NOT ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

Program objective

The health and safety of all of our constituents, including the scientific community, remain a top priority as we address the global COVID-19 pandemic and as we continue to pursue the Alzheimer’s Association mission, today and in the longer term. This includes the need to support the scientific community during this unusual time. The Alzheimer’s Association Rapid Program in Dementia (RAPID) Funding Grant Program will provide grant funding for early career researchers who are currently funded with an active Alzheimer’s Association award and in good standing with reporting (see Eligibility) to ensure their research projects are able to progress despite challenges from the SARS-CoV2 pandemic.


Program overview

The Alzheimer's Association is the world’s largest non-profit funder of Alzheimer’s and dementia research, currently investing more than $360 million in over 1,000 active best-of-field projects in 53 countries, spanning six continents. Over the past several months, the Association has engaged with our funded researchers, as we continually monitored the impact of this pandemic across the globe and the impact this may have on advancing research. Through this tracking, we have engaged multiple institutions and research facility leaders around the globe, and it is clear that the impact of COVID-19 has varied widely, but it has been felt in all corners of the world. Researchers have experienced setbacks, including the suspension of research studies, rotating schedules of lab staff, the halting of wet lab work, and loss of model systems, and more. It is imperative that we maintain and build upon the tremendous strides achieved in the research community as we advance the Association’s vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.

The RAPID Funding Grant Program aims to provide additional resources to help address:
 
  • Gaps in resources for ongoing projects – including replacing supplies and model systems, providing additional staff support and/or addressing any other previously unanticipated needs and/or additional safety precautions that are now essential in order to move the Alzheimer’s Association-funded project forward.
  • Gaps in knowledge to expand the project aims and/or collect additional data within an ongoing project that would broaden our understanding of the impact of SARS-CoV2 on some of the most vulnerable populations.
Each RAPID Funding Grant Program award is limited to a total of $50,000 USD for up to two years (minimum time period is 6 months); this timeline will be additive to their current award timelines. Additional details on funding and award period in the Budget section below.
 

Eligibility

The RAPID Funding Grant Program is specifically targeted to support early-career and newly independent Alzheimer’s Association grantees with active awards. An active awardee is defined as any regulatory and ethical approvals are in place; the award letter has been signed. Applications to the RAPID program will be accepted from:
  • Individuals with an active Alzheimer’s Association awards from the following programs — Alzheimer’s Association Research Grants/ Research Grants to Promote Diversity (AARG and AARG-D); Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowships/ Research Fellowships to Promote Diversity (AARF and AARF-D); Alzheimer’s Association Clinical Science Fellowship and Clinical Science Fellowship to Promote Diversity (also the Clinical Fellowship and Clinical Fellowship to Promote Diversity)(AACSF/AACF and AACSF-D/AACF-D) — and are in good standing with scientific and financial reports on their active grants.
  • Individuals with an active Alzheimer’s Association award from any of our other programs not listed above but the funded work specifically addresses health disparities and issues related to underrepresented populations in research and are in good standing with scientific and financial reports on their active grants.
The eligibility policy will be strictly enforced and no exceptions will be made. For questions regarding eligibility, please contact the Alzheimer’s Association Grants Team at grantsapp@alz.org.


Budget and financial documentation

A “budget summary” for the proposed research project is required and must be submitted with the application and within the allowable one-page limit. However, if the application is to be awarded, a more detailed budget will be required and must be
approved before the disbursement of funds. Your budget must not exceed the maximum amount of the award, up to USD $50,000 over up to two years (the funding could be $50,000 in one year period or divided over two years, based on need with a minimum time period of 6 months). Minimum grant request is $5,000 and maximum is $50,000; no exceptions will be made. Non-profit academic institutions are allowed up to 10% indirect costs. Unused funds at the completion of the grant that exceed USD $75 must be returned to the Alzheimer’s Association. The Association anticipates funding up to 40 RAPID grants through this program.
 

Submitting a RAPID Funding Program application

Unlike other Alzheimer’s Association funding programs, the RAPID Funding Program will not require a letter of intent. Full applications will include:
 
  • Summary of the impact SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19), including aspects of the project affected and a description of the key milestones that will be accomplished with the RAPID funding (2 pages). This summary should build upon the active Alzheimer’s Association project, including accomplishments to date of your funded project and a description of the timelines necessary to achieve the outlined future milestones. For studies involving human participants, the proposal should also include details on the population being engaged in the study and the efforts the study team will engage for full inclusivity of the community.
  • Budget justification (1 page)
    • Should clearly describe how the grant funds will be applied
    • Expenses that will not be allowed under this award include tuition for full degree programs and continuing education credits, rent for laboratory/office space, construction or renovation costs, facilities fees or laboratory/supply costs not directly relevant to the project. If awarded, a full budget of planned expenses will be required.
    • No more than 10% indirect costs will be allowed for project budgets; this is inclusive of any sub-contracts as well and across the entire awarded amount, must not exceed 10% of the total budget.
  • Institutional letter to confirm the request is in line with institutional policies and procedures during the pandemic; this should be on institutional/ organizational letterhead and signed by an authorized signing official from the institution (i.e.
    office of sponsored grants) and should outline the institution’s support of the applicant’s request for funding (up to 2 pages).
  • Organizational documentations - W9/W8/W8ben- completed by the institution and must be signed/ dated, including the institution EIN/TIN or VAT number.
  • Biosketch or Curriculum Vitae for the leading investigator only (up to 5 pages).

Grant application via proposalCENTRAL

Applications must be submitted using the online system proposalCENTRAL https://proposalcentral.com. First-time users must register and complete a Professional Profile to begin the application process. Hard copies or email copies of the application will not be accepted.


Deadlines and award timeline

No letter of intent is required. RAPID Funding Program Applications must be received by 5:00 p.m. EST, Tuesday, December 1, 2020. Applications will not be accepted after this date. No exceptions will be made. No hard copies or emails will be accepted.


Review process and criteria

RAPID Funding Program applications will be reviewed through the Alzheimer’s Association International Research Grant Program peer review process, with oversight by the Alzheimer’s Association, and the Association’s International Research Grant Program Council and the Medical & Scientific Advisory Group. Review criteria will pay special attention to:
  • Rationale of the proposed next steps for the project, including the project goals and objectives
  • Accomplishments achieved to date for the Association funded project
  • Need of the funding based on disruption due to COVID-19 disruptions
  • Reasonableness of the requested amount and rationale of the budget justification
  • Institutional support for the proposed request
This will be a competitive process; we anticipate funding up to 40 awards through the RAPID program. In order to process this program in an accelerated timeline, only limited review feedback will be collected in this process and shared back with
applicants.

The Alzheimer’s Association is committed to providing an environment free from harassment and discrimination. The Alzheimer’s Association strictly prohibits harassment and discrimination based race; creed; color; religion; gender; sex; sexual
orientation; national origin; ancestry; age; veteran status; citizenship status; marital status; physical or mental disabilities; pregnancy, gender identity or expression (including transgender status); and genetic information any other characteristic
protected by federal, state or local law.

Award notifications will be made by February 1, 2021.

For more information: Contact grantsapp@alz.org