ISTAART Grant Program for Conferences and Convenings (IGPCC) Grant

The ISTAART Grant Program for Conferences and Convenings (IGPCC) Grant, funded by the Alzheimer's Association, aims to support innovative initiatives that enhance research discussions among Professional Interest Areas (PIAs). This funding mechanism encourages collaboration and networking opportunities for ISTAART members, allowing for the organization of educational workshops and conferences. Grants of up to $20,000 are available, with a focus on new projects that haven't received funding in the last 24 months. Applications are reviewed year-round.

NOTE: Letters of Intent are not required for this funding program. However, it is recommended you email us prior to submission of an application to verify your initiative is within the scope of this program.
ISTAART Grant Program for Conferences and Convenings (IGPCC) Grant
About the IGPCC Grant
The Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART) is an inclusive global network of scientists, clinicians, and dementia professionals who share common goals: the pursuit of knowledge, collaboration, and breakthroughs. ISTAART’s exclusive benefits include access to 30 unique Professional Interest Areas (PIAs), year-round networking, and informative webinars.
PIAs are made up of ISTAART members with common subspecialties and interests, providing a flexible forum to share information, learn, and collaborate. PIAs provide a networking forum for ISTAART members, share the latest research in common subspecialties, provide mentoring and leadership opportunities and career guidance, promote collaboration, and more. Information on ISTAART PIAs can be found here.
The ISTAART Grant Program for Conferences and Convenings (IGPCC) will help foster and facilitate PIA-driven efforts to expand and accelerate research discussion. This program is meant to foster innovative and new ideas across the PIA-driven efforts and increase the impact and reach of ISTAART’s PIA-driven initiatives. Repeated funding of prior initiatives or initiatives that are not directly contributing to ISTAART are not appropriate for this mechanism.
Examples of initiatives that can be funded through the mechanism include:

• Convene a PIA-led conference or educational workshop.
• Host a PIA-led event at a national or international conference (excluding all Alzheimer’s Association International Conference - AAIC meetings).

This list of potential initiatives is not exhaustive. If you have an idea for a program, please reach out to grantsapp@alz.org to see if your program fits within the scope of this RFA.
Program Objective
The IGPCC was created to provide a unique opportunity to ISTAART PIAs to increase training and networking organized by members for members. This will help facilitate the exchange of information and provide opportunities to convene and address emerging issues in new and innovative ways. Further, this program will help facilitate new networking opportunities between individuals in the field. Overall, this will increase the visibility of dementia research worldwide, through ISTAART. Preference will be given to PIAs and events that have not previously received an award through this program in the prior 24 months.
Funding
The Alzheimer’s Association anticipates funding up to 10 proposals per fiscal year based on available funds. Each award can be up to $20,000 in total direct funding based on the needs of the initiative planned. If the initiative planned is not within this funding range, contact grantsapp@alz.org for more details. No indirect costs will be provided. The applicant’s institution must be able to manage the receipt of funding for distribution as necessary; this is considered a grant. The funding amount is dependent upon the size and scope of the program.
Applications will be accepted and reviewed throughout the year. Funding must be awarded to the primary PIA’s executive committee member’s institution prior to the event and funds need to be used within 12 months of application, 9 months of award. Final reporting - financial and initiative summary - is due 6 months after the completion of the event (more information below). At all programming, ISTAART must be recognized for the funding (details outlining recognition are below). The final report must outline the impact of the funded initiative on ISTAART and the PIA The application timeline is below in key dates. Additional details on allowable costs are outlined in the budget section.

Eligibility

ISTAART PIA executive committee members can apply for funding.The applicant must be an EC member of the PIA at the time of the application submission to the IGPCC.Cross-PIA collaborations are encouraged. The entire PIA executive committee needs to agree to the proposal. If you are not on a PIA executive committee, please work with an executive committee member to garner their support and ensure it aligns with the PIAs goals, to determine if an application is feasible.EC members cannot apply for an award from a different PIA they are only a member of.Applications that are repeated requests for meetings and/or initiatives similar to previously funded ones may not be considered.The intent of this funding program is to stimulate new opportunities to bring PIA-led initiatives together.EC members cannot apply for an award from a different PIA they are only a member of.Work Groups or Special Interest Groups wishing to submit for an award to host a PIA-led event must work with their parent PIA.The individual submitting the application must be able to receive funding through their institution.If previous awards were on a PIA collaboration, the PIA that is considered as the previous applicant will be based on the named applicant who was the EC member of that PIA.Alzheimer’s Association grants are generally open to scientists and researchers across the globe; however, as a U.S.-based charity, the Alzheimer’s Association is subject to, and complies with U.S. law. As a result, the Alzheimer’s Association cannot award, and will not award, grants in violation of applicable U.S. statutes and regulations. This means, among other things, that the Alzheimer’s Association cannot, and will not, fund any individual or entity:that is subject to U.S. comprehensive or targeted sanctions or if awarding funding would result in a violation of such sanctions,that is on the U.S. List of Specially Designated Nationals or entities owned or controlled by such persons, orwhen doing so is otherwise prohibited by U.S. laws related to combating terrorism.Allowable costs under this award include:Travel and accommodation (flight, baggage, and hotel) for speakers and moderators
Travel fellowships for students, postdoctoral researchers, and researchers based in low and middle income countries (LMIC)
Set up - rental space (chairs, tables, sound system, video system, etc.)
Outreach materials
You must be a member of this organization to apply for this award - become a member. Only ISTAART PIA executive committee members can apply for funding. PIA Executive Committee (EC) positions are voted in by ISTAART's membership. Members who are highly engaged in each PIA's year-round program of activities nominate themselves for a position within their PIA, and they then stand for election for a position of their choosing. To see when the next election cycle for your PIA is, you can go to the ISTAART Community site, navigate to each PIA page and look on the left side panel of the PIA page. That will indicate when the PIA next expects to hold elections. These typically start around March of each year.

Ineligibility

Non-ISTAART Members and ISTAART members not on a PIA Executive Committee are not eligible to apply but are able to help with the proposal.Each PIA is limited to one unique award through this program each year as a lead applicant. If a submission is not accepted, the application is allowed up to two resubmissions.Events / Programs not eligible for this funding mechanism include:Events at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC).
Events not focused on advancing the field, networking, or increasing the reach of ISTAART PIAs
Events that are repeat submissions of previously funded initiatives/ events/ convenings.Not allowable as direct costs under this award include:Any assistance from the Alzheimer’s Association aside from advertisingNo indirect costs