Capacity Building in International Dementia Research Program

Program objective

Globally, there are nearly 50 million individuals affected by dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD). Research infrastructure and capacity are needed to address this global health crisis. The Alzheimer’s Association and Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) have funded numerous international studies aimed to address multifaceted approaches to dementia. This funding has produced results advancing our understanding of cognitive decline in diverse geographical, cultural, and economic settings. Despite this impressive work, many investigators struggle to maintain momentum. For many, this work is completed within research environments that are pieced together and may not always include long-term prioritization of institutions. Once these projects are completed, there may be no further legacy of the work besides scientific presentations and/or publications.

Program overview

This funding mechanism explicitly targets capacity building for scientific investigation within institutions located in Low- and Middle-Income countries (LMIC) where prior research funding has been received, but barriers to sustainability exist. Potential applicants are encouraged to consider proposals that would fill current gaps in their research infrastructure and enable them to build larger and more sustainable portfolios. Applicants are encouraged to consider work that traditional research sponsors may not fund. Examples include but are not limited to:

• Developing or expanding training programs
• Creating or adapting culturally appropriate research tools
• Collecting normative data
• Engaging in community outreach activities to raise awareness and bolster recruitment
• Supporting personnel who enable sustainable research including statisticians, laboratory managers, technicians, research administrators, and database analysts
• Building research databases
• Arranging for investigators to have protected time for research
• Organizing workshops around specific research skills such as grant writing and statistical methods
• Providing translation and proof-reading services
• Coordinating training and workshops for institutional personnel in topics that bolster research infrastructure, such as grant submission, research administration and laboratory skills

This mechanism is not intended to fund construction/renovation of facilities or the purchase of major equipment (above a unit price of USD$10,000). Those in need of financial support for equipment purchases are encouraged to explore opportunities through programs such as these (https://seedinglabs.org/ ; https://www.thereagentproject.org/ and
https://equipsent.org/ ).

It is expected that the applicant institution will participate in both the preparation of the proposal and the proposed work itself. All applicants invited to submit a full application will be expected to conduct a needs assessment that incorporates relevant organizational and community partners, including institutional representatives and non-governmental organizations linked to the community or the institution/ university. This needs assessment will be led by the applicant in partnership with GBHI and the Alzheimer’s Association, and will include key leaders from within the institution and the surrounding environment. The goal of this assessment is to understand current challenges, identify opportunities, and ensure that proposed strategies are aligned with local and regional priorities. Methods may include surveys, informal interviews and focus groups that collect input from participants at all levels (e.g., students, staff, faculty, institutional officials, community partners, local government representatives). Outcomes of this assessment will be confirmation of support for the capacity building program and a clear plan for implementation. Further guidance on this process will be provided as described below.

Funding and award period

Budgets should reflect the actual needs of the proposed work and should typically not exceed $250,000 in total costs (direct + indirect) each year. The award duration should be aligned with the scope of the proposal with a minimum duration of three years and a maximum duration of five years. Annual disbursement of funds is not guaranteed and will be dependent on demonstrated progress toward pre-defined milestones. We anticipate an opportunity to apply for renewal for successful projects where needs have evolved.

Key dates and deadlines:

• Letter of Intent Launch - May 17, 2023
• Letter of Intent Deadline - August 2, 2023, 5 p.m. EST
• Letter of Intent Notifications - week of September 11, 2023
• Application Deadline - December 15, 2023, 5 p.m. EST
• Application Review - December 2023
• Award Notifications - by March 29, 2024

The Letter of Intent and application must be received by 5 p.m. EST on their respective deadlines. They will not be accepted after these dates - no exceptions will be made. Hard copies or emails will not be accepted.

 

Eligibility requirements 

• This opportunity is currently open to institutions/organizations in LMIC. View a full list of eligible countries..
• The Project Lead must be a full-time faculty member or full-time paid employee of the organization submitting the proposal. There are no specific degree requirements. It is expected that for applications from more senior level faculty that there is a plan to engage and develop junior faculty members through this support.
• The Project Lead or other key personnel at the institution/organization must have active or recently completed independent research funding upon which this proposal builds.
• Investigators who have previously received Alzheimer’s Association funding and are currently delinquent in submitting required reports or have awards closed as “Incomplete” or “early termination” are not eligible to apply.

Note: Alzheimer’s Association grants are generally open to scientists and researchers across the globe; however, as a U.S.-based charity, the Alzheimer’s Association is subject to, and complies with, U.S. law. As a result, the Alzheimer’s Association cannot award, and will not award, grants in violation of applicable U.S. statutes and regulations. This means, among other things, that the Alzheimer’s Association cannot, and will not, fund any individual or entity (i) that is subject to U.S. comprehensive or targeted sanctions or if awarding funding would result in a violation of such sanctions, (ii) that is on the U.S. List of Specially Designated Nationals or entities owned or controlled by such persons, or (iii) when doing so is otherwise prohibited by U.S. laws related to combating terrorism.
 

Budget

Allowable costs under this award include but are not limited to:

• Salary support for the Project Lead and other personnel engaged in the proposed work
• Small pieces of laboratory equipment and laboratory supplies (up to a unit price of USD$10,000)
• Computer hardware and software
• Tuition & fees for trainees
• Research supplies & participant related costs
• Limited support for travel related to the proposed work
• Indirect costs are allowed at a rate of 10% of direct costs; indirect costs may be used to cover any expenses necessary from the costs not allowed, including wire and currency fees

Costs not allowed under this award include:
 

• Construction or renovation costs.
• Rent for laboratory/office space.
• Major equipment (unit price over USD$10,000)
• Wire and currency exchange fees
• The Alzheimer’s Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Group (MSAG), the International Research Grant Program (IRGP) Council members and current employees of the Alzheimer’s Association are allowed to be key personnel or collaborators on projects, however they are NOT ALLOWED to receive any salary or compensation. A complete list of MSAG and IRGP Council members can be found on our website. 

Submission procedures

Multiple submissions from one applicant are not permitted. This includes multiple submissions from the same group and/or collaborators.

Interested applicants should submit a letter of intent through ProposalCentral using the provided template.
The letter of intent should include:

• Description of institutional/organization environment
• Overview of research success to date
• Outline of proposed work
• List of individuals who will be engaged, including titles, institutional/organizational affiliations, and proposed roles
• Proposed total budget amount (direct + indirect costs; indirect costs are restricted to no more than 10% of direct costs)

Letters of intent will be reviewed by the program committee and evaluated based on the potential impact and feasibility of the proposed work and the qualifications of the proposed team. The program committee consists of representatives from the Alzheimer’s Association and GBHI, including research and clinical experts as invited by the funding partners. Following this review, applicants will receive additional information regarding next steps. Should a project be invited for full submission, the project leads will receive additional instructions and timeline for a full application.

Each proposal invited to submit a full application will be assigned a program committee representative to consult on the needs assessment, engagement of local partners, and development of the full application. This consultative process may include virtual and in-person meetings. The timeline for the full application will be determined based on an initial conversation between the Project Lead and program committee representative.
 
The full application will include:

• Background: A description of the institutional/organizational environment, research success to date, and identified gaps. Should include an overview of the needs assessment process and results, including how these findings informed the final proposal. (2 pages)
• Workplan: Detailed outline of the proposed work including clearly defined annual milestones and appropriate methods to measure these milestones. Examples of milestones may include workshops held, personnel engaged, systems developed, new programs established, new and fortified collaborations, publications, independent research dollars raised. Should include a description of individuals who will participate in the proposed work, detailing specific roles and responsibilities. (5 pages)
• References: A list of references cited should be provided. There is no required reference style. (1 page)
• Letters of support: Letters of support from key partners and local leaders should be included. These should detail how these individuals will be engaged and describe any financial or in-kind support committed to the project. At least one letter demonstrating and outlining the commitment of the institution must be included. (no more than 2 pages each)
• CVs/Biosketches: A CV or Biosketch for the Project Lead and each key individual who will participate in the proposed work should be provided. (no more than 5 pages each)
• Budget: A detailed budget broken down by year and aligned with the annual milestones should be provided. (use template)
• Budget Justification: The budget should be accompanied by a justification describing each of the proposed costs, including rationale for proposed level of effort for personnel (2 pages)
• W9/W8 Documentation (use form)

A review committee will be assembled to evaluate each full application received. Applications will be reviewed and selected for funding based on the alignment of the proposed work with the outcome of the needs assessment, the level of commitment to the proposal demonstrated by the institution, the applicant’s commitment to collaborative research, and the potential impact and feasibility of the proposed work.

Additional information

Ethical / regulatory approvals and reporting requirements
Although unlikely for this program, the Alzheimer’s Association and GBHI note that applications that include any research and/or related infrastructure for animal or human participant research must also provide appropriate assurances. Any applicable animal welfare and human participant approvals are not required at the time of application. Project Leads have until their chosen start date to submit these documents provided the start date is within 6 months from award notification. However, GBHI and the Alzheimer’s Association encourage Project Leads to initiate their certification applications on a schedule that recognizes that rDNA certification, IRB/IACUC approval at many institutions can take more than 90 days. Certifications must apply specifically to the funded project and must include the name of the awardee.

Additional notes to applicants
The Alzheimer’s Association and GBHI note that it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure and verify that:

• The application is correctly submitted. Once submitted, you will receive a confirmation email from proposalcentral.com that your application was successfully submitted. If you do not receive a confirmation, click the Proposals tab and under the “Status” column, make sure it says Submitted and not In Progress, which indicates you have not yet submitted your application.
• The application is complete and accurate before submission. Only a single copy of an application will be accepted. We do not require signatures at the time of submission. The signature page provided is for use should your institution/organization require signatures; we do not override any institutional policies and/or procedures. Please do not submit the signature page with your application.
• Only the documents described above are submitted. Revisions, additional materials, and/or reference manuscripts, appendices, etc., are not allowed and, if attached, will be removed from your application.

For additional information, please send all inquiries to grantsapp@alz.org.