Program Overview
The mission of the NACC and Gates Ventures AD/ADRD Digital Biomarker Pilot (DBP) Awards is to accelerate innovative digital data collection and sharing across the ADRC Program to accelerate AD/ADRD research and discovery. The DBP Awards further this mission by funding pilot projects that 1) leverage technology to enable richer data collection with less burden for participants and ADRCs and, 2) advance the development and validation of digital biomarkers. As a public charity, the DBP Awards funding must be used specifically for an approved scientific project that advances this stated mission.
Ideally, this award will forge pathways for the application of digital technology within the ADRC network, which serves as a model for the global AD/ADRD community. The data collected through these awards will be integrated with other standardized data modalities at NACC and made freely available to all researchers. We are committed to working with awardees to scale successful projects across the ADRC network and beyond. Together this data is opening the door to better early detection, treatment, and prevention of AD/ADRD.
Goals of the Program
- Accelerate impactful digital data collection and sharing across the ADRC Program to advance AD/ADRD research and discovery.
- Leverage technology to capture richer and more objective data with less burden for participants and ADRCs.
- Advance the development and/or validation of digital biomarkers for early detection, diagnosis, prognosis, or monitoring.
Selection Process
Two proposals were selected for funding (in 2024) after a rigorous review process, with input from a selection committee made up of digital health experts across industry, government, and academia, culminating in a public pitch competition. At the Pitch Competition (May 2024), top teams pitched their proposals in front of a live audience. Following the Pitch Competition, the program awarded nearly 1.4 million dollars to support the two digital pilot projects as decided by the selection committee.
Learn more about the awarded projects.
About the Pitch Competition
Top applicants of the NACC and Gates Ventures AD/ADRD Digital Pilot Program pitched their proposals to the judge panel in front of a live audience. In pursuit of $250K-$1M in funding, these top teams shared how their pilot projects will leverage digital tools to enable richer and more objective data collection across the ADRC Program and beyond with less burden for research subjects and patients.
Pitching teams were given 6 minutes to pitch their proposals. Pitches were followed by 4 minutes of Q&A from our panel of expert judges. At the end of the event, audience members joined an “Ask Me Anything” Virtual Poster Session where they met with the pitching teams to ask questions and learn more about their projects.
This event was an excellent opportunity to learn about emerging digital solutions and how digital data collection is transforming AD/ADRD research and discovery.
View the Pitching Teams' Slides
- EFFECT-AD - Everyday Frequent Functional Evaluation with Crosscutting Technology for AD
- Characterizing sleep-wake activity patterns across the spectrum of AD/ADRD
- CLARIFY - Speech Analysis and Keystroke Tracking for Early AD Detection
- Scalable Next-Generation Smartphone Gait Assessment for Early Detection of AD/ADRD
- Remote Digital Monitoring to Detect Behavioral and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in ADRD
- Pilot Study to Evaluate VisMET on the Linus Health Platform at Multiple ADRCs
Watch the Pitch Competition Recording
Informational Webinar
Held on January 22, 2024, the webinar featured an overview of the new program and the value that this data will have on AD/ADRD research and innovation. The speakers (Niranjan Bose, PhD, Gates Ventures; Nina Silverberg, PhD, NIA; Rhoda Au, PhD, MBA, Boston University; and Sarah Biber, PhD, NACC) covered how to connect with industry partners from an academic viewpoint and why the ADRC Program is a good testbed for developing impactful digital biomarkers. The webinar ended with a Q&A panel, which is included in the FAQ section.
About Our Partners
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) funds 33 Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers (ADRCs) at major medical institutions across the United States. Researchers at these Centers are working to translate research advances into improved diagnosis and care for people with Alzheimer's disease, as well as working to find a treatment or way to prevent Alzheimer's and other types of dementia.
Gates Ventures is the private Executive office of Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates and was founded 2008 in Kirkland, Washington, United States. It comprises his personal staff, a think tank on problems of health and global development, and a technology investment portfolio.