FOR-TEMP-28924
Dementia Care and Caregiver Support Intervention Research - Stages II - V
Summary
Behavioral Intervention Development for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is preparing a funding opportunity to support NIH Stage Model Stage II–V research on behavioral interventions targeting persons with Alzheimer's disease and Alzheimer's disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) and their care partners or caregivers. This program emphasizes milestone-driven development of interventions that are already in developed, testable form. Awards will fund a 2-year planning phase with potential transition to a clinical trial phase upon successful completion of defined milestones. The research spans intervention development, clinical trial design, and aging research, seeking to advance evidence-based behavioral approaches for dementia care and caregiver support.
Critical eligibility note: Stage I activities (proof-of-concept, feasibility work) must be completed before your proposed work begins. Applications proposing Stage I activities will be ineligible.
- Who can apply: Investigators with expertise in aging research, dementia care, behavioral intervention development, and caregiver support; Stage I work must be completed before application
- Funding & project length: 2 years (planning phase); exact award amounts not stated
- Award mechanism: R61/R33 (phased innovation award)
- Key dates: NOFO not yet published; notice provided for planning purposes
- Best fit for: Gerontology, clinical psychology, and geriatric medicine researchers developing and testing behavioral interventions for AD/ADRD populations and caregiving contexts
Insights (5)
Stage II-V requirement eliminates early-stage intervention developers without prior validation
The explicit Stage II-V mandate means applicants must have completed Stage I activities (basic research, proof-of-concept, preliminary efficacy data) before submission. Researchers with novel intervention concepts but no preliminary validation data are ineligible, effectively narrowing the applicant pool to those with existing pilot data or published feasibility evidence.
R61/R33 mechanism rewards milestone-driven planning before full trial launch
The two-year R61 planning phase with conditional R33 transition creates a structured pathway: early funding focuses on protocol development, feasibility refinement, and trial readiness rather than full-scale enrollment. This favors applicants who can articulate clear, measurable milestones (e.g., protocol finalization, site activation, recruitment strategy validation) and positions the award as a bridge to larger NIH trial funding.
Caregiver/care partner focus may require dual-target intervention design and recruitment strategy
The NOFO explicitly includes both persons with AD/ADRD and their care partners as intervention targets. This suggests successful applications should address how the intervention engages both populations, potentially requiring partnerships with caregiver organizations, memory care facilities, or community-based aging services to ensure recruitment and retention feasibility.
Behavioral intervention specificity and NIA focus suggest moderate-to-high competition
The NOFO targets a well-defined research area (behavioral interventions for AD/ADRD) within a major NIH institute with established funding priorities. The Stage II-V requirement filters out early-stage applicants, concentrating competition among researchers with validated preliminary data—a smaller but more experienced pool likely to produce competitive applications.
Early-stage investigators need mature preliminary data; established researchers gain advantage
ESIs without prior Stage I completion cannot apply, creating a structural disadvantage. Conversely, established investigators with published pilot data or completed feasibility studies are well-positioned. This mechanism favors researchers transitioning from smaller grants (R21, R03) or foundation-funded pilots to NIH-supported trial development.
Key Facts
Deadline
—
Posted
Fri, June 27, 2025
Max Duration
2 years
Keywords
Research Areas
Gotchas (2)
This NOFO explicitly requires Stage II-V research per the NIH Stage Model, meaning Stage I activities must be completed before application. Applicants proposing Stage I work will be ineligible.
95%
Source Text
“The intervention(s) to be tested as part of this NOFO are expected to be in a developed and testable form, with Stage I activities completed prior to the proposed work.”
Projects must be at NIH Stage Model Stage II-V; Stage I activities must be completed before the proposed work begins
95%
Source Text
“The intervention(s) to be tested as part of this NOFO are expected to be in a developed and testable form, with Stage I activities completed prior to the proposed work.”