Common Mechanisms and Interactions Among Neurodegenerative Diseases (R01) | PAS 17 028

Opportunity Information: Apply for PAS 17 028

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding opportunity titled "Common Mechanisms and Interactions Among Neurodegenerative Diseases (R01)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAS-17-028) is a discretionary grant program that supports health-related research under the R01 mechanism. The central purpose of this opportunity is to push the field beyond studying neurodegenerative diseases in isolation and instead directly investigate whether different neurodegenerative disease processes interact with each other, and if they do, how those interactions may trigger the start of disease, accelerate the buildup of neuropathology, and/or speed the onset and progression of dementia. In practical terms, the FOA is aimed at work that looks at overlapping disease pathways, mixed pathologies, and biological "cross-talk" between conditions that are often treated as separate categories in research and clinical care.

The scientific scope explicitly welcomes both preclinical and clinical research. On the preclinical side, that can include mechanistic studies using cellular systems, animal models, human biospecimens, or other experimental platforms that allow investigators to test causal hypotheses about interactions between proteinopathies, inflammatory or immune processes, vascular contributions, synaptic dysfunction, mitochondrial or lysosomal pathways, and other shared or converging mechanisms. On the clinical side, the FOA is aligned with studies that examine human cohorts, imaging, biomarkers, neuropathology, genetics, and longitudinal outcomes to understand how multiple disease processes may co-occur and jointly shape cognitive decline and dementia trajectories. The emphasis is on understanding interaction and influence, not simply documenting that comorbidity exists.

This opportunity uses the NIH R01 grant mechanism, which is typically suited for hypothesis-driven, multi-year research projects with clearly defined aims, strong preliminary rationale, and a plan for rigorous analysis. The FOA is listed under CFDA numbers 93.853 and 93.866, indicating alignment with NIH programs that support research in aging, neuroscience, and related neurological disorders. While the source data provided does not specify an award ceiling or the number of expected awards, the R01 mechanism generally implies substantial project-level support depending on scope, justification, and NIH institute policies.

Eligibility is broad and intentionally inclusive. Eligible applicants include a wide range of U.S. governmental entities (state, county, city/township, special district governments), public and state-controlled institutions of higher education, private institutions of higher education, independent school districts, public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities, and both federally recognized Native American tribal governments and other Native American tribal organizations. The FOA also allows nonprofit organizations (with or without 501(c)(3) status) and for-profit organizations (other than small businesses), as well as small businesses. In addition, it explicitly highlights other eligible applicants such as 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), faith-based or community-based organizations, regional organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, eligible federal agencies, and non-domestic (non-U.S.) entities/foreign organizations. This breadth signals NIH interest in drawing strong applications from diverse institutional settings, including those serving underrepresented populations and international partners where appropriate.

Key administrative details from the listing include an original closing date of 2018-05-07 and a creation date of 2016-10-21, placing the FOA within a defined historical application window. Overall, the opportunity is best understood as an NIH-driven effort to fund research that clarifies how multiple neurodegenerative disease mechanisms may converge or compound each other, with the long-term goal of improving the understanding of dementia biology and potentially informing future diagnostic, prognostic, and therapeutic strategies that account for mixed and interacting pathologies rather than single-disease models.

• The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Common Mechanisms and Interactions Among Neurodegenerative Diseases (R01)" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.853, 93.866.
• This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-21.
• Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-05-07. (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.

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