Selective Cell and Network Vulnerability in Aging and Alzheimers Disease (R01) | PAR 17 047

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 047

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Selective Cell and Network Vulnerability in Aging and Alzheimers Disease (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR-17-047) supports research aimed at pinpointing which specific brain cell types, neural circuits, and larger brain networks are especially susceptible to normal brain aging and to Alzheimers disease (AD). The central scientific idea behind the announcement is that AD does not damage the brain uniformly. Instead, certain neurons, supporting cell populations, circuits, and regions show earlier or more severe degeneration. This FOA is focused on defining and characterizing that selective vulnerability across multiple biological scales, from individual cells up through circuits and whole-brain systems, because understanding why some elements fail while others remain comparatively resilient is considered essential for accurately mapping the disease process and for identifying more effective therapeutic strategies.

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 mechanism, meaning it is intended for hypothesis-driven, multi-year research projects that can produce substantial advances in knowledge about AD-related neurobiology. Projects responsive to this FOA would generally be expected to clarify which neural components are most vulnerable, describe how that vulnerability emerges or progresses over time, and illuminate underlying mechanisms that connect cellular changes to circuit dysfunction and network-level breakdown. The emphasis on "cells to networks" highlights that the NIH is encouraging work that does not stop at describing pathology in isolated brain areas, but instead explains how cellular-level susceptibility translates into disrupted communication across circuits and broader brain networks implicated in cognitive decline and other AD symptoms.

The opportunity is categorized as discretionary funding, with the activity category listed as health, and it is associated with CFDA number 93.866. The sponsor is the National Institutes of Health. The source information provided lists an original closing date of 2018-03-06 and a creation date of 2016-11-03. While an award ceiling is not specified in the provided data, the R01 mechanism typically allows budgets and project scopes that fit the scientific aims and NIH policy constraints, and applicants generally frame their requests based on the level of work needed to achieve the proposed objectives.

Eligibility is broad and includes many common applicant types across government, academia, nonprofit, and industry. 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; private institutions of higher education; Native American tribal governments that are federally recognized; public housing authorities and Indian housing authorities; Native American tribal organizations other than federally recognized tribal governments; nonprofits with 501(c)(3) status; nonprofits without 501(c)(3) status (in both cases other than institutions of higher education); for-profit organizations other than small businesses; and small businesses. In addition, the FOA explicitly notes other eligible applicants, underscoring an intent to include a wide range of institutions and communities in AD research. These additional eligible groups include 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); Indian/Native American Tribal Governments other than federally recognized; eligible federal agencies; faith-based or community-based organizations; regional organizations; U.S. territories or possessions; and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities, meaning foreign organizations may also apply.

In practical terms, the FOA is meant to push the field toward a more precise map of where and why AD-related degeneration starts and spreads, and what differentiates vulnerable versus resilient cell populations and networks during aging and AD. By prioritizing selective vulnerability, the announcement is aligned with the broader goal of moving beyond generalized descriptions of AD pathology and toward mechanistic insights that can guide targeted interventions, whether those interventions aim to protect high-risk cell types, stabilize critical circuits, preserve network connectivity, or interrupt the biological cascades that link aging processes to Alzheimers-specific neurodegeneration.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Selective Cell and Network Vulnerability in Aging and Alzheimers Disease (R01)" 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 2016-11-03.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-03-06. (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 PAR 17 047

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