The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group and the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association announced today a new research initiative to support studies on age-related cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s disease. The two organizations along with additional partners, including the Oskar Fischer Project, are committing $43 million over eight years to fund one or more teams of investigators pursuing brain health and cognitive impairment science.

The request for applications opens today and applications are due by July 6, 2018. The initiative seeks to identify and fund highly-promising teams of researchers pursuing creative, transformative ideas to move brain health and cognitive impairment science forward with greater speed.

More than 5.7 million Americans currently live with Alzheimer’s disease, one of the most common forms of dementia. To date, research has identified many of the symptoms and manifestations of this disease but not the underlying causes that could lead to prevention or treatment.

“Alzheimer’s, dementia and other cognitive ailments have become an enormous emotional and economic burden for our society,” said Tom Skalak, Ph.D., Executive Director of The Paul G. Allen Frontiers Group. “This new American Heart Association-Allen initiative will create new bridges and collaborations between researchers and physicians, ultimately leading to better understanding and treatment of these cognitive disorders.”

The joint initiative aims to bridge an historical divide in the scientific and medical communities between cognition and vascular research.

“Bridging vascular and brain science through innovative research will help scientists shed new light on the causes or contributors to cognitive impairment and dementia,” said Nancy Brown, CEO of the American Heart Association.

Learn more in the press release.