Opportunity Information: Apply for RFA AG 18 020
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), offered this R01 grant opportunity to support research that clarifies how protein homeostasis in peripheral (non-brain) tissues influences brain aging and contributes to Alzheimer s disease (AD). The core idea behind the announcement is that while Alzheimer s research has long emphasized protein aggregation inside the brain, especially amyloid beta and tau, aging affects the body as a whole, and the systems that keep proteins properly folded, repaired, and cleared (collectively called proteostasis) weaken across many tissues over time. NIA is essentially asking investigators to test whether age-related breakdowns in peripheral proteostasis can drive, accelerate, or otherwise shape changes in the brain that lead to cognitive decline, dementia, and AD, especially in the more common sporadic form of the disease where the initiating causes are less clearly defined than in familial AD.
The scientific rationale described in the announcement contrasts well-established mechanisms in familial Alzheimer s with the uncertainty surrounding sporadic Alzheimer s. In familial AD, mutations in genes such as APP are linked to abnormal amyloid processing and aggregation, and tau pathology is often associated with hyperphosphorylation and the formation of neurofibrillary tangles. Sporadic AD, however, is strongly associated with aging itself rather than single high-penetrance mutations. Because proteostasis becomes less efficient with age in essentially all tissues, the FOA highlights a plausible body-to-brain connection: peripheral failures in protein quality control may influence systemic inflammation, metabolic and endocrine signaling, immune responses, circulating proteotoxic species, or other cross-tissue communication pathways that ultimately affect neuronal health and vulnerability. The funding opportunity is designed to move beyond a brain-only view of AD and encourage mechanistic studies that can establish causal links between peripheral proteostasis decline and brain aging outcomes.
Administratively, this was a discretionary NIH research grant using the R01 mechanism, and it explicitly did not allow clinical trials. That means the supported projects were expected to be preclinical or mechanistic human studies that do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial, rather than interventions that prospectively assign people to treatments to measure health outcomes. The opportunity was issued under Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AG-18-020, within the health funding activity area (CFDA 93.866). The posting was created on October 25, 2017, and the original application due date (closing date) was February 9, 2018. The public listing did not specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards.
Eligibility for applicants was broad and included many types of U.S. organizations and governmental units, along with certain non-U.S. entities. Eligible applicants included state, county, city or township, and special district governments; independent school districts; public and state-controlled institutions of higher education; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments (federally recognized); tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories); for-profit organizations (other than small businesses); and small businesses. The announcement also explicitly noted additional eligible categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), Hispanic-serving institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs), Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI), faith-based or community-based organizations, eligible federal agencies, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign organizations. In practical terms, NIA was signaling that it wanted strong multidisciplinary proposals wherever the expertise exists, including institutions serving underrepresented populations and international teams when appropriate.
In summary, this FOA targeted research that tests the hypothesis that age-related loss of protein quality control outside the brain can influence brain aging and Alzheimer s disease development. It encouraged investigators to connect peripheral proteostasis biology to neurological outcomes in a rigorous, mechanistic way, using the standard R01 research project structure while excluding clinical trials, and it made the opportunity widely accessible to academic, nonprofit, governmental, community-based, for-profit, tribal, territorial, and foreign organizations capable of carrying out the proposed science.Apply for RFA AG 18 020
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Role of Peripheral Proteostasis on Brain Aging and Alzheimer's Disease (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)" 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 2017-10-25.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-02-09. (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.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the name and number of this funding opportunity?
This opportunity was issued as NIH Funding Opportunity Number RFA-AG-18-020 by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What grant mechanism is being used?
The opportunity used the NIH R01 research project grant mechanism.
What is the overall goal of this R01 opportunity?
The goal was to support research that clarifies how protein homeostasis (proteostasis) in peripheral (non-brain) tissues influences brain aging and contributes to Alzheimer s disease (AD), particularly sporadic AD.
What is the central scientific hypothesis behind the announcement?
The announcement centered on the hypothesis that age-related breakdown of peripheral proteostasis (the systems that fold, repair, and clear proteins) may drive, accelerate, or shape brain changes that contribute to cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer s disease.
What does "proteostasis" mean in the context of this opportunity?
Proteostasis refers to the body s protein quality control systems that help proteins remain properly folded and functional, and that repair or clear damaged or misfolded proteins. The FOA emphasized that these systems weaken with age across many tissues.
Why does the FOA focus on peripheral (non-brain) tissues rather than only the brain?
The FOA highlighted that aging affects the entire body, not only the brain. It encouraged moving beyond a brain-only view of AD by testing whether failures in protein quality control outside the brain can influence brain aging outcomes.
How does this opportunity relate to common Alzheimer s disease research themes like amyloid beta and tau?
While Alzheimer s research has long emphasized protein aggregation in the brain (especially amyloid beta and tau), this FOA emphasized that systemic, age-related proteostasis decline in peripheral tissues might influence brain vulnerability and disease processes.
What distinction did the FOA draw between familial AD and sporadic AD?
The FOA contrasted well-established familial AD mechanisms (for example, mutations in genes such as APP linked to abnormal amyloid processing and aggregation) with the less clearly defined initiating causes of sporadic AD, which is strongly associated with aging itself.
What kinds of pathways or mechanisms did the FOA suggest could connect peripheral proteostasis to the brain?
The FOA described several plausible body-to-brain connection routes, including systemic inflammation, metabolic and endocrine signaling, immune responses, circulating proteotoxic species, and other cross-tissue communication pathways that may affect neuronal health and vulnerability.
What type of research was the FOA trying to encourage (in general terms)?
It encouraged rigorous, mechanistic studies designed to establish causal links between age-related peripheral proteostasis decline and brain aging outcomes relevant to cognitive decline, dementia, and AD.
Were clinical trials allowed under this funding opportunity?
No. The FOA explicitly did not allow clinical trials.
If clinical trials were not allowed, what kinds of studies were expected?
Projects were expected to be preclinical studies or mechanistic human studies that do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial, rather than intervention studies that prospectively assign people to treatments to measure health outcomes.
Which NIH institute offered this opportunity?
The opportunity was offered by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of NIH.
What is the CFDA number and funding activity area listed for this opportunity?
The listing identified the health funding activity area with CFDA 93.866.
When was the opportunity posted and when were applications due?
The posting was created on October 25, 2017, and the original application due (closing) date was February 9, 2018.
Did the public listing specify an award ceiling or the expected number of awards?
No. The public listing did not specify an award ceiling or an expected number of awards.
Who was eligible to apply (in broad terms)?
Eligibility was broad and included many types of U.S. organizations and governmental units, as well as certain non-U.S. entities, including foreign organizations.
Are U.S. state and local government entities eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants included state, county, city or township, and special district governments.
Are educational institutions eligible?
Yes. Eligible applicants included public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, and independent school districts.
Are tribal governments and tribal organizations eligible?
Yes. Eligibility included Native American tribal governments (federally recognized) and tribal organizations that are not federally recognized governments.
Are nonprofits eligible, including those without 501(c)(3) status?
Yes. The FOA included nonprofits with or without 501(c)(3) status (as long as they are not institutions of higher education in those categories).
Are for-profit entities eligible? What about small businesses?
Yes. The FOA included for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and also listed small businesses as eligible.
Are housing authorities eligible?
Yes. Public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities were listed as eligible applicants.
Did the FOA explicitly encourage applications from institutions serving underrepresented populations?
It listed multiple categories 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 Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions (AANAPISI).
Are faith-based or community-based organizations eligible?
Yes. Faith-based or community-based organizations were explicitly listed among eligible categories.
Are federal agencies eligible to apply?
Yes. Eligible federal agencies were included among the listed eligible categories.
Are U.S. territories or possessions eligible?
Yes. The FOA listed U.S. territories or possessions as eligible.
Are non-U.S. (foreign) organizations eligible?
Yes. The FOA indicated that non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, including foreign organizations, were eligible.
What Alzheimer s disease form received special emphasis in the rationale?
The FOA placed special emphasis on sporadic Alzheimer s disease, noting that it is strongly associated with aging and that initiating causes are less clearly defined than in familial AD.
What was the main shift in perspective the FOA was trying to promote?
It aimed to shift the field from a primarily brain-centered focus toward a broader body-to-brain framework, where age-related peripheral proteostasis decline is tested as a potential driver or modifier of brain aging and Alzheimer s-related outcomes.
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