of a previously issued funding announcement (RFA-AG-21-005), reaffirming NIA’s commitment to supporting centralized biospecimen infrastructure essential to advancing research in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD). NCRAD has served as a cornerstone infrastructure resource since 1990, initially focusing on early-onset familial AD and later expanding to late-onset and non-AD dementias such as frontotemporal disorders. The repository has grown to support 74 studies, including 35 Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers, and serves as a biobank that houses a variety of biospecimens such as DNA, RNA, serum, plasma, brain tissue, and cell lines. It also functions as a biomarker assessment laboratory and has played a central role in several major initiatives like the Alzheimer’s Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP), the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC), and the Alzheimer Biomarkers Consortium – Down Syndrome (ABC-DS). Over the next five years, NCRAD is expected to enhance and expand its repository capabilities by managing biospecimen receipt, processing, distribution, and tracking, with continued coordination with NIA-funded networks. It will support data integration with clinical metadata, expand diversity of collected samples, and strengthen outreach and visibility among researchers. A key component will be maintaining a user-friendly, query-based website for easy access and integrating feedback loops with repositories such as NIAGADS and NACC. NCRAD will also maintain rigorous QA/QC practices and ensure data and biosample sharing aligns with NIH standards. This funding opportunity is non-competitive and restricted solely to Indiana University Indianapolis, which is the only eligible applicant based on its current operation of NCRAD. It is not open to any other institutions or individuals. Foreign entities and components are not eligible, although collaborations with foreign components are allowed under specific guidelines. This NOFO does not require cost-sharing. The anticipated funding allocation from NIA is $14.77 million in Fiscal Year 2026, with a maximum direct cost allowance of $9.23 million annually over a five-year project period. One award is expected under this announcement. The funding mechanism is a U24 Resource-Related Research Project – Cooperative Agreement, and it does not permit clinical trials. All applicants must comply with NIH's electronic submission requirements through systems like ASSIST or Grants.gov. The NOFO was posted on June 27, 2025, with an application opening date and letter of intent deadline of September 16, 2025. The full application deadline is October 17, 2025, by 5:00 PM local time. Scientific merit review will take place in March 2026, followed by advisory council review in May 2026, with the earliest start date being July 2026. Applications must conform to NIH policies, including those related to data management and sharing, and must include several attachments such as standard operating procedures, dissemination plans, and personnel training materials. Contact for scientific and research inquiries is Dr. Cerise Elliott at elliottce@nih.gov or 301-496-9350. For grants management questions, the contact is Robin Laney at robin.laney@nih.gov or 301-496-1473. Technical support for submission is available through eRA Commons and Grants.gov support services.

Applicants must follow NIH's Application Guide precisely, use specified attachments and platforms, and align with NIH data sharing and submission compliance.