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Alzheimer's & Related Diseases Research Award Fund

Virginia Commonwealth University

In 1982, the Virginia General Assembly established a research award fund entitled the Alzheimer's and Related Diseases Research Award Fund (ARDRAF). "The awards shall be given annually to scientists in Virginia in order to support research into the causes of Alzheimer's disease and related disorders, ‌methods of treatment, ways that families can cope with the stresses of the disease, and the impact of the disease on the citizens of the Commonwealth."

Since ARDRAF's creation, VCoA has provided seed funds for research in Alzheimer's and other dementias at institutions around the state. These funds are used to stimulate innovative research into biomedical and psychosocial aspects of dementia, including cell biology, caregiving, and animal modeling.

2025 Funding Procedures and Timeline:

September 1, 2025 - Grant cycle opens
December 1, 2025 - Deadline for prospective applicants to submit the required non-binding letter of intent (LOI).
February 1, 2026 - Deadline to submit applications. Applicants will receive a link to submit the full application once their LOI has been approved.
July 1, 2026 - Awardees announced.
July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027 - Funding Period

Goals

The ARDRAF is intended to:

increase public understanding of how dementing illnesses affect individuals, families, caregivers, and society
support pilot projects from a broad spectrum of scientific disciplines
foster the application of knowledge about Alzheimer's and related diseases
investigate the impact of these conditions on the Commonwealth of Virginia
determine appropriate public policy

AI Based Application Success Predictor

🔑 1️⃣ Clear Pathway to Major External Funding

Strong rationale that the project will produce preliminary data

Target sponsors named (NIH, NSF, DoD, etc.)

Planned timeline for external submission

The number one scoring criterion in PeRQ awards is the ability to leverage pilot funding into external grants later.

🔑 2️⃣ Strong PI Track Record or Demonstrated Potential

Prior productivity (papers, presentations, prior awards)

If early career: clear mentorship and trajectory

Evidence of independence

🔑 3️⃣ Institutional Strategic Alignment

VCU prioritizes:

Health equity & underserved populations

Clinical & translational science

Biotechnology & commercialization

Community-engaged research

Cancer (major institutional investment)

Aligning explicitly with VCU strategic priorities increases success.

🔑 4️⃣ Feasible, Focused Aim Set (Funding is Modest)

Most internal grants fund:

$10,000–$75,000

Work completed within ~12–18 months

Strong applications have:

A single, focused hypothesis

Realistic methods + clear milestones

Identifiable outcomes

🔑 5️⃣ Collaboration Across Schools / Community Engagement

VCU heavily encourages:

Multi-disciplinary teams

Partnerships with VCU Health or community organizations

Co-investigators from different departments

These can be formal scoring boosts.

🔑 6️⃣ Strong Support Structure

Facility access ✔

Letters of support ✔

IRB/IACUC planning ✔ (if needed)

VCU reviewers like to see readiness to start quickly.

🔑 7️⃣ DEI (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) Impact

VCU invests strongly in:

Minority health

First-generation students

Community health partnerships

Projects benefiting Virginia / under-served groups score higher.

❌ What Weakens VCU Internal Grant Applications

Common Pitfall	Why it Fails
Over-ambitious scope	Funding & timing too small
Pure basic science with no next-step plan	Too risky for pilot investment
Missing path to external funds	No return on investment
Weak writing or scattered aims	Hard to evaluate impact
Lack of feasibility or institutional support	Risk of project failure

Specialties

Public Health

Eligibility Requirements

The ARDRAF encourages partnerships between community-based agencies/facilities and academic institutions, especially those that address community needs or promote mutually beneficial participatory research opportunities. In addition, the ARDRAF supports interprofessional healthcare and inter-departmental collaborations.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Virginia Commonwealth University

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 900 E. Leigh Street, 7th Floor Richmond, VA 23298-0229

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