The ADRC is soliciting Developmental Project applications. Funding up to $100,000 for projects is available for one year. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to rapidly advance emerging ideas that can make a significant contribution to diagnosis and/or treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and Related Disorders. This cycle our ADRC is expanding on our theme of the utilization of the Polygenic Risk Score (PRS) to address precision medicine in neurodegenerative research. We will accept projects to uncover unique pathways to diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of ADRD including those:

• Utilizing digital biomarkers (e.g., wearables, voice, language),
• Based in EMR data,
• Inclusion of multimodal approaches.

We strongly encourage topics consistent with the current strengths and expertise of the faculty of our ADRC Cores which includes clinical phenotyping in our Clinical Core, fluid and imaging biomarker Cores, and digital neuropathology and artificial intelligence expertise in our Neuropathology Core. We strongly encourage consultation with ADRC faculty and Core Leadership and considered use of ADRC resources in preparation of the application. In particular we encourage the use of local and national databases and ADRC repositories. Possible themes include the contribution of PRS to our understanding of:

• Risk and resilience in the very old or other subgroups;
• Pathological progression of disease as it is tracked with imaging or fluid biomarkers
• New ways to understand ADRD biology
• Differential clinical phenotyping, disease progression and specific disease subtypes
• Novel approaches to improving the utility of PRS in risk prediction of ADRD

We will provide support for theme development and design. The metrics for a successful project include: 1) development of a novel idea; 2) dissemination of results through presentations at internal or external meetings; 3) publication of manuscripts that acknowledge ADRC support; and/or 4) application submissions for extramural funding based on an aspect of the Developmental Project.

The ADRC encourages applications from both junior investigators, including postdoctoral fellows, and experienced researchers who are new to the area of Alzheimer’s disease research. (Past or present ADRC Core Leaders and Project Leaders are NOT eligible to apply as PIs.)

Application format: The application will consist of a 2-page summary including: 1) statement of the problem; 2) proposed experiments or work; 3) which metrics the proposal will meet (presentation, manuscript, grant submission); 4) timeline. Please also submit a biosketch in the revised 2021 NIH format. The cover page should include PI name, title, rank, email address, cell phone number, a list of Mount Sinai AD collaborators or mentors, and PI signature. A budget page should describe how the funds will be allocated but requires minimal detail.

Application deadline: Applications are being accepted until 5 pm, October 9, 2026. We are particularly interested in projects with immediate funding needs. Previous ADRC developmental award winners are ineligible to apply. Rapid review will permit the ADRC review committee to recommend funding or request more information quickly. Awards will be announced by November 30, 2026. Funding is scheduled to be available April 2027. Please email the signed package to  Ms. Jennifer Vasconcellos (Jennifer.vasconcellos@mssm.edu) with the subject line “ADRC Developmental Proposal – [PI name].”

If you have any questions, please contact ADRC Director: Mary.Sano@mssm.edu

The NIH-funded Postbaccalaureate Alzheimer’s Disease Development Initiative (PADDI) is designed to prepare recent college graduates for the demands of careers in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders (ADRD) clinical science, and to support their pursuit of advanced degree programs. The program helps trainees develop a strong professional identity and a sense of belonging within the research community. Upon completion, scholars will be competitive applicants to MA, MS, MD, PhD, or certificate programs or will be prepared to enter the workforce directly in rigorous clinical research roles, including program coordinators, monitors, administrators, and regulatory specialists. 

PADDI is led by Judith Neugroschl, MD, geriatric psychiatrist and Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) Clinical Core Director, and Margaret Sewell, PhD, neuropsychologist and ADRC Outreach Recruitment and Engagement Core Director. Dr. Neugroschl and Dr. Sewell's collective experiences include decades of teaching, patient care, clinical and research mentoring, directing training programs, curriculum development, as well as outreach and recruitment for a wide range of Alzheimer's Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD) studies. 

Trainees work closely with research mentors and teachers, most of whom are faculty at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. These mentors include psychiatrists, neuropsychologists, social workers, doctoral-level scientists, biostatisticians, neuropathologists, cognitive neuroscientists, and clinical trials regulatory specialists. Their research interests span topics such as the effects of light on behavior and cognition, natural language processing to explore biomarkers and cognitive progression, barriers to recruitment in clinical trials, technology use among older adults, and health literacy. 

PADDI is a full-time, in-person, two-year (non-degree) program. Housing is not provided. The position offers an annual salary of approximately $55,000, with benefits. The ADRC is located at 104th Street 100 E104th Street, New York, NY.

Program Structure 

Year 1: 
PADDI scholars will spend 75% of their time as clinical research coordinators (CRCs) in the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center where they will learn to conduct cognitive testing, prepare cases for diagnostic consensus conferences, participate in regulatory activities, and engage in community outreach. 25% of their time encompasses training in fundamentals across three areas including clinical, research and regulatory processes. These activities include journal clubs, classes in research ethics, dementia diagnosis, critical reading of the literature, presentation skills, elective rotations in different ADRC cores and, if relevant, MCAT/GRE prep. 

Year 2: 
In addition to continued work as a CRC, the goal is to build on the research skills from year 1 by working with a mentor on a specific research project with the goal of submitting an abstract, poster, or manuscript. Leadership skills classes are offered as well as sessions on financial literacy, career path lectures, interviewing skills and resume building.

Application Process and Deadlines: 
Applicants must have graduated from college within the last three years, have a strong interest in clinical research, and demonstrate an interest in aging and cognition. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.   

Applicants should submit a resume and cover letter to both: margaret.sewell@mssm.edu  and judith.neugroschl@mssm.edu.  

The program begins in July. Interviews begin in January, with decisions made by March. 

Under the leadership of program directors, Margaret Sewell, PhD, PhD,  Judith Neugroschl, MD, Maria Loizos, Ph.D., and Jane Martin, Ph.D., the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) offers a part-time College Summer Internship for rising senior undergraduates who want research experience before considering graduate education or employment as a clinical research coordinator.

For more information and how to apply:

Interns work individually and as a group on projects that are presented at the end of the program. In past years, interns have worked on projects relating to research attitudes, caregiver burden, the Brain Tissue Donation Program, cognitive testing, and systematic reviews regarding participation of high-risk individuals in clinical trials. Many interns have the opportunity to be co-authors on abstracts, posters, or manuscripts.

Interns work closely with clinical research coordinators on many day-to-day activities of the ADRC including data entry, data collection, administrative work, participant recruitment, community outreach, interacting with research participants and families at the center, observing patient visits, and writing the ADRC newsletter.

Interns attend lectures and didactic classes on topics related to clinical research, dementia, geriatric neuropsychology, neuropathology case conferences, and neurological evaluation. Interns can participate in other educational components of the graduate-level psychology pre-doctoral internship program, as well as Grand Rounds.

Dates and Location:

The 2026 program will run from June 8th through August 7th. Interns must be available for the entire 9-week program, which runs 3 days per week (Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays). Interns work at our East Side Campus at 100 E104th Street, New York, NY. A stipend is provided, but housing is not available.

Application Process and Deadlines:

The application and interview process begins the first week of January 2026 and decisions are made by the 3rd week of February 2026 at the latest. To apply, please email a letter of interest and your CV that includes two references with contact information to all 4 program directors: margaret.sewell@mssm.edu,  judith.neugroschl@mssm.edu, maria.loizos@mssm.edu, and  jane.martin@mssm.edu.

The Research Education Component (REC), under the direction of Nikolaos Robakis, PhD, and Stephen Salton MD, PhD, provides critically needed training for junior faculty, senior postdoctoral fellows, and clinical research track residents and fellows*, to conduct research on Alzheimer’s disease-related disorders (ADRD). The program also helps support gifted and highly motivated junior investigators who are new to ADRD research.

The REC supports trainees to conduct research and provides advanced training in approaches and methodologies needed to conduct high quality, ethical, and multidisciplinary research on ADRDs. REC grants support activities that promote development of future research leaders in ADRD, particularly leaders who can integrate clinical insights with basic and translational sciences to improve interventions for maintaining cognitive health and treating dementia.

Trainees are provided with at least two interdisciplinary mentors, and an individually tailored career development plan as well as multiple forums that will encourage development of trainee presentation skills. The REC assists trainees in the process of submitting and obtaining external grant funding that is appropriate for their career stage and helps them sustain long-term academic careers as independent investigators and future leaders in the basic, translational, and clinical research of ADRDs.

The REC solicits project applications that propose basic, translational, and/or clinical research. Funding up to $95,000 in direct costs for one-year projects is available. 

For more information and how to apply

Applications should include:

• A cover page that includes PI name, title, rank, email address, cell phone number, name of Mount Sinai mentor and PI signature.
• A proposal describing background and approach (3-page maximum including references) that includes: 1) Statement of the problem and questions addressed; 2) Specific aims; 3) Proposed experimental and/or clinical work to test hypothesis and aims; 4) Timeline; and 5) References. 6) A separate budget page describing how funds will be allocated should be attached.
• NIH-style Biosketch

Applications are scored by one or more reviewers, and the REC Scholar Program Admissions Committee evaluates the reviews and selects the awardees. For more details including deadlines, don't hesitate to get in touch with Nikolaos Robakis, PhD and Stephen Salton MD, PhD

*Past or present ADRC Core Leaders and Project Leaders are not eligible as PIs. Support is intended primarily for US citizens and permanent residents, unless there is strong justification otherwise based on exceptional relevance to the NIH and NIA.

Directed by Jane Martin, PhD the Adult Internship Clinical Psychology Program at Mount Sinai in the Department of Psychiatry works closely with the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC). The training program provides extensive instruction in neuropsychological and psychological test administration, interpretation, and report writing, as well as in psychodynamically-oriented and cognitive-behavioral outpatient psychotherapy. It is a full-time, one-year commitment. The internship begins in July.  Interns participate in professional activities including direct-service clinical training activities, supervision, didactic instruction, and research. Upon successful completion of the training year, interns will have completed 2,000 hours of supervised clinical experience which can be applied towards licensure.

For more information and how to apply:

Applicants can contact Dr. Jane Martin directly at jane.martin@mssm.edu or click here.