Opportunity Information: Apply for PA 15 016
Apply for PA 15 016
- 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)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.361 Nursing Research 93.866 Aging Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Oct 15, 2014 and posted on Oct 15, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Jan 7, 2018. (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: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) Private institutions of higher education Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.
- Other Eligible Applicants include the following Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISISs) Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are not eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are not allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The grant opportunity "Biobehavioral and Technological Interventions to Attenuate Cognitive Decline in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment or Dementia (R15)" (Funding Opportunity Number PA-15-016) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding announcement designed to stimulate clinical research on practical interventions that can slow or lessen cognitive decline. It targets people living with dementia conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia, as well as individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or cognitive decline related to disease processes or aging. The central idea is to support research that leads to real-world strategies that help people maintain cognitive function and day-to-day independence for as long as possible.
A major emphasis of the announcement is on biobehavioral and technological approaches. Biobehavioral interventions generally include non-pharmacologic strategies that work through behavior, psychology, lifestyle, or social and environmental changes, often aiming to strengthen coping skills, increase mental or physical activity, improve sleep, reduce stress, or support brain health through structured routines and training. Technological interventions can include tools and systems that assist with cognition, memory, daily functioning, monitoring, communication, or engagement, especially those that make it easier for individuals and families to manage symptoms outside of specialized clinical settings. NIH signals particular interest in interventions that are feasible in community settings rather than requiring intensive delivery in a hospital or research clinic.
The FOA highlights community implementation as a priority. In practice, this means the NIH is looking for interventions that can be delivered or supported by the affected individual, informal caregivers (such as family members or friends), or other community-based personnel and resources. The goal is to fund work that fits into everyday life and can be used where people actually live and receive support, which increases the chance that successful interventions could be adopted broadly. The announcement also recognizes that caregivers are often deeply affected by cognitive impairment in a loved one, and it encourages research that can reduce caregiver stress, burden, and other negative outcomes as part of the overall impact of an intervention.
In addition to testing interventions, the opportunity also supports research that helps build and refine them. This includes studies that inform intervention development, improve delivery methods, tailor interventions for different populations or stages of impairment, and identify which components drive benefits. The FOA is also interested in research on underlying mechanisms and biomarkers associated with response. In other words, applicants can propose studies that examine why an intervention works, for whom it works best, and whether measurable biological or behavioral signals can predict or track response. This mechanism-focused work can help move interventions from general ideas to more targeted, evidence-based approaches.
NIH frames the anticipated benefits in practical terms tied to independence and quality of life. Funded research is expected to contribute to helping affected individuals maintain independence longer, preserve or improve the ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs) such as basic self-care tasks, and instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs) such as managing medications, finances, transportation, meal preparation, and other complex daily responsibilities. A complementary expected impact is improving outcomes for caregivers, including reducing strain and improving the overall caregiving experience when possible.
From an administrative standpoint, this is a discretionary grant opportunity using the NIH R15 mechanism, which is commonly associated with the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program. The opportunity was posted on October 15, 2014, and the final closing date listed is January 7, 2018, with an archive date of February 7, 2018. The award ceiling is noted as $300,000, and there is no cost-sharing or matching requirement stated. The funding activity categories include education and health, and the CFDA numbers referenced are 93.361 (Nursing Research) and 93.866 (Aging Research), reflecting the intersection of clinical care, aging, and applied intervention development.
Eligibility includes a range of higher-education institutions, including public and state-controlled institutions and private institutions of higher education, along with several categories of institutions serving specific populations, such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply, foreign components are not allowed, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible under the terms described. For technical issues accessing the full announcement, the listing provides NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact information, and it includes a link to the full FOA text hosted on the NIH grants website.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the purpose of the PA-15-016 R15 funding opportunity?
The FOA "Biobehavioral and Technological Interventions to Attenuate Cognitive Decline in Individuals with Cognitive Impairment or Dementia (R15)" (PA-15-016) is an NIH funding announcement intended to stimulate clinical research on practical interventions that can slow, lessen, or otherwise attenuate cognitive decline. The overall aim is to generate real-world strategies that help individuals maintain cognitive function and everyday independence for as long as possible.
Which populations is this FOA focused on?
This opportunity targets individuals living with dementia conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Lewy body dementia, and vascular dementia, as well as people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). It also includes cognitive decline related to disease processes or aging.
What types of interventions are emphasized?
The FOA emphasizes biobehavioral and technological interventions. Biobehavioral approaches are generally non-pharmacologic strategies that work through behavior, psychology, lifestyle, social support, or environmental changes. Technological approaches include tools and systems designed to assist with cognition, memory, daily functioning, monitoring, communication, or engagement.
Are drug or pharmacologic interventions the main focus?
Based on the description provided, the central emphasis is on non-pharmacologic biobehavioral strategies and technological tools that can be used in practical, real-world contexts.
What does "biobehavioral intervention" mean in this announcement?
In this FOA, biobehavioral interventions generally refer to non-pharmacologic approaches that may strengthen coping skills, increase mental or physical activity, improve sleep, reduce stress, support brain health through routines, or provide structured training. These strategies typically operate through behavioral, psychological, social, or environmental pathways.
What does "technological intervention" mean in this announcement?
Technological interventions can include tools or systems that support memory and cognition, help with everyday tasks, enable monitoring or communication, or improve engagement. The FOA highlights technology that can help individuals and families manage symptoms outside of specialized clinical settings.
Is there a preference for interventions that can be used outside hospitals and research clinics?
Yes. NIH signals particular interest in interventions that are feasible in community settings, rather than those requiring intensive delivery in a hospital or research clinic.
What does "community implementation" mean for this opportunity?
Community implementation is described as a priority, meaning NIH is interested in interventions that fit into everyday life and can be delivered or supported by the affected individual, informal caregivers (such as family or friends), or other community-based personnel and resources.
Do projects need to involve caregivers?
The FOA recognizes that caregivers are often deeply affected and encourages research that can reduce caregiver stress, burden, and other negative outcomes. Based on the provided summary, caregiver-related outcomes are encouraged but not stated as a mandatory requirement.
What kinds of caregiver outcomes are considered relevant?
The announcement specifically references reducing caregiver stress, burden, and other negative outcomes, and improving the overall caregiving experience when possible.
Does the FOA support only intervention trials, or also earlier-stage intervention development work?
It supports both. In addition to testing interventions, the FOA supports research that helps build, refine, and improve interventions, including studies to inform development, improve delivery methods, tailor interventions for different populations or stages of impairment, and identify which components drive benefits.
Are studies on mechanisms and biomarkers allowed under this FOA?
Yes. The FOA is interested in research on underlying mechanisms and biomarkers associated with response. This includes examining why an intervention works, for whom it works best, and whether measurable biological or behavioral signals can predict or track response.
What outcomes does NIH expect these projects to impact?
The anticipated benefits are framed in practical terms: helping individuals maintain independence longer, preserving or improving activities of daily living (ADLs), and supporting instrumental activities of daily living (IADLs). The FOA also anticipates improvements for caregivers, such as reduced strain.
What are ADLs and IADLs in the context of this announcement?
ADLs are basic self-care tasks, while IADLs are more complex daily responsibilities such as managing medications, finances, transportation, and meal preparation. The FOA highlights maintaining or improving these functions as a practical measure of impact.
What grant mechanism is used for this opportunity?
This is a discretionary NIH grant opportunity using the R15 mechanism, which is commonly associated with the Academic Research Enhancement Award (AREA) program.
What is the Funding Opportunity Number for this announcement?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PA-15-016.
When was this funding opportunity posted, and what are the closing and archive dates listed?
The opportunity was posted on October 15, 2014. The final closing date listed is January 7, 2018, and the archive date is February 7, 2018.
What is the award ceiling for this opportunity?
The award ceiling is noted as $300,000.
Is cost-sharing or matching required?
No cost-sharing or matching requirement is stated in the information provided.
What are the funding activity categories?
The funding activity categories listed include education and health.
Which CFDA numbers are referenced for this opportunity?
The CFDA numbers referenced are 93.361 (Nursing Research) and 93.866 (Aging Research).
What types of U.S. institutions are eligible to apply?
Eligibility includes a range of U.S. higher-education institutions, including public and state-controlled institutions and private institutions of higher education. It also includes institutions serving specific populations, such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs).
Are foreign institutions eligible to apply?
No. Foreign institutions are not eligible to apply under the terms described.
Are foreign components allowed in an application?
No. The information provided states that foreign components are not allowed.
Are non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations eligible?
No. Non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible under the terms described.
Where can applicants find the full FOA text?
The listing indicates the full FOA text is hosted on the NIH grants website and includes a link to that full announcement.
Who should be contacted for technical issues accessing the full announcement?
For technical issues accessing the full announcement, the listing provides NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster contact information.
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