Cure Alzheimer's Fund — Investigator-Initiated Grants

Cure Alzheimer's Fund — Investigator-Initiated

Supports research teams and institutions for Cure Alzheimer's Fund Investigator Initiated in biotechnology, medical technology, and neuroscience.

Cure Alzheimer's Fund is a US-based nonprofit headquartered in Wellesley, Massachusetts, that operates a rolling investigator-initiated grant programme with no fixed annual deadline. Qualified scientists at universities, hospitals, and non-commercial research organisations may submit a letter of inquiry at any time; there is no submission window to wait for. The LOI is one to two pages in length and must describe the applicant's hypothesis, scientific rationale, proposed methodology, and evidence of the researcher's capability to execute the work. Cure Alzheimer's Fund responds to every LOI received. In 2024 alone, the fund awarded 120 new research projects, demonstrating substantial ongoing grant-making activity.

Indirect costs are capped at 15 percent of the direct-cost budget — a significantly lower ceiling than federal grant programmes — and final project reports are due within one year of the award date. Award amounts are not publicly disclosed; the fund does not publish a standard grant size. For-profit companies cannot apply; eligible applicants are academic and non-commercial research institutions. The fund's scientific priorities span foundational Alzheimer's biology, translational research, and drug discovery, with particular interest in the amyloid precursor protein pathway, tau biology, APOE genetics, neuroimmune response, and brain aging. The fund also operates invitation-only research consortia — including Tau, APOE, Blood–Brain Barrier, Microbiome, Neuroimmune, Brain Aging, and Sleep consortia — but consortium membership is separate from the rolling LOI pathway.

Researchers considering an LOI submission should verify that their institution can accept the 15 percent indirect-cost cap before submitting, as this is a non-negotiable programme condition. Funded investigators may also be asked to participate in peer review of other applicants' proposals. The rolling format makes early submission strategically advantageous, as the fund evaluates LOIs on a continuous basis rather than in batched review rounds.