Frequently Asked Questions

Submit questions through the FAQ portal. Do not include protected health information (PHI) or proprietary details in your question.

Contact aitcc@yale.edu for technical help with the portal.

New and updated answers will be flagged. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page shows the most recent time any part of the FAQ changed. Each new or revised question also shows its own date, so you can see exactly which answers changed and when.

Research projects that use artificial intelligence (AI) and technology to improve the health and well-being of older adults, including people living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD), and their caregivers. Projects are welcome across all of NIA’s scientific areas: aging biology, neuroscience, geriatrics and clinical gerontology, and behavioral and social research. At least 80% of research funds go to AD/ADRD projects. See Scope in the RFA.

Possibly. The topics in the RFA are examples, not a complete list. Review each AITC’s priorities and contact the AITC that best matches your topic before you submit your LOI.

Five AITCs fund projects through this competition. The AITC Coordinating Center (AITCC) provides a single platform for submitting applications. Each AITC reviews and selects projects for funding, and NIA approves each award.

There are two stages: a required letter of intent (LOI), then a full application by invitation only. See how the competition works in the RFA.

Yes. You must submit an LOI to be considered. Each AITC reviews its assigned LOIs and selects which applicants are invited to submit a full application.

See Key dates in the RFA. Projects are expected to begin in summer 2027, pending NIA approval.

We expect to make approximately 60 Non-Clinical Trial research awards across all AITCs this cycle. Each AITC may also fund up to one Clinical Trial research project, for a total of up to five. Final numbers depend on available funds and on the number and quality of applications received.

Non-Clinical Trial research projects may request up to $200,000 in direct costs, and Clinical Trial research projects up to $300,000, over a project period up to 24 months. Indirect costs are in addition to these limits.

Eligible U.S. organizations include colleges, universities, medical or nursing schools, health care systems or settings, and other organizations, including for-profit corporations and startups, nonprofits, and state, local, tribal, and eligible federal government entities.

The applicant organization must have a Unique Entity ID (UEI) number (opens on another site) by the time of award.

Yes. The contact PI must be at the applicant organization. Investigators from collaborating organizations may serve as additional PIs and can be included as key personnel.

Yes. Your LOI should explain how the new project differs from what was funded, such as new aims, a new stage of development, or broader testing. Projects that overlap with work already funded by AITC are not eligible.

Yes, if the projects do not overlap and the PI’s total effort across all commitments does not exceed 100%.

Yes, for-profit companies and non-academic organizations that meet the eligibility criteria can apply.

1. Review each AITC’s priority topics in Section 03 of the RFA (Participating AITCs).
2. Review each AITC’s website:
   • Duke AITC-AIGE (opens on another site) (coming soon)
   • Johns Hopkins AITC (opens on another site)
   • Stanford University AITC (opens on another site)
   • APEX-ADRD Collaboratory (opens on another site)
   • MassAITC (opens on another site)
3. Attend or watch the recording from the LOI Informational Webinar (11/03/26).

No, contact is not required.

Start by reviewing each AITC’s priority topics (see FAQ A1). If your project depends on a specific AITC dataset, facility, or study population and your question isn’t answered in the RFA or FAQs, contact that AITC using the information in Section 03 of the RFA (Participating AITCs).

No. Each project can be submitted to only one AITC, and that choice cannot be changed after submission. Overlapping LOIs may be administratively withdrawn from the competition. You may submit separate LOIs for distinct projects to the same AITC or different AITCs.

Review each AITC’s priorities and resources in Participating AITCs, its website, and the LOI Informational Webinar (see FAQ A1). Choose the AITC whose focus and resources best match your project. If you are still unsure, contact the AITC(s) you are considering through the contacts listed in Participating AITCs. You may submit each project to only one AITC, and your choice cannot be changed after submission.

All projects are research projects, in one of two types.

• Non-Clinical Trial: projects that do not meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial. Up to $200,000 in direct costs over up to 24 months.
• Clinical Trial: projects that meet the NIH definition of a clinical trial. Up to $300,000 in direct costs over up to 24 months.

See Section 04 of the RFA (Award Types).

Use the NIH Clinical Trial decision tool (opens on another site).

Under the NIH definition, a study is a clinical trial if participants are assigned to an intervention to evaluate its effect on a health-related biomedical or behavioral outcome. This applies even if all participants receive the same intervention, such as using a device or software. Usability and feasibility testing that does not measure a health outcome is not a clinical trial.

Yes, AI or technology must be a core part of the project. Projects may develop new technology, adapt or combine existing technology, or test it with older adults, caregivers, or clinicians.

Projects at any stage of development are eligible, from early concept through prototype and minimum viable product. In your LOI project statement, state your technology’s current Technology Readiness Level (TRL) and where you expect it to be at the end of the project.

Submit through the AITCC portal at https://grants.aitcc.ai/opportunities/AITC-ARA-27-001. Allow time for potential portal delays before the deadline.

Two pages maximum. Follow NIH format requirements (opens on another site): font size 11 points or larger (Arial, Georgia, Helvetica, or Palatino Linotype recommended), no more than six lines per vertical inch, and margins of at least 0.5 inch on all sides of a standard 8.5 x 11 inch page. The bibliography does not count toward the page limit.

For the LOI, upload an NIH biosketch, curriculum vitae (CV), or resume for the PI and each key person. Each document may be up to 5 pages. If you are invited to submit a full application, an NIH biosketch will be required.

Key personnel are individuals who contribute to the scientific development or execution of the project in a substantive, measurable way. This typically includes co-investigators and may include consultants or collaborators with a defined scientific role. Staff in support roles, such as research coordinators or administrative staff, usually are not key personnel.

Yes, if each LOI describes a distinct project.

Each LOI must not substantially overlap with:

• Other LOIs you submitted to a different AITC in this cycle
• Work previously funded by AITC, including a2 pilot awards
• Technologies or platforms already supported by NIH SBIR or STTR funding, if the project is an incremental enhancement, new indication, or new patient population.

See Section 05 (Eligibility) and Section 06 (How the competition works) of the RFA.

Your application must follow the NIH policy on the appropriate use of AI for research applications (opens on another site). You are responsible for the accuracy and originality of everything you submit.

Describe your approach clearly enough for review, but do not include information you would normally protect with a non-disclosure agreement.

No. Extensions are not granted, and late LOIs are not accepted. The portal may slow down near the deadline because of high volume, so submit well before the due date.

The AITC you select will screen your LOI for responsiveness to the RFA, eligibility, fit with its priorities, relevance to aging or AD/ADRD, the role of AI or technology, and feasibility. Review of responsive LOIs will be completed by the selected AITC, but they will not be scored. The selected AITC will decide whether to invite a full application.