Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 14 016
Apply for RFA AG 14 016
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Plasticity and Mechanisms of Cognitive Remediation in Older Adults (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.213 Research and Training in Complementary and Integrative Health 93.866 Aging Research.
- This funding opportunity was created on Jan 3, 2014 and posted on Jan 3, 2014.
- Applicants must submit their applications by Mar 4, 2014. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
- The funding agency has allocated a total of $3,000,000.00 to eligible and selected applicants.
- Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education For profit organizations other than small businesses Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments) City or township governments Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized) Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities Special district governments Private institutions of higher education Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification) County governments Independent school districts Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education State governments Small businesses Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than 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) Eligible Agencies of the Federal Government Faith based or Community based Organizations Hispanic serving Institutions Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) Indian/Native American Tribal Governments (Other than Federally Recognized) Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) Regional Organizations Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs) U.S. Territory or Possession Non domestic (non U.S.) Entities (Foreign Institutions) are eligible to apply. Non domestic (non U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are eligible to apply. Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.
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Opportunity Summary:
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity announcement RFA-AG-14-016, titled "Plasticity and Mechanisms of Cognitive Remediation in Older Adults (R01)," invited R01 research grant applications focused on creating and testing interventions designed to reduce or remediate age-related cognitive decline. The central idea behind the announcement was not simply to show that an intervention works, but to build studies that can explain how and why it works. Applicants were expected to develop an intervention and evaluate it in a way that generates strong mechanistic evidence, rather than treating outcomes as a black box. While projects could include some observational elements, the main test of the intervention was expected to occur within a randomized clinical trial (RCT) framework, reflecting NIH's emphasis on rigorous causal inference and well-controlled evaluation.
A defining requirement of this opportunity was the expectation that the intervention trial be embedded within a clearly articulated measurement framework. This framework needed to do three things. First, it should help clarify the intervention's mechanism of action, meaning the study should capture intermediate targets or processes that plausibly drive cognitive improvement, not just pre- and post-test scores. Second, the measurement plan should support the identification of differential response, in other words, it should help determine which individuals are more likely to benefit and which are less likely to benefit. This points to an interest in moderators and predictors of treatment response, such as baseline cognitive profiles, health status, demographic factors, genetic or biomarker information, or other characteristics that might explain variability in outcomes. Third, the FOA emphasized neural plasticity and asked applicants to examine whether the intervention produces adaptive changes in the structure or function of the central nervous system (CNS), and whether those neural changes help explain the cognitive gains observed. In practical terms, this could involve neuroimaging, electrophysiology, or other neurobiological measures collected in a way that allows investigators to connect changes in brain systems to changes in cognitive performance.
The opportunity fell under NIH health research and specifically aligned with aging research and related training areas, with CFDA listings that included aging research (93.866) and research and training in complementary and integrative health (93.213). It used the standard NIH R01 grant mechanism, which is typically suited for mature, hypothesis-driven projects with enough scope to support intervention development, implementation, and thorough measurement. The announcement reported an estimated total funding level of $3,000,000 for the FOA, and it explicitly stated that there was no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of award.
Eligibility was broad and included many common applicant types across academia, government, nonprofit, and industry. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (including those with and without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses, and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. Multiple levels of government entities were eligible as well, including state governments, county governments, city or township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities including Indian housing authorities. The FOA also emphasized inclusion of a wide range of institutions and communities, listing entities such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), as well as faith-based and community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies. Notably, non-U.S. (foreign) organizations and foreign institutions were eligible to apply, non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations were allowed, and foreign components as defined by NIH policy were permitted, indicating NIH openness to international expertise and study settings when well-justified.
From an administrative standpoint, the FOA was posted on January 3, 2014, with an original and final application due date of March 4, 2014, and an archive date of April 4, 2014, indicating the opportunity is no longer active. The sponsoring agency was NIH, and the full announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide page linked in the opportunity record. For access or linking issues, the announcement provided contact details for the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster.
Overall, this FOA sought projects that move beyond general cognitive training claims and instead produce a tightly integrated package: a well-defined intervention for older adults, a randomized trial to test it, and a measurement strategy capable of pinpointing mechanisms, explaining individual differences in response, and documenting whether changes in brain structure or function accompany and account for cognitive improvements.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the NIH funding opportunity RFA-AG-14-016?
RFA-AG-14-016 is a National Institutes of Health (NIH) Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) titled "Plasticity and Mechanisms of Cognitive Remediation in Older Adults (R01)." It invited R01 research grant applications focused on developing and testing interventions intended to reduce or remediate age-related cognitive decline in older adults.
What type of grant mechanism did this FOA use?
This FOA used the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism, which is generally designed for mature, hypothesis-driven research projects with enough scope to support intervention development, implementation, and a rigorous evaluation and measurement plan.
What was the main scientific focus of the FOA?
The FOA focused on cognitive remediation in older adults and emphasized neural plasticity and mechanisms of change. The expectation was that applicants would not only test whether an intervention improves cognition, but also explain how and why it works.
Did NIH want studies that only show an intervention works?
No. A central theme of the FOA was moving beyond simple pre/post outcome comparisons. NIH expected projects to generate strong mechanistic evidence, meaning the study design and measurements should illuminate the processes that drive cognitive improvement rather than treating outcomes as a "black box."
Was a randomized clinical trial (RCT) required or expected?
The FOA expected the main test of the intervention to occur within a randomized clinical trial (RCT) framework. While some observational elements could be included, NIH emphasized rigorous causal inference and well-controlled evaluation, consistent with an RCT approach.
What does it mean that the intervention trial had to be embedded in a measurement framework?
It means the intervention study needed a clearly articulated measurement plan that supports more than endpoint outcomes. The FOA described a framework that should (1) clarify mechanism of action, (2) support identification of differential response across individuals, and (3) examine neural plasticity and CNS changes that may explain cognitive gains.
What kind of mechanistic evidence was NIH looking for?
NIH expected investigators to measure intermediate targets or processes that plausibly drive cognitive improvement. Instead of relying only on baseline and post-intervention cognitive test scores, the study should collect data that helps connect the intervention to the underlying processes producing change.
What is meant by "differential response" in this FOA?
"Differential response" refers to variation in how individuals respond to the intervention. The FOA emphasized measurement strategies that help determine who benefits more, who benefits less, and what characteristics predict or moderate treatment response.
What kinds of factors could be used to study differential response?
Based on the FOA description, examples of characteristics that could explain variability in outcomes included baseline cognitive profiles, health status, demographic factors, genetic or biomarker information, and other individual characteristics that may act as predictors or moderators of intervention response.
How did the FOA address neural plasticity?
The FOA explicitly emphasized neural plasticity by asking applicants to examine whether the intervention produces adaptive changes in the structure or function of the central nervous system (CNS), and whether those neural changes help explain any cognitive gains observed.
What kinds of neurobiological measures were relevant to this FOA?
The FOA suggested that practical approaches could include neuroimaging, electrophysiology, or other neurobiological measures, collected in a way that allows investigators to link changes in brain systems to changes in cognitive performance.
Could projects include observational components?
Yes. The FOA indicated that projects could include some observational elements, but the primary evaluation of the intervention was expected to occur within a randomized clinical trial (RCT) framework.
What research areas or CFDA listings were associated with this opportunity?
The opportunity aligned with NIH health research and aging research. CFDA listings associated with the FOA included aging research (93.866) and research and training in complementary and integrative health (93.213).
What was the estimated total funding level for this FOA?
The FOA reported an estimated total funding level of $3,000,000.
Was cost sharing or matching required?
No. The FOA explicitly stated there was no cost sharing or matching requirement, meaning applicants were not required to contribute non-federal funds as a condition of award.
Who was eligible to apply?
Eligibility was broad. Eligible applicants included public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status), small businesses, and for-profit organizations other than small businesses. Many government entities were also eligible, including state, county, and city/township governments, special district governments, independent school districts, and public housing authorities (including Indian housing authorities).
Did the FOA encourage applications from specific institution types or communities?
Yes. The FOA highlighted a wide range of institutions and communities, including Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribal Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian serving institutions, and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs). It also referenced faith-based and community-based organizations and eligible federal agencies.
Were foreign (non-U.S.) organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The FOA stated that non-U.S. (foreign) organizations and foreign institutions were eligible to apply. It also allowed non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations and permitted foreign components as defined by NIH policy.
Is this funding opportunity still active?
No. The FOA timeline indicates it is no longer active. It was posted on January 3, 2014, had an original and final application due date of March 4, 2014, and had an archive date of April 4, 2014.
When were applications due for this FOA?
The FOA listed March 4, 2014 as both the original and final application due date.
Who was the sponsoring agency?
The sponsoring agency was the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Where could applicants find the full announcement?
The full announcement was made available through the NIH grants guide page linked in the opportunity record.
Who was listed for help with access or linking issues?
For access or linking issues, the FOA provided contact details for the NIH Office of Extramural Research (OER) webmaster.
What kind of overall project package was NIH looking for?
The FOA sought tightly integrated projects that combined (1) a well-defined intervention for older adults, (2) a randomized trial to test it, and (3) a measurement strategy capable of pinpointing mechanisms, explaining individual differences in response, and documenting whether changes in brain structure or function accompany and help account for cognitive improvements.
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