Impact of Aging in Human Cell Models of Alzheimer's Disease (R01) | Apply Online

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the title and funding opportunity number for this grant?

The opportunity is titled "Impact of Aging in Human Cell Models of Alzheimer's Disease (R01)" and the Funding Opportunity Number is RFA-AG-17-009.

Which agency is offering this funding opportunity?

This is an NIH grant opportunity administered within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), National Institutes of Health (listed in the source record as HHS-NIH11).

What type of grant mechanism is this?

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, which is a research project grant intended to support hypothesis-driven, investigator-initiated research with a defined scope of work and a multi-year plan.

What is the main purpose of this FOA?

The central purpose is to improve how Alzheimer's disease (AD) is studied in human cell-based systems by explicitly incorporating the biological dimension of aging, and to determine how aging affects the appearance, strength, and regulation of Alzheimer-related pathological processes in human cell models.

Why does the FOA emphasize aging in Alzheimer's disease cell models?

The FOA emphasizes aging because age is described as the dominant risk factor for Alzheimer's disease and is often poorly captured in many experimental platforms. The program is looking for research that shows how AD-like changes are altered when cells reflect older biological states.

What kinds of scientific questions does the FOA want applicants to address?

Based on the provided description, the FOA is looking for projects that can clarify: (1) how aging changes AD-related cellular phenotypes, (2) how age influences the regulation and strength of AD-related pathological processes in human cell models, and (3) how age interacts with AD-related genetics to shape measurable disease traits (genotype-phenotype relationships).

What does "genotype-phenotype relationships" mean in the context of this opportunity?

In this FOA's context, it refers to clarifying how AD-related genetics (genotype) translates into measurable disease traits or cellular readouts (phenotype), and specifically how those relationships may differ depending on the age-related state of the human cell model.

What kinds of model systems are emphasized?

The opportunity emphasizes more biologically realistic human cell models, particularly models that include multiple brain cell types rather than relying on a single cell population.

Does the FOA encourage multi-cell-type brain models?

Yes. A major emphasis is on incorporating different neural and glial cell types to promote neural circuit maturation and greater cellular complexity, with the aim of better recapitulating key aspects of AD pathology.

Why are multiple brain cell types important for this FOA?

The description highlights that Alzheimer-related processes (such as protein aggregation, synaptic dysfunction, and inflammatory responses) can emerge from interactions among neurons and non-neuronal brain cells and may depend strongly on maturation state and age-related cellular context. Multi-cell-type systems are presented as better positioned to capture these interactions.

What kinds of Alzheimer's-related processes are mentioned as relevant outcomes to study?

The opportunity references Alzheimer-related processes including protein aggregation, synaptic dysfunction, inflammatory responses, and other disease mechanisms, particularly as they may be shaped by cell-cell interactions, maturation, and aging context.

Is the program focused on whether AD-like changes occur in a dish, or something else?

It is looking beyond simply showing whether AD-like changes occur in a dish. It specifically emphasizes understanding how those AD-like changes are altered when cells reflect older biological states, and how aging affects the regulation and strength of AD-related processes.

What kind of research approach is implied by the R01 format here?

As described, the R01 mechanism supports hypothesis-driven projects with a defined scope of work, milestones, and a multi-year plan typical of NIH R01 awards.

What is the funding activity area for this opportunity?

It is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health funding activity area.

What is the CFDA number associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity is associated with CFDA 93.866 (and the source data also lists 93.866).

What is the maximum award amount listed in the provided information?

The award ceiling is listed as $250,000, indicating an upper limit on the amount that can be requested under the summarized terms provided.

How many awards are expected?

The number of expected awards is not specified in the provided excerpt.

When was this opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on May 9, 2016.

What is the application due date (closing date)?

The original and current closing date is listed as September 28, 2016.

Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is broad and includes many types of domestic organizations, including state governments; county governments; city or township governments; 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; other Native American tribal organizations; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); nonprofit organizations without 501(c)(3) status (other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses, along with additional entities as described in the full eligibility text referenced by the listing.

Are for-profit entities allowed to apply?

Yes. The eligibility list provided includes for-profit organizations other than small businesses, as well as small businesses.

Are nonprofits eligible to apply?

Yes. The eligibility list includes nonprofit organizations with and without 501(c)(3) status, with the caveat that these nonprofit categories are listed as "other than institutions of higher education."

Are universities and colleges eligible to apply?

Yes. The eligibility list includes public and state-controlled institutions of higher education as well as private institutions of higher education.

Are government entities eligible to apply?

Yes. The eligibility list includes multiple government entity types, including state, county, city/township, and special district governments, as well as federally recognized Native American tribal governments.

What is the overall research impact the FOA is trying to achieve?

Overall, the opportunity aims to advance Alzheimer's research by making human cell models more age-relevant and biologically faithful, supporting studies that connect aging biology to AD mechanisms, and encouraging models with richer cellular diversity and network-level properties to yield more informative insights than simplified cultures.

Does the FOA prefer mature, brain-like cellular systems over simplified cultures?

Yes. The description frames proposals that move beyond simplified cultures toward models with greater cellular complexity, multi-cell-type composition, and neural circuit maturation as better positioned to generate insights into AD pathological processes and their modulation by aging.