2026 Call for Pilot Proposals: Alzheimer’s Resource Center

Resource Center for Alzheimer’s and Dementia Research in Asian and Pacific Americans (RCASIA)

2026 Call for Pilot Proposals

Due date: May 29, 2026 by 11:59 PM EST

Anticipated date of award: October 2026 (pending NIH approval)

Submit inquiries to: RCMAR@ifh.rutgers.edu

Overview and Goals
RCASIA supports research focused on the diagnosis and care of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) conducted by Early Career Investigators. Pilot Project Awards of up to $50,000 each will support collaborative projects conducting innovative research involving older Asian Americans. Projects may include cohort studies, health services research, intervention development, pilot studies, secondary data analyses, and comparative studies. Projects on biological mechanisms/outcomes (e.g., protein biomarkers, cellular/animal models) are ineligible.

Eligibility

• Advanced post-doctoral fellows or junior faculty who are interested in becoming independent
  investigators in AD/ADRD-related research.
• Applicants must have a Primary Mentor at their home institution. This should be a content
  expert who will provide 1:1 support. A Co-Mentor from outside your institution is allowed.
• Investigators who previously or currently receive NIH R01 or equivalent funding are ineligible.
• Scientists from R2 Universities in the NYC/NJ area are strongly encouraged to apply.

Terms of Award

1. Award Structure:The pilot award totals up to $50,000 in direct costs, with $25,000 disbursed at project initiation. Remaining funds are contingent upon satisfactory progress.

2. Appointment Term: The designation as an RCASIA Scientist extends for two years, contingent upon adherence to program requirements.

3. Regulatory Compliance: The Awardee must complete all required regulatory and compliance actions, including Single IRB approval, prior to receiving funds and initiating research activities.

4. Mentorship Engagement: The Awardee shall maintain active engagement with RCASIA faculty mentors, site-specific mentors, and community partners, and will work with the assigned secondary mentor and RCASIA core leadership as appropriate.

5. Progress Reporting: Quarterly progress reports are required, along with annual submission of a CV/NIH Biosketch, publications, and all externally submitted grant applications.

6. Program Participation: The Awardee must participate in monthly RCASIA methodological, didactic, and Pod/Team sessions and attend the annual RCASIA Scientific Retreat.

7. Community Collaboration: The Awardee shall support constructive engagement with community partners and the Community Liaison & Recruitment Core.

8. Scholarly Output: The Awardee must produce at least one manuscript (preprint, submitted, or published) directly resulting from the pilot project.

9. NIH Public Access Compliance: All manuscripts must be submitted to PubMed Central and include the required NIH/NIA acknowledgment language.

10. Grant Development: The Awardee is encouraged to present a draft grant proposal or Specific Aims at an RCASIA Pod meeting for feedback.

11. Project Modifications: Any changes to project leadership or scope require prior written approval from RCASIA and the National Institute on Aging, with written notification to RCASIA PIs Drs. Hu and Schulman-Green.