Applications Due July 23, 2025 by 11:59pm CST
(Anticipated funding to begin in the winter of 2025)
Available as a PDF here.

The Texas Alzheimer’s Research and Care Consortium (TARCC) is a collaborative research effort funded by the State of Texas as part of the Darrell K Royal Texas Alzheimer’s Initiative. TARCC is committed to excellence in Research and Care for Texans in an attempt to identify risk factors, diagnostic and prognostic indicators, and eventually, find a cure for Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and related disorders in our lifetime, and to expand the strategies aimed at combatting the epidemic of AD and related neurodegenerative disorders.

TARCC is pleased to announce its 2025 Request for Applications (RFA) to support an innovative, translational based research structure across the state of Texas, and to ensure that a diverse pool of well-trained basic and translational researchers, and clinician-scientists are available in Texas to aid in the fight against Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.

This RFA is open to applications from scientists at TARCC member institutions:

  • Baylor College of Medicine
  • Texas A&M University Health Science Center
  • Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
  • University of North Texas Health Science Center
  • UT Health Science Center–San Antonio
  • UT-Austin Dell Medical School
  • UT Southwestern Medical Center
  • UT Health Science Center–Houston
  • UT Medical Branch at Galveston
  • UT Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine.
  • UT Health Science Center at Tyler

Funding Priorities

TARCC is interested in novel, innovative, and cutting-edge approaches to the study of Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders, including clinical and basic science proposals. The 2025 TARCC grant program is particularly interested in applications from junior investigators and projects that reflect cutting-edge science that will provide pilot data for larger proposals. Current areas of interest include:

  • Developmental, pilot, and high-risk/high-reward projects related to Alzheimer’s and related conditions
  • Proposals that utilize the TARCC database and/or biosamples
  • Individual fellowship training proposals to prepare culturally competent clinical researchers
  • Collaborative proposals that include more than one TARCC member institution
  • Social determinants of health, health disparities, health behaviors, and/or environmental factors influence the development, diagnosis, and/or progression of neurodegenerative conditions
  • Basic science and non-human animal studies relevant to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders
  • Advances in therapeutic interventions for prevention and treatment
  • Advances in early detection and assessment of cognitive decline and disease progression
  • Multidimensional diagnostic/statistical prediction models
  • Dementia caregiving
  • Use of technology in dementia assessment, monitoring, and caregiving
  • Applications from researchers from diverse cultural and scientific backgrounds are encouraged
  • Note: Proposals to analyze data from existing dementia-related datasets will be considered

Please note that any investigator funded by TARCC may be required to share data and samples with the centrally managed TARCC Cores, as appropriate.

Funding Mechanisms

No awards will be made until such time as the Texas Legislature provides appropriated funds. There is no guarantee that
any awards will be made.

Investigator Initiated Research Grant – up to $200,000 (direct costs*) per year for 1-2 years

Collaborative Research Grant – up to $150,000 (direct costs*) per year, per Member Institution, for 1-2 years

Junior Investigator Research Grant – up to $150,000 (direct costs*) per year for 1-2 years
*FTE is capped at 50% for PI of Junior Investigator project

Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant – up to $100,000 (direct costs*) per year for 1-2 years

*Indirect funds are capped at 10% of Modified Total Direct Costs.

*FTE is capped at 25% for PI, Co-PIs, and Co-Investigators

*Requests for funding in excess of these amounts per year should seek pre-approval from TARCC by submitting a request to [email protected].

Eligibility

For all Funding Mechanisms, the principal investigator (PI) must hold an eligible position within a TARCC member institution (see eligibility requirements below). Each TARCC member institution’s policies will govern what kind of position is qualified to apply for and hold a grant at any particular TARCC member institution. PIs can possess advanced degrees in any field as long as the topic of the application is relevant to neurodegeneration. The PI must demonstrate a track record of academic productivity appropriate for their proposed research goals.

Proposals may include investigators at and funding to non-TARCC institutions or organizations, but the prime award must be issued to the TARCC member institution. In addition, the primary responsibility for oversight of the project (intellectual content, methodology, interpretation and dissemination of results, etc.) must reside with the TARCC member institution, regardless of the participation of other collaborating institutions or how the budget is divided.

For an Investigator Initiated Research Grant, principal investigators can be at any stage of their career but must hold a faculty position at any of the TARCC member institutions.

For a Collaborative Research Grant, principal investigators can be at any stage of their career (holding a faculty position at any of the TARCC member institutions). This application must include more than one TARCC member institution. One TARCC member institution should submit the application as the lead institution and include the other TARCC member institution(s) as a subcontract(s).

For a Junior Investigator Research Grant, principal investigators must be at the Instructor, Assistant or Associate Professor level and within 10 years of completion of their terminal degree (e.g. PhD, MD, etc.). Applicants at the Instructor level must supply a letter of support from their Department Chair expressing an intent to develop the applicant’s continued faculty career at the TARCC member institution.

For the Postdoctoral Fellowship Training Grant, the fellows appointed under this program must have an MD, PhD, PsyD, DO, PharmD, or other doctoral degree in a clinical field related to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. This training program is designed to support an individual fellow’s clinical training in a field related to AD and other neurodegenerative disorders. A clinical research project may also be proposed in the application but is not required. Applications from basic scientists are welcome but they should include a clinical component. Postdoctoral Fellows must have received their terminal advanced degree within the past five years at the time of their appointment, and have not previously received substantial, independent funding in dementia care or research. Duplication of prior training of the Postdoctoral Fellow will not be supported. This program is not restricted to American citizens. A detailed statement of mentorship from the mentor (s) is required for all postdoctoral fellowship applications.

Application Submission Guidelines

Applications will be submitted through ProposalCentral. The application will be limited to 5 pages, to include the following sections:

Research Grants – Specific aims, research strategy, environment and resources, human and/or animal protections, data management and sharing plans, and specific deliverables and timelines.

Fellowship Grants – Clinical training plan, research training plan, career development plan, and descriptions of primary program training faculty and environment.

Additional required materials to be uploaded (but are not included in the 5-page limit) are: bibliography, detailed budget justification, institutionally approved subcontracting documents as applicable (budget, budget justification, scope of work, and letter of commitment signed by the Authorized Organization Representative – for each subcontracting institution), and NIH-style biosketches (limit 5 pages each).

Other requirements, such as the abstract and overall budget, will be found as text fields, drop-downs, or forms within the ProposalCentral application. Also, within the ProposalCentral application under “download templates and instructions,” you will find the most recent NIH biosketch template and a budget template to be used for subcontracting sites.

TARCC will provide support for approved projects requiring 1-2 years of funding as specified in the Funding Mechanisms listed above, pending achievement of milestones. TARCC reserves the right to allocate funds as deemed appropriate based on the quantity and quality of the applicant pool, and the results of the external scientific review. Research and Fellowship awardees should budget for and will be expected to present their TARCC-funded research at an annual TARCC conference in Austin Texas. Please remember to budget approximately $1,000 per year for this travel.

Inquiries and questions about the application and award process can be addressed to [email protected].

Inquiries and questions from investigators at TARCC member institutions about funding priorities or specific projects can be directed to Elida Godbey at: [email protected]

Grant Proposal Requirements and General Instructions

1.1.1 Proposer should carefully read the information contained herein and submit a complete proposal in response to all requirements and questions as directed.

1.1.2 Proposals and any other information submitted by Proposer in response to this RFA will become the property of TARCC.

1.1.3 TARCC will not provide compensation to Grant Proposer for any expenses incurred by Proposer for proposal preparation or for demonstrations or oral presentations that may be made by Proposer, unless otherwise expressly agreed in writing. Proposer submits its proposal at its own risk and expense.

1.1.4 TARCC makes no warranty or guarantee that any award will be made as a result of this RFA. TARCC reserves the right to accept or reject any or all grant proposals, waive any formalities, procedural requirements, or minor technical inconsistencies, or delete any requirement or specification from this RFA when deemed to be in TARCCs best interest. TARCC reserves the right to seek clarification from any Grant proposer concerning any item contained in its proposal prior to final selection. Such clarification may be provided by telephone conference, video, email, or personal meeting with or writing to TARCC, at TARCC’s sole discretion. Representations made by Grant proposer within its proposal will be binding on proposer.

1.1.5 Any proposal that fails to comply with the requirements contained in this RFA may be rejected by TARCC, in TARCC’s sole discretion.

ProposalCentral Instructions

To submit proposals please go to www.proposalcentral.com and follow these steps:

  • Create an account
  • Create new proposal
  • In the search bar type "Texas"
  • Then select the specific RFA proposal of your choosing that is listed in the TARCC RFA.