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Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship for All (AARFA) Program

Alzheimer's Association

The Alzheimer’s Association recognizes the importance of supporting the early career development of promising researchers working to advance the understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s and all other dementias. Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship for All (AARFA) Program is designed to nurture the next generation of scientists by providing funding to postdoctoral researchers who have completed their doctoral training and are actively working in Alzheimer’s or dementia-related research under the mentorship of established investigators. This program aims to facilitate the transition of early career investigators toward becoming independent researchers, equipped to lead their own innovative studies in the field of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.

Applications are welcome from all areas of Alzheimer’s and related dementia research, including but not limited to basic science, translational studies, clinical research, and psychosocial investigations. Projects may span topics such as disease mechanisms, biomarker development, therapeutic targets, epidemiology, neuroimaging, care interventions, or health equity research. The Alzheimer's Association feels strongly that the mentoring and involvement of researchers from diverse backgrounds and perspectives is essential to engaging cutting-edge ideas and thinking in addressing scientific gaps for Alzheimer’s and all dementias.

Key dates

Letter of Intent due: Aug. 14, 2026 – 5 p.m. ET
Full application due: Oct. 14, 2026 – 5 p.m. ET
Award notifications: By Jan. 30, 2027

Funding overview

Award duration is a minimum of two years to a maximum of three years.
The total award will not exceed $200,000, consisting of a research budget and a separate dissemination stipend:
- Research budget (including direct and indirect costs): up to $180,000 total. The budget requested in any given year may not exceed $100,000 (direct and indirect costs).
- Dissemination stipend: Separate from the research budget, a $20,000 stipend supports dissemination of the research results following successful completion of the project — $10,000 each to the Principal Investigator and the named mentor will be paid to the institution(s). These funds are not guaranteed and are awarded only upon successful completion of the award, disbursed directly to the Fellow’s and mentor’s institutions at the time of release, and are not subject to reporting. Successful completion includes, but is not limited to, achieving the project aims and accomplishing all Fellowship benchmarks.
- Indirect costs are capped at 10 percent of total direct costs and are inclusive of indirect costs for the implementing institution as well as any subcontracts.

Application process

Letters of intent are required. More information can be found in the RFA and on ProposalCentral.
By submitting a Letter of Intent or application to this program, the applicant organization acknowledges that it has reviewed the program’s terms and conditions of award and agrees to accept them as written. The conditions of award are non-negotiable, and submission constitutes the organization’s confirmation that it is prepared to comply with them in full should an award be made.
Full applications must be submitted through ProposalCentral.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong relevance to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the fundamental requirement.

Competitive proposals should directly address:

Alzheimer’s disease
Related dementias (ADRD)
Disease mechanisms
Diagnosis and biomarkers
Prevention
Risk factors
Treatment development
Disease progression
Dementia care
Brain health
Caregiver and patient outcomes

The Association funds research intended to advance understanding of Alzheimer's, identify treatments, improve dementia care, and advance prevention and brain health.

2. Significance of the research question ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Significance is an explicit review criterion.

A strong proposal should clearly explain:

What major problem is being addressed
Why the problem matters
What knowledge gap exists
Why existing approaches are insufficient
What could change if the project succeeds

For example, current Alzheimer’s Association research programs explicitly evaluate the significance of the question being studied and the rationale for the proposed target or approach.

3. Potential overall impact ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Association's review process places substantial emphasis on overall impact—whether the research could significantly advance its relevant field.

Strong projects should have potential to:

Change understanding of Alzheimer's/ADRD
Improve diagnosis
Enable earlier detection
Identify new therapeutic targets
Improve prevention
Improve patient care
Improve quality of life
Address important dementia-care challenges

The final review process uses overall impact and comparative ranking to identify proposals with the greatest potential to advance the field.

4. Innovation and originality ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Innovation is an explicit evaluation criterion.

Competitive proposals may introduce:

Novel hypotheses
New biomarkers
New therapeutic approaches
Innovative imaging
Artificial intelligence/computational approaches
New disease models
New approaches to dementia care
Novel prevention strategies
New uses of existing datasets

The Association's research programs specifically evaluate the novelty and innovation of proposed projects.

5. Strong methodology and work plan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A scientifically exciting idea still needs a rigorous plan.

Reviewers consider:

Scientific strategy
Methodology
Analysis
Study design
Feasibility
Recruitment where human subjects are involved
Appropriate resources
Timeline

The Association's published criteria explicitly include the approach/work plan, including methodology and analyses.

6. Strong investigator and research team ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The investigator(s) are explicitly evaluated.

Competitive applicants should demonstrate:

Relevant training
Research expertise
Publications or prior accomplishments
Ability to perform the proposed work
Appropriate collaborators
Complementary expertise

The Association's review criteria specifically assess the qualifications of the research team and the training/expertise that enables the PI and collaborators to conduct the proposed research.

7. Appropriate research environment and resources ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The research setting is also explicitly assessed.

Strong proposals demonstrate:

Appropriate institutional facilities
Access to relevant patient populations
Laboratory or clinical infrastructure
Data resources
Imaging or computational capabilities where needed
Qualified research personnel

The review framework evaluates the adequacy of the research environment, resources, and facilities.

8. Diversity, inclusion and health equity ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is increasingly important in Alzheimer’s Association research.

The Association's review criteria include:

Inclusion of underrepresented populations
Racial and ethnic populations
Gender/sex considerations
Other underrepresented groups

Some programs specifically prioritize projects that address health equity, diversity, and inclusion.

A strong proposal should explain whether the research population appropriately represents the people affected by Alzheimer's/ADRD and how the findings could benefit populations that have historically been underrepresented.

9. Patient-centered, clinical and real-world relevance ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Research should ultimately contribute to meaningful improvements for people affected by dementia.

Strong projects may address:

Patient outcomes
Caregiver burden
Quality of life
Clinical decision-making
Treatment effectiveness
Real-world evidence
Healthcare access
Dementia-care systems

The Association also funds dedicated programs involving real-world data, where reviewers assess the platform, population representativeness, potential impact, data sharing, and collaboration.

10. Exact fit with the selected Alzheimer’s Association program ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is critical because the Association operates many different grant mechanisms.

Current programs include opportunities for:

New investigators
Early-career researchers
Clinical scientists
Basic scientists
Translational researchers
Real-world data projects
Imaging
Dementia prevention
Health equity
Specific disease mechanisms and therapeutic targets

For example, the New Investigator Award Program evaluates overall impact, significance, investigator qualifications, innovation, approach, environment, and budget/resources.

Specialties

Clinical Trials

Neurosciences

Eligibility Requirements

This grant is open to U.S. and international researchers.
Applicants are eligible if they possess a doctoral degree (Ph.D. or equivalent), are within 10 years of receiving their terminal degree at the time of Letter of Intent (LOI) submission, and hold a full-time position at a not-for-profit academic, medical, or research institution.
- Individuals must not hold an independent faculty position (e.g., Assistant Professor or equivalent) at the time of award.
Only one primary principal investigator is allowed per proposal. Multiple Principal Investigators (PIs) are not permitted, though collaborators and key personnel may be included.
Non-profit public or private research laboratories, medical centers, hospitals and universities are eligible to apply. For-profit organizations are not eligible.
Applicants are permitted a single application to either this program or the Alzheimer’s Association Research Grants for All (AARGA) or the Alzheimer’s Association Clinical Scientist Fellowship for All (AACSFA) in a given cycle.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Alzheimer's Association

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 225 N Michigan Ave. Floor 17 Chicago, IL 60601 800.272.3900

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