Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory (P30 Clinical Trial Optional) | RFA AG 26 006

Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 26 006

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is seeking applications for a Center Core (P30) award under the Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory (AITC) program. This funding opportunity is designed to build and support a dedicated collaboratory-style center that accelerates the development, testing, and real-world implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) methods and technology aimed at improving research and outcomes in aging and in Alzheimer s disease and Alzheimer s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD). In practical terms, the NOFO is about creating an organizing hub with shared resources, expertise, and coordinated activities that make it easier for multiple research projects and teams to develop AI and tech solutions that are actually usable in aging and dementia contexts, rather than remaining purely conceptual or limited to small pilot demonstrations.

A central theme of the opportunity is that applicants are expected to treat ethics as a core design requirement, not an afterthought. Proposed centers should lay out clear strategies for identifying and addressing ethical challenges that commonly arise with AI and technology, especially in older adult populations and in dementia research where questions of privacy, consent, autonomy, bias, and potential harms can be more complex. The NOFO also signals that applications should lean on established best practices from aging and AD/ADRD research whenever possible. That typically implies approaches that respect the needs and lived realities of older adults and people living with cognitive impairment, emphasize inclusive and representative research participation, and account for caregiving and clinical settings where technologies may ultimately be deployed.

The mechanism is a P30 Center Core grant, which generally supports shared infrastructure and coordinated cores rather than funding a single stand-alone research project. While the NOFO summary provided does not list specific required cores, the overall intent is to create a collaboratory that can enable multiple AI and technology-focused research efforts for aging and AD/ADRD. The activity category is health, and the assistance listing is CFDA 93.866, which corresponds to NIH aging research programs. The NOFO is labeled "Clinical Trial Optional," meaning a clinical trial is not required for the center to be eligible, but clinical trial activities may be included if they fit the program goals and are appropriately justified and structured.

Eligibility is broad across U.S.-based organizations that commonly apply for NIH funding. Eligible applicants include state, county, city, township, and special district governments; federally recognized Native American tribal governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not higher education institutions when applying under the nonprofit category); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and other eligible entities. The NOFO also explicitly highlights additional eligible applicant types, including Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISIs), Hispanic-serving Institutions, Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, eligible federal agencies, Indian/Native American tribal governments other than federally recognized tribes, and U.S. territories or possessions. At the same time, the NOFO makes clear that non-U.S. entities are not eligible to apply as the applicant organization, and non-U.S. components of U.S. organizations are not eligible. However, "foreign components" are allowed as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, which generally means a U.S. applicant may include certain well-justified international elements of the work under NIH rules, even though a foreign institution cannot serve as the primary applicant.

Key administrative details in the source information include the Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AG-26-006, a discretionary grant funding instrument, and an original application due date of 2025-10-15. The posting shows an award ceiling and expected awards fields without values in the excerpt provided, so applicants would need to consult the full NOFO text for budget limits, project period expectations, and the number of awards anticipated. The opportunity was created on 2025-09-10 in the listing data provided, which suggests it is a relatively new announcement in that cycle.

Overall, this NOFO is aimed at organizations that can serve as conveners and infrastructure builders for AI and technology innovation in aging and AD/ADRD research. Competitive applications will likely be those that can demonstrate a credible plan for a center that supports multiple investigators and projects, offers shared resources and expertise relevant to AI and aging science, and shows a serious, specific, and workable approach to ethical issues and best practices so that the resulting tools and methods are trustworthy, equitable, and suitable for real-world use in older adult and dementia-related contexts.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Artificial Intelligence and Technology Collaboratory (P30 Clinical Trial Optional)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2025-09-10.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2025-10-15. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Eligible applicants include: State governments, County governments, City or township governments, Special district governments, Independent school districts, Public and State controlled institutions of higher education, Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized), Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments), Nonprofits having a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Nonprofits that do not have a 501 (c) (3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education, Private institutions of higher education, For-profit organizations other than small businesses, Small businesses, Others.

Apply for RFA AG 26 006

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