The Department of Defense, through its Defense Health Program, has released the FY25 Alzheimer’s Research Program (AZRP) Transforming Care Award (TrCA), designed to support high-impact research that transforms dementia care for individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD), including their care partners. Managed by the Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) within the U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command (USAMRDC), this opportunity is part of a broader mission to enhance quality of life and address critical care needs within both civilian and military populations.

The FY25 AZRP TrCA encourages applications that propose clinical research or clinical trials focused on providing interventions, innovations, and solutions in dementia care. A distinctive feature of the award is the Career Initiation or Transition (CIT) Partnership Option, which allows collaborative proposals from multiple principal investigators (PIs), with dedicated application guidelines and separate budgets. Community collaboration is mandatory, with a strong emphasis on engaging the lived experience community (LEC), including patients and care partners, as co-researchers or advisory partners throughout the research process.

Applicants may request up to $1.6 million in total costs over four years for single PI applications, or up to $1.9 million for those using the CIT Partnership Option. The award supports a wide array of permissible costs including subject compensation, travel, data sharing, and community collaboration. However, the award explicitly prohibits funding for animal studies and pharmacological-only clinical trials. Preliminary data are required, and proposed studies must demonstrate a non-incremental advance in the dementia care field.

Eligible applicants include both intramural (DOD-affiliated) and extramural (non-DOD) organizations, such as academic institutions, non-profits, for-profits, and government research entities, both domestic and international. Independent investigators at any career stage may apply, though CIT Option applicants must meet specific experience criteria. Cost-sharing is not required.

The application process consists of a mandatory pre-application due by June 12, 2025, and a full application due by August 29, 2025, if invited. Applications are submitted via eBRAP or Grants.gov depending on the type of organization. Applicants must register in SAM.gov, Grants.gov, and eBRAP before applying. Review will follow a two-tiered process comprising peer and programmatic evaluation, focusing on impact, scientific merit, feasibility, and alignment with community-informed research.

For technical assistance, applicants can contact the eBRAP Help Desk at help@eBRAP.org or 301-682-5507 and the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or 800-518-4726. Awards will be announced by September 30, 2026, using FY25 funds, which expire September 30, 2031.