Alzheimer's disease — NIH Funding Overview
Reviewed by Dr. Meng ZhaoLast reviewed June 9, 2026Data refreshed September 5, 2026Editorial standards
Alzheimer's disease research receives sustained NIH investment driven primarily by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and supplemented by NINDS and NIMH. Funding spans biomarker discovery, disease-modifying therapeutics, neuroimaging, and clinical trial infrastructure such as the Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRC) network.
Funding snapshot
Award data on this page reflects a snapshot of NIH RePORTER records last refreshed on September 5, 2026. For live numbers, use the interactive trends view.
Why this matters now
Alzheimer's remains the most common cause of dementia, and federal investment has accelerated since the National Plan to Address Alzheimer's Disease set explicit funding goals. The NIH Alzheimer's budget is reported separately to Congress, which both stabilizes long-range planning and concentrates competition for category-specific awards.
How NIH funds this area
Most Alzheimer's awards flow through R01, P30 (ADRCs), R21, K01/K99, and U01/U19 mechanisms. The page below shows yearly award counts and totals from NIH RePORTER, with the most recent example grants and top funded labs. Numbers reflect awards across all NIH institutes, not only NIA.
How to use this funding brief
Use this page to decide whether your project belongs in a disease-specific Alzheimer’s portfolio, a broader aging program, or a center-based environment. Compare the institute and mechanism mix, then search P30 awards when institutional ADRC infrastructure matters to the work.
Official source: National Institute on Aging: Alzheimer’s research
Search tactics
- Search "Alzheimer disease" or specific subtopics like "tau", "amyloid", "ApoE", "preclinical AD" for narrower views.
- For caregiver, behavioral, or systems-of-care research, try "dementia caregiving" or "ADRD" alongside "Alzheimer".
- P30 mechanism searches surface ADRC core grants — useful for identifying institutional centers of expertise.
What the data shows
- Funding peaked in FY2025 at $3.8B. The FY2025 total of $3.8B is +12% versus FY2021.
- The number of awards fell about 9% in FY2025 even as total dollars grew — funding is concentrating in fewer, larger awards.
- About 86% of FY2026 dollars so far are non-Type-1 award actions, including competing renewals, supplements, non-competing continuations, and institutional changes. This is a descriptive record mix, not a measure of renewal activity alone.
- The average FY2025 award was $852K, and R01 was the most common mechanism in the recent window.
Editorial read
Alzheimer’s and related-dementias funding has settled onto a high plateau: totals grew from roughly $3.4B in FY2021 to $3.8B in FY2025, a 12% rise that actually trails several smaller fields we track. The average award is among the largest of any tracked area — a signature of the ADRC center network and large cooperative cohorts rather than unusually large R01s. The practical read for new investigators: the money is substantial but concentrated, and a center affiliation often matters as much as the score.
Yearly NIH Awards for Alzheimer's disease
Counts and total funding per fiscal year from NIH RePORTER. Recent fiscal years may understate final totals because of reporting lag.
| Fiscal Year | Project Count | Total Funding | Avg Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | 4,811 | $3,434,864,579 | $713,961 |
| FY2022 | 5,106 | $3,715,510,795 | $727,675 |
| FY2023 | 4,885 | $3,790,053,017 | $775,855 |
| FY2024 | 4,972 | $3,754,929,873 | $755,215 |
| FY2025 | 4,505 | $3,839,620,124 | $852,302 |
| FY2026 | 3,146 | $2,396,487,086 | $761,757 |
Open the full interactive trends view for Alzheimer's disease →
Top NIH Institutes (last 90 days)
Which NIH institutes funded the most Alzheimer's projects in the most recent 90-day window.
| Institute | Awards (90d) | Funding (90d) |
|---|---|---|
| NIH | 492 | $458,622,634 |
| VA | 8 | $0 |
Common Activity Codes (last 90 days)
Which grant mechanisms (R01, R21, U01, P30, etc.) appeared most often for Alzheimer's in the recent period.
Most Active Institutions (last 90 days)
Universities and research organizations with the most Alzheimer's awards in the most recent 90-day window.
- WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY — 19 awards
- UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO — 17 awards
- MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL HOSPITAL — 17 awards
- JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY — 12 awards
- UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI SCHOOL OF MEDICINE — 12 awards
- UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO DENVER — 11 awards
- COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES — 11 awards
- UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA — 10 awards
Recently Awarded Alzheimer's disease Grants
Twelve most recent awards mentioning Alzheimer's, drawn from NIH RePORTER. Click through to Find PIs for the full investigator search.
The Role of Chemical Exposures in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and its Trajectory
3U01AG088562-03S3Rima Kaddurah-Daouk · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON, TX · $27,000 · awarded Aug 28, 2026 · U01ABSTRACT It has become increasingly clear that environmental exposures, the genome, gut microbiome, diet, and lifestyle all affect an individual’s metabolic state contributing to brain health and disease, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementia (ADRDs). Our AD Metabolomics Consortium (ADMC), in collaboration with the AD Neuroimaging…
Metabolic Mechanisms of Recovery in Mild TBI
7R01NS135406-03BONNIE FIRESTEIN · UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY, KY · $572,518 · awarded Aug 28, 2026 · R01Project Summary The occurrence of concussion, or mild TBI, has been steadily increasing in incidence over the past decade. One possible consequence of concussion - post-concussion syndrome - can persist for weeks to months and result in life dissatisfaction for the patient and economic burden for society. With the development of new rodent models for mild…
Repurposing Siponimod for Alzheimer's Disease
5R01AG073212-04MARWAN SABBAGH · ST. JOSEPH'S HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL CENTER, AZ · $684,437 · awarded Aug 28, 2026 · R01SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Repurposing Siponimod for Alzheimer’s Disease Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disorder with several complex neuropathologies suspected to develop sequentially but that overlap over time as symptoms progress to dementia. Thus, to be effective, future intervention strategies will likely require combination therapies or…
Genetic Differences in the Causal Effect of Education Quantity and Quality on Cognitive Functioning and Dementia Diagnosis Later in Life
3R01AG078522-05S1Silvia Barcellos · UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, CA · $42,644 · awarded Aug 28, 2026 · R01Gains in life expectancy and population aging are driving a sharp rise in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD). In this context, it is crucial to understand what factors can modify ADRD risk and cognitive decline in older ages. Education has been identified as one potential modifier, as higher education is robustly associated with lower ADRD…
The Role of Chemical Exposures in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and its Trajectory
3U01AG088562-03S1Rima Kaddurah-Daouk · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON, TX · $81,000 · awarded Aug 27, 2026 · U01ABSTRACT It has become increasingly clear that environmental exposures, the genome, gut microbiome, diet, and lifestyle all affect an individual’s metabolic state contributing to brain health and disease, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementia (ADRDs). Our AD Metabolomics Consortium (ADMC), in collaboration with the AD Neuroimaging…
The Role of Chemical Exposures in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and its Trajectory
3U01AG088562-03S2Rima Kaddurah-Daouk · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON, TX · $81,000 · awarded Aug 27, 2026 · U01ABSTRACT It has become increasingly clear that environmental exposures, the genome, gut microbiome, diet, and lifestyle all affect an individual’s metabolic state contributing to brain health and disease, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD-related dementia (ADRDs). Our AD Metabolomics Consortium (ADMC), in collaboration with the AD Neuroimaging…
Improving Neurological Health with Acetylcholine via Neuroplasticity-based Computerized Exercise in Mild Cognitive Impairment (INHANCE-MCI)
5R44AG094520-02Mouna Attarha · POSIT SCIENCE CORPORATION, CA · $506,971 · awarded Aug 27, 2026 · R44Acetylcholine plays a key role in regulating synaptic plasticity and mediating crucial aspects of cognitive function. Unfortunately, binding levels of acetylcholine decline by an estimated 2.5% per decade throughout the lifespan, with sharper decreases observed in individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Computerized brain training may enhance…
Unveiling the Mechanistic Role of Macrophages and Therapeutic Targeting in Lung Fibrosis
1R01HL183230-01A1Gang Liu · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM, AL · $740,400 · awarded Aug 27, 2026 · R01ABSTRACT Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is the most common and pernicious form of lung fibrosis, which is characterized by progressive alveolar destruction, failed regeneration and unrelenting fibrogenesis. Lung macrophages have long been recognized to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of this disease. Recent evidence further demonstrated that…
Digital Biomarkers for Alzheimer's Disease
7R01AG070861-06IHAB HAJJAR · BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE, TX · $797,822 · awarded Aug 27, 2026 · R01PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is marked by progressive neuropathological changes that begin decades before cognitive and functional symptoms, and thus efforts have been focused on developing innovative tools and biomarkers for early identification of pre-dementia stages. To date, clinical ability to identify those with pre- dementia…
Development of a novel Alzheimer's disease therapeutic targeting tau
5R44AG060843-06Glenn Larsen · AQUINNAH PHARMACEUTICALS, INC., MA · $997,942 · awarded Aug 26, 2026 · R44PROJECT SUMMARY Alzheimer’s Disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive decline in cognitive function and a corresponding accumulation of β-amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, the two hallmark pathologies. Drugs currently available to AD patients manage the disease symptoms by improving neuronal activity, but efficacy…
Phase II randomized controlled trial of benfotiamine in early Alzheimer's Disease
7R01AG076634-04GARY GIBSON · WEILL MEDICAL COLL OF CORNELL UNIV, NY · $8,532,455 · awarded Aug 26, 2026 · R01We propose to continue this seamless Phase 2A-2B trial investigating benfotiamine, a prodrug of thiamine, as a first-in-class small molecule treatment for early Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Brain tissue thiamine deficiency causes memory deficits that are reversible with thiamine treatment in preclinical AD models and in human conditions including Wernicke…
Preventing Increased Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia risk stemming from layoffs during working years
1K99AG100795-01Xuexin Yu · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES, NY · $132,300 · awarded Aug 26, 2026 · K99Project Summary/Abstract More than 6.5 million U.S. older adults currently have Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), and this number is expected to grow to 13 million by 2050. Life-course layoffs may contribute to a sizeable number of ADRD cases, as it can result in immediate income loss, impose the stigma of unemployment, trigger psychosocial…
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