National Institute on Aging logo
Funder · Federal agency

National Institute on Aging

Funds aging and dementia research through the National Institute on Aging, including investigator support, company routes, and aging-care programs.

United Stateswww.nia.nih.gov
Key stats
Annual funding$4.529B
Programs5
Active grants6
Total grants6
About

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is the NIH component that leads federal aging research. It is the second-largest NIH institute by budget, with an FY2026 enacted budget of about $4.53 billion, and its Division of Neuroscience holds most of the Alzheimer's disease and related dementias funding.

NIA backs basic science, translational work, and clinical studies across aging biology, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, behavioral and social science, and geriatric clinical gerontology. Its routes include SBIR and STTR programs that support aging-focused companies, the AD/ADRD R01 and R21 lines, the Alzheimer's Drug-Development Program, Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers, and a small-business portfolio that provides about $150 million per year to aging-focused companies.

Applicants tend to do best when the proposal speaks directly to aging biology, dementia, or geriatric care and can show a clean path from discovery to translation or deployment. NIA's grant pages also point applicants to research divisions, funding policies and paylines, training, data sharing, and clinical-trial guidance, so it functions as a structured home for both academic and company-facing aging work.

Programs & grants under this funder
Research on Current Topics in AD/ADRD

Funds independent Alzheimer and dementia studies led by investigators across biological and clinical approaches.

1 grant
NIA AD/ADRD R01 Research Grant
Open
— pool·489 days
Research on Current Topics in AD/ADRD

Supports high-impact exploratory Alzheimer and dementia research through fast-turnaround innovative grant projects.

1 grant
NIA AD/ADRD R21 Exploratory Research Grant
Open
— pool·500 days
Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs)

Funds core centre grants for major United States institutions coordinating dementia and Alzheimer science.

Alzheimer's Drug-Development Program (ADDP)

Funds preclinical and clinical drug development for Alzheimer disease through cooperative pathways.

1 grant
NIA Alzheimer's Drug-Development Program
Open
— pool·489 days
NIA Small Business Programs (SBIR & STTR)

Supports small United States businesses developing aging and dementia-related technologies through staged innovation funding.

3 grants
NIA SBIR Phase I
Open
$146.0M pool·62 days
NIA SBIR Phase II
Open
$146.0M pool·62 days
NIA STTR Phase I
Open
$146.0M pool·62 days
Parent entityNational Institutes of Health
Last verified: 29 May 2026Source: www.nia.nih.gov