The Alzheimer’s Association has opened letters of intent for its Zenith Fellows Awards. The scheme backs established investigators who have already made a significant contribution to Alzheimer’s and related dementias research, or to neuroscience that informs it, and who are likely to make a substantial contribution with the work they propose.
Letters of intent close at 5pm US Eastern time (10pm UK time) on 1 December 2026, or 3 December for ISTAART members. Full applications are due on 30 March 2027 (1 April for ISTAART members), and awards will be announced by 15 August 2027.
What it funds
Proposals should tackle fundamental problems in the early detection, causes, disease mechanisms, treatment or prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, through basic biology or clinical investigation. Clinical trials are not considered. The Association says it welcomes ideas that challenge prevailing approaches or would struggle to find a home through traditional funding routes, so this is a place for the project you have been wanting to try.
The awards are paid for by members of the Alzheimer’s Association Zenith Society, each of whom has committed $1 million to the programme.
Up to three awards will be made, each worth up to $450,000 in total (direct and indirect costs) over two to three years, with no more than $250,000 in any one year.
Who can apply
- You must be an Associate Professor or above when you apply, leading major, peer-reviewed, multi-year external grants as principal investigator, with your own independent laboratory and publication record.
- Previous Zenith Fellows cannot apply again.
- State and federal government-appropriated laboratories (except Veterans Administration hospitals) and for-profit organisations cannot be the applicant institution.
- International applicants can apply, but as a US charity the Association cannot fund anyone covered by US sanctions.
This is a senior award, so it won’t be for most early career researchers. If you work in a lab led by someone who fits the bill, it may be worth pointing them towards it.
Budget points for UK applicants
Indirect costs are capped at 10% of the total award, including any subcontracts. That is well below what UK universities usually recover, so talk to your research office before you submit the letter of intent. Awards are paid in US dollars.
How to apply
Read the Zenith RFA for the letter of intent instructions and full eligibility rules, and the conditions of award before you submit. Letters of intent and full applications go through ProposalCentral, and questions can go to grantsapp@alz.org.
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Read the full details and apply
Visit funding web page
(https://www.alz.org/research/for_researchers/grants/types-of-grants/the_zenith_fellows_award_program_-zenith)