2026-2027 Pilot Program Application

The Center to Accelerate Population Research in Alzheimer’s (CAPRA) Pilot Core is seeking novel, population-based Emerging Scholar Pilot Proposals.

CAPRA’s overarching goal is to serve as a national resource to promote and accelerate multidisciplinary research that informs the actions governments, healthcare systems, and providers can take to reduce the social, economic, and health burden of Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD). We welcome Emerging Scholar Pilot Proposals from across disciplines that address the overarching goal of CAPRA and its main thematic areas:

1. Health policy and healthcare system impact on acute and long-term care outcomes
2. Diffusion of new diagnostics and drugs into practice
3. Heterogeneity in disease risk, care access, and outcomes across populations
4. Innovative applications of population data

CAPRA will not merely be a funding source for promising studies; the Emerging Scholars will become an integral part of CAPRA. Successful applicants will participate in other CAPRA activities, receiving mentorship and creating a wider network of dementia research collaborators. We will leverage data, methods, and experience across all CAPRA collaborators to enhance the science and potential influence of their research. We will achieve this through facilitating a curriculum-based program open to all CAPRA Emerging Scholar Pilot Awardees that includes mentoring, seminars, and grant writing workshops. Additionally, there will be participation in a meeting facilitated by the Demography and Economics of Aging Coordinating Center (DECC) with Emerging Scholars across other P30 Centers like CAPRA.

Current and past CAPRA Pilot Awardees and project descriptions are available on the Pilot Program page on the CAPRA Website.

• Individuals who meet NIH definitions of Early Stage or New Investigators or individuals who are new to dementia research.
• At an institution that can receive NIH funding.

CAPRA will fund pilot grants up to $40,000 in direct costs. Faculty effort may be covered up to 50% funding of the total award amount.

1. Follow the standard NIH outline (up to 4 pages for the main part of the proposal):
   1. 1 page of Specific Aims including hypothesis and research question
   2. Up to 3 additional pages explaining:
      • Approach (including methods, data, and scientific merit)
      • Innovation
      • Project relevance and feasibility for a future K or R-level grant proposal
      • Team
      • Budget and Budget Justification
2. Supporting Documents (Not included in the 4-page limit referenced above):
   1. References
   2. Biosketch in current NIH format
   3. Other Financial Support Documentation (see attached form)

1. Approach (including methods, data, and scientific merit)
2. Innovation
3. Project relevance and feasibility for a future K or R-level grant proposal
4. Alignment with the CAPRA themes, team, and budget

Questions: capra-research@umich.edu (this email goes to CAPRA Project Manager Megan Jensen & Administrative Specialist Clare Kolevar)

1. Indirect costs (Facilities & Administrative costs) are not allowed for University of Michigan applicants. Indirect costs for awardees external to University of Michigan are reimbursed at 8% of modified total amount of direct costs.
2. Foreign components are not allowable
3. Data Purchasing: Pilot awards are restricted to $10,000 of direct costs for data purchase unless given prior approval from the CAPRA Pilot Core.

Applications are submitted through the University of Michigan Medical School Office of Research Competition Space Portal. Under Application Tools, select Apply on the right-hand side of the competition page and log in using your uniqname and Kerberos (level 1) password.

• Log in using your uniqname and Kerberos (level 1) password (University of Michigan Weblogin).
• If applying from an institution outside of the University of Michigan, click Log In and then select “Log in for Other Users” to use an existing account or Register to create an account.
• If someone else will submit the application for you, you must FIRST authorize them as a PROXY in Competition Space. After logging in to Competition Space, click on your name in the upper right-hand corner of the page. This will be your user profile. Scroll down to Designate an Application Proxy and add your proxy’s email address using the format: uniqname@umich.edu.
• Select the funding opportunity and select Apply on the right-hand side of this page to fill out the application form and complete the required information. All details are automatically saved as you enter them. The proposal and all supporting documents should be uploaded as a single PDF with your last name, first name and institution included in the filename. When you are ready to submit, click Submit Application at the bottom of the page. You will receive a confirmation email once your application has been received. o For Competition Space HELP or QUESTIONS: Please email: umms-infoready@umich.edu

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions on or after April 3, 2026. For questions, please contact Megan Jensen at mlaver@med.umich.edu or Clare Kolevar at ckolevar@med.umich.edu.