Congress Proposes $140 Million Increase in Alzheimer’s and Dementia Funding

While researchers are making strides in developing better diagnostics and testing new treatments for Alzheimer’s and dementia, the problem continues to grow as the population ages. Over 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s, with many still undiagnosed, and by 2050 these numbers are projected to increase to 12.7 million. 

There’s a tradition of broad bipartisan support for Alzheimer’s and dementia research and care. Congress is poised to boost funding for Alzheimer’s and dementia through a $100 million boost for research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and $41.5 million to implement the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer’s Act at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.) 

Through BOLD, the CDC funds programs at state, local, and tribal health departments that work on dementia risk reduction, early detection and diagnosis, caregiver support, prevention of avoidable hospitalizations, and other public health initiatives. 

“Sustained federal investment is essential to accelerate scientific discovery and strengthen public health responses for the millions of families affected by this disease,” said Robert Egge, Alzheimer’s Association chief public policy officer and Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) president in a statement. 

The push for more funding was led by Senators Susan Collins and Patty Murray as well as representatives Tom Cole and Rosa DeLauro

If these increases are passed through the House and Senate, it will bring the total annual US federal spending on dementia research up to $3.9 billion. 

What this means for research funding for Alzheimer’s and dementia

In January 2025, the NIH budget was frozen by a broad Trump administration directive to pause new federal grants and loans to eliminate programs connected to diversity, equity, and inclusion and other topics. That froze several key NIH grant decisions, including scientific research at Harvard and Columbia, and impacted funding for Alzheimer’s disease research centers with more than one-third of the 35 U.S. centers having their funding stall or expire. 

Several months later, the funding began moving again, thanks to judicial rulings and congressional negotiations. However, the pool of remaining funding was allocated to fewer overall projects.

Mike Lauer, who formerly ran NIH’s funding for researchers at non-governmental institutions across the U.S., raised concerns that the disruption would lead to fewer overall projects and stifle innovation. In 2025, this meant that 49% fewer Alzheimer’s related projects received funding compared to previous years.

Egge said the proposed funding increases now before Congress is an encouraging sign. “This continued investment tells families impacted by dementia that their voices matter and that advancing effective treatments and a cure remains a national priority,” he said.