Opportunity Information: Apply for PAR 17 037
The NIH grant opportunity "Clarifying the Relationship between Delirium and Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias (R21/R33)" (Funding Opportunity Number PAR 17-037; CFDA 93.866) supports health research aimed at sorting out how delirium and Alzheimers disease and related dementias (ADRD) are biologically and clinically connected. The central motivation is a two-way problem seen in real-world care: people who already have ADRD appear to be more likely to develop delirium and often have worse outcomes when delirium occurs, while people who experience delirium (even if they did not previously have diagnosed dementia) are more likely to go on to develop mild cognitive impairment or ADRD and may decline cognitively faster than comparable patients who never had delirium. The FOA is designed to move beyond simply documenting that these associations exist and instead push applicants to explain why they happen, including the mechanisms, pathways, and patient factors that create this bidirectional risk.
Projects responsive to the announcement can approach the delirium-ADRD relationship from multiple angles. The FOA highlights studies that investigate whether delirium and ADRD share common underlying pathways, whether the conditions unfold in a sequential way (one setting the stage for the other), and whether the relationship could be causative, contributory, or synergistic. This includes work that examines shared biology such as inflammation, vascular injury, neurotransmitter disruption, network connectivity changes, or other neurodegenerative and systemic processes that might make a brain more vulnerable to acute delirium or accelerate longer-term neurocognitive decline after a delirium episode. The FOA also explicitly encourages mechanistic research on how delirium emerges on the background of aging and neurodegeneration, and it calls out the value of appropriate animal models for teasing apart cause-and-effect and testing hypotheses that are difficult to isolate in human studies.
The announcement also welcomes research that identifies risk factors that influence who develops delirium when they already have ADRD, and who develops subsequent cognitive impairment or ADRD after delirium. That can include clinical risk factors (comorbidities, medications, frailty, sensory impairment), biological markers, genetic factors, perioperative or hospital exposures, and social or environmental contributors. Another major theme is improving how each condition is diagnosed and assessed in the presence of the other, since delirium can be hard to recognize in someone with baseline cognitive impairment, and dementia can be hard to diagnose accurately after a delirium episode. Relatedly, applicants can propose studies that define meaningful phenotypes (subtypes) among patients with both conditions, which could lead to better prediction, more tailored management, and clearer outcomes for clinical trials.
In addition to observational and mechanistic work, the FOA supports testing interventions, including both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic strategies, to prevent delirium, treat it, or reduce its downstream impact in patients with ADRD, as well as strategies aimed at preventing or mitigating longer-term cognitive decline and dementia risk after delirium. In practice, this could include hospital-based or perioperative delirium prevention bundles, targeted medication approaches, sleep and circadian interventions, mobility and rehabilitation protocols, caregiver-mediated strategies, or other care models that reduce delirium burden and improve longer-term cognition and function. Across all these possible project types, the unifying goal is to generate mechanistic insight that improves risk assessment, diagnosis, patient stratification/phenotyping, prevention, and management for both delirium and ADRD.
The mechanism specified is R21/R33, which generally signals a phased approach where early, exploratory work (R21) can transition to a second phase (R33) to expand or further validate findings once pre-specified milestones are met. The FOA is categorized as a discretionary grant in the health area and is administered by the National Institutes of Health. A wide range of organizations are eligible to apply, including federal, state, county, city, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; public housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses; and tribal governments and tribal organizations. The FOA also explicitly lists additional eligible applicant categories such as Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and even non-U.S. entities and regional organizations, reflecting an intent to encourage broad participation.
Key administrative details provided include an original closing date of January 24, 2018, and a creation date of October 27, 2016. The award ceiling and expected number of awards are not specified in the provided listing. Overall, the opportunity is aimed at building a clearer, biologically grounded and clinically actionable understanding of how delirium and ADRD interact, with the expectation that better mechanistic clarity will translate into better detection, prevention, and treatment strategies for patients affected by either or both conditions.Apply for PAR 17 037
- The National Institutes of Health in the health sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Clarifying the Relationship between Delirium and Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias (R21/R33)" and is now available to receive applicants.
- Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 93.866.
- This funding opportunity was created on 2016-10-27.
- Applicants must submit their applications by 2018-01-24. (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.
[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal:
FAQs: Clarifying the Relationship between Delirium and Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias (R21/R33)
What is the name of this NIH funding opportunity?
The opportunity is titled "Clarifying the Relationship between Delirium and Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias (R21/R33)."
What is the Funding Opportunity Number (FOA number)?
The Funding Opportunity Number is PAR 17-037.
What is the CFDA number listed for this opportunity?
The CFDA number provided is 93.866.
What is the overall purpose of this FOA?
This FOA supports health research aimed at clarifying how delirium and Alzheimers disease and related dementias (ADRD) are connected biologically and clinically. The goal is to move beyond documenting that a relationship exists and instead explain why it happens, including mechanisms, pathways, and patient factors that contribute to the bidirectional risk.
What real-world clinical problem is motivating this research?
The FOA is motivated by a two-way pattern seen in clinical care: (1) people with ADRD appear more likely to develop delirium and may have worse outcomes when delirium occurs, and (2) people who experience delirium, even without prior diagnosed dementia, are more likely to develop mild cognitive impairment or ADRD later and may decline faster than similar patients who never had delirium.
What does "bidirectional risk" mean in this context?
It refers to risk operating in both directions: ADRD increasing vulnerability to delirium and delirium increasing the likelihood of later cognitive impairment or ADRD and/or accelerating cognitive decline.
What types of scientific questions are considered responsive to this FOA?
Responsive projects include studies that investigate whether delirium and ADRD share common pathways, whether they occur sequentially (one setting the stage for the other), and whether the relationship is causative, contributory, or synergistic.
Does the FOA emphasize mechanism over association?
Yes. A central emphasis is on explaining why delirium and ADRD are linked by identifying mechanisms, pathways, and patient factors, rather than only showing that the conditions are associated.
What biological mechanisms or pathways are specifically mentioned as examples?
The FOA highlights potential shared biology such as inflammation, vascular injury, neurotransmitter disruption, and changes in network connectivity, as well as other neurodegenerative and systemic processes that could increase delirium vulnerability or accelerate longer-term neurocognitive decline after delirium.
Can projects focus on delirium occurring in the setting of aging and neurodegeneration?
Yes. The FOA explicitly encourages mechanistic research on how delirium emerges on the background of aging and neurodegeneration.
Are animal models allowed or encouraged?
Yes. The FOA calls out the value of appropriate animal models for clarifying cause-and-effect and testing hypotheses that are difficult to isolate in human studies.
What kinds of risk factors does the FOA encourage applicants to study?
The FOA welcomes research identifying risk factors that influence (1) who develops delirium when they already have ADRD and (2) who develops later cognitive impairment or ADRD after delirium. Examples mentioned include comorbidities, medications, frailty, sensory impairment, biological markers, genetic factors, perioperative or hospital exposures, and social or environmental contributors.
Does the FOA address diagnostic challenges when delirium and ADRD overlap?
Yes. A major theme is improving how each condition is diagnosed and assessed in the presence of the other, since delirium can be hard to recognize in someone with baseline cognitive impairment, and dementia can be difficult to diagnose accurately after a delirium episode.
Are studies on phenotypes or subtypes of patients with delirium and ADRD included?
Yes. The FOA supports studies that define meaningful phenotypes (subtypes) among patients with both conditions, with the intent of improving prediction, tailoring management, and clarifying outcomes for clinical trials.
Does this opportunity support intervention research?
Yes. In addition to observational and mechanistic work, the FOA supports testing interventions to prevent delirium, treat delirium, or reduce downstream impacts in patients with ADRD, and strategies to prevent or mitigate longer-term cognitive decline and dementia risk after delirium.
What kinds of interventions are mentioned as examples?
Examples include hospital-based or perioperative delirium prevention bundles, targeted medication approaches, sleep and circadian interventions, mobility and rehabilitation protocols, caregiver-mediated strategies, and other care models that reduce delirium burden and improve longer-term cognition and function.
What is the unifying goal across the different possible project types?
The unifying goal is to generate mechanistic insight that improves risk assessment, diagnosis, patient stratification/phenotyping, prevention, and management for both delirium and ADRD.
What grant mechanism is used for this FOA?
The mechanism is R21/R33.
What does the R21/R33 mechanism imply about project structure?
It generally indicates a phased approach where early exploratory work in the R21 phase can transition to a second phase (R33) to expand or validate findings, once pre-specified milestones are met.
Which federal agency administers this grant opportunity?
The opportunity is administered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
What general field or area does this opportunity fall under?
It is described as a discretionary grant in the health area.
Who is eligible to apply?
The FOA lists a wide range of eligible applicants, including federal, state, county, city, and special district governments; public and private institutions of higher education; independent school districts; public housing authorities; nonprofit organizations with or without 501(c)(3) status; for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) and small businesses; and tribal governments and tribal organizations. It also explicitly includes categories such as HBCUs, Hispanic-serving Institutions, Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions, Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institutions, faith-based or community-based organizations, U.S. territories or possessions, and non-U.S. entities and regional organizations.
Are non-U.S. entities eligible based on the provided information?
Yes. The FOA explicitly lists non-U.S. entities and regional organizations among eligible applicant categories.
Are for-profit organizations eligible to apply?
Yes. The listing includes for-profit organizations (other than small businesses) as well as small businesses.
Does the listing specify an award ceiling?
No. The award ceiling is not specified in the provided information.
Does the listing specify the expected number of awards?
No. The expected number of awards is not specified in the provided information.
What are the key dates provided in the listing?
The listing provides a creation date of October 27, 2016, and an original closing date of January 24, 2018.
Is the goal limited to delirium prevention, or does it include longer-term dementia outcomes too?
It includes both. The FOA supports work on preventing/treating delirium and reducing its downstream impact in patients with ADRD, as well as approaches aimed at preventing or mitigating longer-term cognitive decline and dementia risk after delirium.
Does the FOA encourage studies that distinguish whether delirium causes later decline versus revealing underlying disease?
Yes. The FOA highlights the need to examine whether the relationship is causative, contributory, or synergistic, and it encourages mechanistic approaches that can help clarify cause-and-effect.
Browse more opportunities from the same category: Health
Next opportunity: Exploratory/Developmental Investigations on Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases (R21)
Previous opportunity: Improving Individual and Family Outcomes through Continuity and Coordination of Care in Hospice (R01)
Applicant Portal:
Are you interested in learning about about how to apply for this government funding opportunity? You can create a free applicant account and receive instant access to our applicant portal that many business owners like you have benefited from.
Apply for PAR 17 037
Applicants also applied for:
Applicants who have applied for this opportunity (PAR 17 037) also looked into and applied for these:
| Funding Opportunity |
|---|
| Research Education: Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) Program (R25) Apply for PAR 17 040 Funding Number: PAR 17 040 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Focused Technology Research and Development (R01) Apply for PAR 17 045 Funding Number: PAR 17 045 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Exploratory Research for Technology Development (R21) Apply for PAR 17 046 Funding Number: PAR 17 046 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $200,000 |
| Technical Assistance to Support AIDS Directors and HIV Prevention Program Managers in the 50 States, District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands, and the Pacific Islands Apply for CDC RFA PS14 140504CONT17 Funding Number: CDC RFA PS14 140504CONT17 Agency: Centers for Disease Control - NCHHSTP Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Selective Cell and Network Vulnerability in Aging and Alzheimers Disease (R01) Apply for PAR 17 047 Funding Number: PAR 17 047 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Interdisciplinary Research to Understand the Complex Biology of Resilience to Alzheimers Disease Risk (R01) Apply for RFA AG 17 061 Funding Number: RFA AG 17 061 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| USAID Child Blindness Program (CBP) Apply for PGRD 16 0004 Funding Number: PGRD 16 0004 Agency: Agency for International Development Category: Health Funding Amount: $250,000 |
| Research Career Enhancement Award to Advance Therapy Development for Alzheimer's (K18) Apply for PAR 17 052 Funding Number: PAR 17 052 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Postbaccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP) (R25) Apply for PAR 17 051 Funding Number: PAR 17 051 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $400,000 |
| Knowledge Management Center for Illuminating the Druggable Genome (U24) Apply for RFA RM 16 024 Funding Number: RFA RM 16 024 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Research Education: Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) Program (R25) Apply for PAR 17 053 Funding Number: PAR 17 053 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Resource Dissemination and Outreach Center for Illuminating the Druggable Genome (U24) Apply for RFA RM 16 025 Funding Number: RFA RM 16 025 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Partnerships for the Development of Tools to Advance Therapeutic Discovery for Select Antimicrobial-Resistant Gram-Negative Bacteria (R01) Apply for RFA AI 16 081 Funding Number: RFA AI 16 081 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $1,050,000 |
| Leveraging Existing Cohort Studies to Clarify Risk and Protective Factors for Alzheimers Disease and Related Dementias (R01) Apply for PAR 17 054 Funding Number: PAR 17 054 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Enhancing the Target and Biomarker Discovery Efforts of the AMP-AD and M2OVE-AD Consortia (R01) Apply for RFA AG 17 054 Funding Number: RFA AG 17 054 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $750,000 |
| Global Infectious Disease Research Training Program (D43) Apply for PAR 17 057 Funding Number: PAR 17 057 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Investigator Initiated Extended Clinical Trial (R01) Apply for PAR 17 056 Funding Number: PAR 17 056 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Planning Grant for Global Infectious Disease Research Training Program (D71) Apply for PAR 17 058 Funding Number: PAR 17 058 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: $46,000 |
| Pragmatic Trials for Dementia Care in Long-term Services and Support (LTSS) Settings (R01) Apply for RFA AG 17 064 Funding Number: RFA AG 17 064 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
| Pragmatic Trials for Dementia Care in Long-term Services and Support (LTSS) Settings (R21/R33) Apply for RFA AG 17 065 Funding Number: RFA AG 17 065 Agency: National Institutes of Health Category: Health Funding Amount: Case Dependent |
Grant application guides and resources
It is always free to apply for government grants. However the process may be very complex depending on the funding opportunity you are applying for. Let us help you!
Apply for Grants
Inside Our Applicants Portal
Access Applicants Portal
- Grants Repository - Access current and historic funding opportunities with ease. Thousands of funding opportunities are published every week. We can help you sort through the database and find the eligible ones to apply for.
- Applicant Video Guides - The grant application process can be challenging to follow. We can help you with intuitive video guides to speed up the process and eliminate errors in submissions.
- Grant Proposal Wizard - We have developed a network of private funding organizations and investors across the United States. We can reach out and submit your proposal to these contacts to maximize your chances of getting the funding you need.
Premium leads for funding administrators, grant writers, and loan issuers
Thousands of people visit our website for their funding needs every day. When a user creates a grant proposal and files for submission, we pass the information on to funding administrators, grant writers, and government loan issuers.
If you manage government grant programs, provide grant writing services, or issue personal or government loans, we can help you reach your audience.
Learn More
Request more information:
Would you like to learn more about this funding opportunity, similar opportunities to "PAR 17 037", eligibility, application service, and/or application tips? Submit an inquiry below:
Don't forget to subscribe to our grant alerts mailing list to receive weekly alerts on new and updated grant funding opportunities like this one in your email.