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The Alzheimer’s Association funds research through its International Research Grant Program (IRGP). The program is open to investigators at every professional stage, in the United States and abroad, and the details that matter most to a research office are the letter-of-intent gate, the reviewer-registration requirement and a 10% indirect-cost ceiling. The details below are as described on the Association’s official grant pages on 2026-10-29; programs and cycles change, so confirm current details at alz.org before you plan a submission.
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Suggested question: “How do I apply for an Alzheimer’s Association research grant?”
What the Alzheimer’s Association grant program is and who runs it
The Association’s research grants sit under one umbrella, the International Research Grant Program. According to its grants page, the program funds research on Alzheimer’s disease, new treatments, dementia care, and brain health and prevention. An IRGP Council helps write requests for applications and provides expertise in review. The “about our grants” page describes more than $450 million invested in over 1,200 active projects in 59 countries, with awards that always include categories designed for early-career scientists.
The Association is a voluntary health organization, so its grants follow charity-funder rules rather than federal ones. For how that differs from federal and foundation funding, see disease charity research funding and private foundation research funding.
Eligibility
As described on the official grants page on 2026-10-29, investigators at every professional stage may apply, and the program is open to U.S. and international researchers. The process page adds that researchers from low and middle income countries are encouraged to apply. Eligibility beyond that is set program by program in each announcement, so read the specific program listing before assuming you qualify. Some programs are regional (one is restricted to Texas institutions, another to Kentucky) and one is aimed at early-career investigators within seven years of NIH Early Stage Investigator designation.
What it funds and the program types
The types-of-grants page lists several program families. The table groups them by how an applicant gets in, which is the practical question for a research office.
| Program (abbreviation) | Focus as described | How entry works |
|---|---|---|
| Part the Cloud Translational Phase 1 and 2 Clinical Studies (PTC) | Early-stage human trials of new or repurposed Alzheimer’s medications | Letter of intent, then full application |
| Part the Cloud Combination Therapies (PTC-CTP) | Combination trials using at least two drug approaches | Letter of intent, then full application |
| PTC-EM-AI | AI/ML-discovered therapeutics, lead optimization and IND-enabling work | Letter of intent, then full application |
| BRING IT | Texas institutions; one-year seed grants of up to $100,000 | Letter of intent |
| SPARK | Early-career investigators at eligible Kentucky organizations | Letter of intent, then application |
| ZENITH | Established investigators with significant Alzheimer’s contributions | Letter of intent, then application |
| BFDN | Early-career researchers within seven years of NIH Early Stage Investigator designation; funds salary and other direct costs | Letter of intent, then invited application |
| LSSTF | Helps NIH cooperative-award initiatives move to their next stage | Pre-submission query, then invited full application |
| ALZ-RWD | Real-world data platforms | Pre-submission inquiry |
| ALZ WW-FNFP | Members of the World Wide FINGERS Network | Pre-submission inquiry |
| IGPCC | Conferences and convenings led by ISTAART Professional Interest Areas | Rolling review |
A dollar amount is listed only for BRING IT, so budget ceilings for the other programs come from each program announcement.
Application and compliance steps
- Register on proposalCENTRAL. Step 1 on the “how to apply” page is submitting the letter of intent and application through proposalCENTRAL. First-time users must register and complete a Professional Profile.
- Get an approved letter of intent. An application is not accepted without an approved LOI submitted within that grant cycle and program. A single PI submits both. No hard copies are accepted, and the page states LOIs are not accepted after the deadline, with no exceptions.
- Register as an Association reviewer. Applicants must be registered as reviewers with the Association and are required to at least one proposal within their area of expertise outside their own competition.
- Budget within the indirect-cost cap. Grants are restricted to no more than a 10% indirect rate unless the specific program announcement says otherwise. Some programs allow no indirect costs. Strategic projects allow none unless the Association states otherwise, and then the rate is capped at 10%.
The 10% ceiling is far below the negotiated rates many universities hold with their cognizant federal agency, so the difference becomes an unrecovered cost for the institution. Your office should decide how to treat that shortfall before the LOI goes in. For definitions, see indirect cost recovery and indirect costs and overheads.
Typical timeline phases
The Association sets deadlines per cycle, and they change between cycles, so plan around phases rather than fixed dates:
- Letter of intent submitted and approved.
- Full application submitted through proposalCENTRAL.
- Online peer review by a minimum of three peer scientists per application. Applicants may recommend or exclude reviewers; conflicts include having trained with the reviewer or having published with the reviewer in the last four years.
- Further review and funding recommendations by the IRGP Council.
- Recommendations go to the Alzheimer’s Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Group, then to the Association for final approval.
- Applicants are notified of awards by email.
Common mistakes
- Preparing a full application without an approved LOI in the same cycle and program.
- Missing the LOI deadline, which the Association states has no exceptions.
- Forgetting to register as a reviewer, a requirement for applicants.
- Budgeting at the institution’s negotiated indirect rate instead of the program’s cap.
- Assuming every program is open to all applicants: several are regional, career-stage-specific or invitation-driven.
Related programs and guides
| Guide | How it relates |
|---|---|
| Disease charity research funding | The charity-funder model the Alzheimer’s Association follows |
| Private foundation research funding | Foundation funding compared with charity funding |
| What is neuroscience | The research field behind much of the program |
| What is gerontology | The study of aging, relevant to dementia care research |
FAQ
How do I apply for an Alzheimer’s Association research grant?
Register on proposalCENTRAL, submit a letter of intent for the program you are targeting, and submit the full application only once the LOI is approved in that cycle. Two programs listed on the official page start with a pre-submission inquiry instead.
Does the Alzheimer’s Association pay indirect costs?
Grants are restricted to no more than a 10% indirect rate unless a program announcement says otherwise. Some programs allow none.
Can international researchers apply?
Yes. The grants page says the program is open to U.S. and international researchers, and the process page encourages researchers from low and middle income countries to apply.
Who reviews the applications?
At least three peer scientists review online, then the IRGP Council reviews and recommends funding, and the Medical and Scientific Advisory Group and the Association give final approval.
Sources
- Alzheimer’s Association, Research grants, checked 2026-10-29.
- Alzheimer’s Association, About our grants, checked 2026-10-29.
- Alzheimer’s Association, Types of grants, checked 2026-10-29.
- Alzheimer’s Association, How to apply and process timeline, checked 2026-10-29.
