DoD Peer Reviewed Alzheimer’s Transforming Diagnosis Award

The Department of Defense is actively seeking applicants for the Peer Reviewed Alzheimer's Transforming Diagnosis Award. The aim of this award is to improve current methods of diagnosis for Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD).

Proposals for projects should focus on increasing the understanding, capability, technology, and research to eliminate or mitigate the obstacles encountered during diagnosis, disease monitoring, and prognosis. Such obstacles might entail the cost and technology involved, the uniformity of patient accessibility, the significance of the health determinants at both a structural and societal level, and the translation of clinical research into practice.

The proposed projects are encouraged to be comprehensive in nature, accounting for the variety in the population it targets, demonstrating cultural competence and inclusivity. Furthermore, the awarded research should strive to reduce healthcare disparities and enhance the quality of the research.

Impacting factors for winning this award include clear applicability of the project's results, non-incremental advancements for the scientific community, and a subject-centric research design that includes collaboration with the community. Hence, one of the stipulations is the organization of a community meeting within the first three quarters of the project tenure. This meeting should encompass the intended research population and their community members.

The main goal of the community meeting is to gather feedback that will shape the project’s process and optimize the research questions and methods. The anticipated outcome is feasible, applicable advancements in the diagnosis and prognosis field, especially for diverse groups, most importantly, women.

The research funded through this FY24 PRARP must be sensitive to the needs of those suffering from AD/ADRD as well as their families and care providers. The teams behind the proposals are expected to make use of methodologies such as community-based participatory research, participatory action research, and integrated knowledge transition. These methodologies emphasize joint efforts between scientific researchers and community members and consider the unique skills offered by each group.

Finally, the proposal should actively involve the community; this could be through the integration of community members into the research team as advisors or consultants. For instance, having a project advisor with lived experience in dealing with AD/ADRD may provide important insights throughout the project. Other viable forms of collaboration might be partnering with a community-based organization such as advocacy groups or service providers, or constituting a Community Advisory Board (CAB) that consists of multiple community representatives. These individuals will offer valuable guidance, making the research project more inclusive, relevant, and responsive.