Description

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), intends to publish a Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) to solicit applications that propose to establish a national Open Measurement Coordinating Network for Non-Pharmacological Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and AD-related Dementias (ADRD) Primary Prevention Trials. The Network will serve as a centralized hub for developing, validating, standardizing, and disseminating measures and measurement methods for AD/ADRD primary prevention trials. It will incorporate measures and measurement methods across neuropsychological, biomarker, and functional domains to meet the goal of primary prevention of AD/ADRD centered around brain health equity. Brain health equity is the fair distribution of brain health determinants, outcomes, and resources within and between segments of the population, regardless of social standing. Measures and methods of interest will test outcomes and mechanisms of action in settings customized for individuals with different needs and linked to real-world function.�� Applications must explain how the platform will meet evolving community needs and partner with other NIA-funded programs. Applications must also describe activities that will achieve the following objectives: � � Develop an organizational and governance structure to support the administration, innovation, and dissemination functions of the Network. Propose activities to establish a framework that will facilitate the development of innovative strategies for standardization and use of methods and measures across NIA-supported projects and support activities for the discovery and development of innovative and novel measures and data.� � Disseminate Network resources and products to the broader AD/ADRD research community.� � Ensure that all measures and methods development and validation occurs in a racially, ethnically, geographically, and diagnostically diverse set of participants, including members of NIH-defined Health Disparity Populations. This also includes establishing the acceptability and feasibility of using the proposed instruments in both cognitively normal individuals and persons living with cognitive impairment (PLWCI), including subjective cognitive decline.� � NIA is particularly interested in proposals that advance equity for populations disproportionately impacted by AD/ADRD. For example, Black and Hispanic Americans have a higher prevalence of AD/ADRD compared to non-Hispanic White Americans. Resources, including measurement instruments, methods, algorithms, code, documentation, and normative data will enable other, future measures and methods development projects that support AD/ADRD primary prevention research needs.� � This Notice is being provided to allow potential applicants sufficient time to develop meaningful collaborations and responsive projects.� � The NOFO is expected to be published in early 2024 with an expected application due date in Spring/Summer 2024.�� This NOFO will utilize the U24 activity code.��