The Part the Cloud + Bill Gates Partnership

Bill Gates and Part the Cloud have partnered to accelerate research to explore specific areas of neurodegeneration that contribute to the development of Alzheimer's and dementia, including how brain cells use energy and fuel, how brain cells remove waste and debris to avoid protein clumping, and how blood supply in the brain is maintained.

Gates joined the Alzheimer's Association Part the Cloud global research program by funding a $10 million award. The Alzheimer's Association, working through Part the Cloud, has raised over $20 million, doubling the total research investment to $60 million. This partnership will propel 19 high-risk, high-reward research projects aimed at potential new treatments and devices for Alzheimer's and dementia. Across all of these areas of research, the importance of the immune system and inflammation in the brain will continue to be the focus and priority of research funding by the Part the Cloud program. Learn more about this partnership.

Research Will Change the Future

Finding a way to slow the progression, effectively prevent and ultimately cure Alzheimer's disease is one of the greatest health care challenges of our time. An estimated 55 million people are living with Alzheimer's and dementia worldwide — a number that can only be changed for future generations through research.

Part the Cloud is committed to funding novel research ideas to determine if they will be effective treatments for the millions of people affected by Alzheimer's. Learn more about applying for a Part the Cloud grant.

While the vast increase in our understanding of Alzheimer's has led to the identification of promising targets for new therapies, the process of developing and testing potential therapies is long and complex, taking years and substantial resources. Many promising research ideas stall due to lack of funding.

Most grants support middle and latter clinical trials, but there are few funding sources to support the earlier phase studies needed to test drug treatments in people. Part the Cloud addresses this critical gap, supporting early phase clinical studies and helping accelerate the transition of findings from the laboratory into possible therapies.

Part the Cloud has generated over $82 million in funding for Alzheimer's research, making it possible for the Alzheimer's Association to award 68 additional research grants during this time. These awards span a variety of targets in Alzheimer's disease research and fall under the leadership of some of the nation's most prestigious scientists and universities.

View the 2023 Impact Report detailing our latest accomplishments.

Our Mission: To fund Alzheimer's research with the highest probability of slowing, stopping or ultimately curing Alzheimer's disease.

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Our Grants, Supported Research Areas and Award Recipients

Part the Cloud offers two types of grants, the Translational Research Grant Program and Challenges.

The Translational Research Grant Program focuses on the most exciting science in the dementia field that is ready for early trials. These grants are awarded annually.

Challenges focus on a specific topic and are awarded biennially.

Part the Cloud awards grants to scientists focusing on a wide range of research areas, including:


Part the Cloud + Bill Gates Partnership (2020 Challenge)


Bill Gates joined the Alzheimer's Association Part the Cloud Grant Program in a shared vision for innovation by making a $10 million award. The Alzheimer's Association worked through Part the Cloud to raise $20 million, doubling the total clinical research investment to over $60 million. This partnership will help propel 19 high-risk, high-reward research projects aimed at potential new treatments and devices for Alzheimer's and dementia.

From 128 ideas submitted from 18 countries, over $30 million was awarded among 19 researchers to further develop their proposals over 3 years.

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Metabolic Function Research Area


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Cell Signaling and Communication Research Area


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Cell Senescence


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Immune Response, Misfolded Proteins and Growth Factors Research Area


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Amyloid and Tau Related Research Area


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Vascular and Oxidative Stress Related Research Area


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Neuroinflammation Research Area (2016 Challenge)


A first-of-its kind competition, the Part the Cloud Neuroinflammation Challenge was created to accelerate therapeutics and deepen understanding of neurodegeneration to be used in early clinical trials. Scientists around the world were invited to submit proposals that could translate into human trials of treatments targeting neuroinflammation with the goal of improving cognition in individuals with neurodegenerative diseases.

From 60 proposals submitted from 14 countries, four researchers were awarded $1 million each to develop their proposals over a two-year period. After two years, projects were evaluated, and the most outstanding project was awarded an additional $3 million to take it and the field to the next level.

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RESCUE and Neurodegeneration Research Area (2018 Challenge)


The Part the Cloud to RESCUE (REverse, reStore, Cease and UndErstand) Brain Cell Degeneration in Alzheimer's disease challenge aims to accelerate the discovery and testing of innovative compounds to be used for interventions in the earliest stages of neurodegeneration-dementia-Alzheimer’s disease. Presently, there are no effective interventions to delay or prevent the progression of the neurodegenerative processes that underlie the disabling symptoms of Alzheimer's dementia.

From 45 proposals submitted from two countries, six researchers were awarded $1 million each to develop their proposals over a two-year period.

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