Are the informational webinars recorded?
No, webinars are not recorded, but questions can be submitted at any time to: ADRD@nber.org.
Eligibility Questions:
Do applicants need to be faculty members? Do they need to be from educational institutions?
For the READ awards, applicants must be faculty members or research scientists who, under the rules of their institution, are able to serve as principal investigators on NIH grants. The appointing institution, in turn, must be eligible to receive NIH grants, as are US institutions of higher education, hospitals, and other non-profit research organizations. Graduate students may not serve as PIs.
For EC-READ awards, applicants must be faculty members or research scientists (with a PhD, MD or equivalent) at US institutions of higher education, hospitals, or other non-profit research organizations.
Our research group is deciding between applying for a READ vs EC-READ award, do you have guidance?
EC-READ awards are meant to encourage and mentor individual junior investigators who are beginning to study the economics of AD/ADRD. EC-READ awards have a smaller budget than READ awards, which are more suitable for a group of investigators.
Can research be done outside the US?
Research funds cannot be spent outside the US. All personnel receiving salary support must be in the US.
Do I have to attend an informational webinar in order to apply?
No.
Can the same person or research team submit more than one proposal?
Yes.
Can a READ application have multiple Co-Principal Investigators?
Yes.
Can a READ award support two investigators at different institutions?
Yes. This is a common occurrence. There are two ways to proceed, since most awards will be structured as sub-awards: 1) the research team can submit one budget and base the project at one of the investigators’ home institution, which will be the prime grant recipient, and that institution can make a subaward to the other investigator’s institution; or 2) the two researchers could submit separate budgets to NBER, with one from each of their institutions.
Are these awards limited to 1-year projects, or are multi-year projects allowed?
There is a strong preference for one-year projects. Multi-year projects are not encouraged and their funding would be conditional on NIA approval.
Will the NBER be offering this grant program again in the 2025-26 academic year?
Yes, the current plan is to extend a similar call for proposals one year from now.
Are no-cost extensions (NCE) allowed? Do projects really need to be completed by June 2026?
NCEs are strongly discouraged, and priority will be given to funding projects with a credible plan for delivering results and preparing a manuscript for potential publication over the course of a 12-month period.
Research Questions
Is the use of data from the long-term care data cooperative required? Is the use of Medicare data preferred?
There are no requirement for research projects to use particular data sets. Proposals for innovative research that utilizes any dataset with relevant data is welcome.
Are the priority research areas different for the READ and EC-READ awards?
No, they are the same for both awards. In the EC-READ call for proposals, the summary is somewhat shorter than in the READ call. The full list of priorities, drawn from the READ call, can be found here.
What are acceptable outcomes for study? Must the project focus on a health outcome?
Outcomes must relate to economic issues associated with AD/ADRD. This list of priority research areas describes a range of outcomes that are related to ADRD treatment, care, and prevention and that are suitable for study.
Must projects be focused on diagnosed ADRD?
No. Projects may focus on the trajectory of cognitive impairment across the life course, as well as on caregiving for individuals with cognitive impairment severe enough to affect function.
Can projects compare those with and without ADRD?
Yes, when this is relevant for assessing an outcome of interest.
Is there a template for the proposal? Does it need to include an aims page?
No, but proposals must include the content specified in the call. In particular, a list of aims is not required but could be helpful for review and for guiding subsequent research.
Budget Questions
Can indirect costs be requested when applying for the EC-READ award?
EC-READ awards must be directly paid by the NBER - subawards are not possible. Awardees will receive $50K in direct costs; investigators and research assistants must be eligible to be employed by NBER. Expenses other than wages and salaries will be reimbursed by the NBER.
Who do I contact to formulate a budget/How do I start the process of formulating a budget? Do you have a budget template that you prefer?
Please contact ADRD@nber.org for assistance with budgeting.
Will the NBER make sub-awards in connection with READ awards?
Yes, most READ awards will be structured as subawards to one or more institutions. Faculty members who are NBER affiliates would receive support directly through NBER, and the NBER grants team will assist them in budget preparation. NBER affiliates should email adrd@nber.org to begin the budget planning process.
Are there restrictions on what can be budgeted for or reimbursed on READ and EC-READ awards?
READ and EC-READ awards can only cover expenses that are allowed under NIH guidelines. In particular, all investigators and research assistants must carry out their work in the US and be eligible to be employed in the US.