Functional Target Validation for Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is interested in supporting ambitious research projects that propose comprehensive functional validation of newly identified therapeutic target candidates for Alzheimer’s Disease–Related Dementias (ADRD). This initiative aims to de-risk subsequent translational research and accelerate the development of novel therapeutic strategies. Key aspects of this opportunity include: • Development of customized technologies, models, and protocols to modulate the expression or activity of candidate targets and to assess their physiological consequences in relevant in vitro and in vivo disease models. • Phased award mechanism, with the initial phase focused on technical feasibility and proof-of-concept, and the second phase focused on measuring and cross-validating the effects of target modulation across multiple experimental modalities and collaborating laboratories. • Estimated funding of $1,800,000, with an estimated award date of Jun 14, 2027, and an estimated project start date of Jul 01, 2027.