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Aging Research Funding Opportunities

Compiled by the AGE TC Grants/Meetings/Opportunities Committee

The American Aging Association (AGE) is excited to announce a new request for applications (RFA) for the AGE VOYAGER (Venturing Opportunities for Young AGE Geroscientists in Education and Research) Grants.  

Overview and Purpose

The AGE VOYAGER Grants are designed to support AGE Trainee Chapter Members (i.e., members of AGE who are graduate students or postdoctoral fellows) seeking to expand their research skills, professional network, and career opportunities in the field of aging research. This award will fund short-term, hands-on experiences including mini-sabbaticals in host laboratories or participation in specialized courses that enhance the trainee’s scientific development and foster new collaborations.

Key Features
  • Award Amount: Up to $5,000 per award.
  • Eligible Expenses: Travel, lodging, registration fees, childcare costs, and other justified expenses directly related to the proposed activity.
  • Open to: AGE Trainee Chapter Members (graduate students or postdocs).
  • Purposes: Acquire new technical skills, gain specialized knowledge, and develop professional networks in aging research.
  • Application Deadline: June 16, 2025 
    • Note that there will be an additional deadline in January.
Eligibility Criteria
  • AGE Trainee Membership Status: Applicant must be an AGE trainee member at the time of application and throughout the award period, and be currently enrolled as a graduate student or be employed as a postdoctoral fellow. 
  • PI Support: The trainee’s PI must provide a letter of support for the application. 
  • Host Lab: For mini-sabbaticals, the institution hosting the trainee’s visit must be different from the trainee’s current lab and institution.  
  • A maximum of one grant per institution will be awarded per cycle, and individuals are limited to a single award per career phase.
Allowable Activities and Expenses
  • Mini-Sabbatical or Short-Term Training: Travel and accommodations to another lab or institution to learn a specific technique or methodology relevant to aging research.
  • Specialized Courses or Workshops: Enrollment fees, travel, and accommodation costs for in-person or virtual courses (e.g., Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Courses, MBL Courses on Biology of Aging, etc.).
  • Childcare: Childcare expenses incurred while attending training or traveling are eligible.
  • Other Relevant Costs: Additional expenses that directly support the trainee’s professional development (should be well-justified).
  • Research costs: are not considered an eligible expense.
Budget Guidelines
  • Applicants may request up to $5,000. Smaller fund requests are encouraged if applicable.
  • Funds are intended to directly support the trainee, rather than the host or home institution.

Application Components

  1. Project Proposal (1 page)

    • Overview: Describe the proposed activity (mini-sabbatical, course, workshop, etc.), including a brief overview of your anticipated timeline for the activity.

    • Research Objectives: Clearly outline your research aims, detail what you expect to gain from this activity, and explain its relevance in the context of your current research project. 

    • Impact: Explain how the new skill or experience will benefit your research program, your lab, and the broader geroscience field. Outline how you will apply the newly acquired skills or knowledge once you return to your home institution.

    • Career Development: Describe how this opportunity aligns with your short- and long-term career goals.

  2. Letter of Support from Your Principal Investigator (PI)

    • Should confirm the PI’s support of your participation in this activity.

    • Indicate whether the PI or home institution has the ability to cover these costs in the absence of this grant. A brief statement clarifying the lab’s current funding situation is encouraged.

  3. Letter from Host Lab or Course Agenda

    • If proposing a mini-sabbatical or lab visit, include a letter/email from the host lab or institution indicating their willingness to accommodate your visit, the goals for the visit, and the support/resources available to you.

    • If proposing to attend a course/workshop, include the course/program agenda and any relevant documentation from the program organizer.

  4. Budget and Justification

    • Provide a clear, itemized budget detailing travel, lodging, registration, childcare, and other expenses.

    • Include a brief justification for each expense category.

  5. Applicant NIH Biosketch

    • Provide an up-to-date NIH Biosketch highlighting your relevant training, publications, and professional activities.

Review Process and Criteria 

Applications will be reviewed by a committee appointed by AGE, using the following criteria:

  1. Scientific Merit and Training Strategy: Proposals must articulate well-defined research objectives that underscore the project's feasibility, significance, and innovation.

  2. Candidate Profile and Support Documentation: Applicants should exhibit academic credentials via their biosketch that fit the proposal goals, and the PI endorsement and host lab letter or course documentation should support the project feasibility and benefits of the training.

  3. Impact and Future Potential: Proposals should show substantial potential for enhancing the applicant’s career development, delivering benefits to their home lab, and driving growth in the biology of aging field. 

  4. Appropriateness of Budget: Budget should be reasonable and justified; requests for partial funding or co-funding from other sources may be viewed favorably.

Award Administration
  • Notification of Awards: Applicants will receive email notifications of funding decisions after the anticipated decision date. 
  • Funding Disbursement: Specific disbursement or reimbursement procedures will be determined in consultation with AGE’s administrative office and the awardee. Awardees may be responsible for any applicable taxes on funds received. For course-based proposals, funding will be provided only if you secure acceptance into the course. This acceptance must be confirmed at least one month before the next VOYAGER grant submission deadline. For example, if you plan to submit a grant for the May deadline, course acceptance must be secured by December, ahead of the January VOYAGER submission deadline.
  • Reporting Requirements: Awardees will be asked to provide a brief summary report (1 page) upon completion of the funded activity, detailing outcomes, skills gained, and how the experience has advanced their research and career goals. Receipts for related expenses may be required. Grantees will be strongly encouraged to attend next year’s Annual AGE Meeting, as they may be requested to present about their project and experience.
Key Dates
  • Application Deadline: June 16, 2025.
  • Anticipated Decision Date: July 14, 2025
  • Anticipated Earliest Project Start Date: August 1, 2025
Submission Instructions
Questions and Contact Information
For any inquiries regarding eligibility, application requirements, or submission logistics, please contact: [email protected]  subject: AGE VOYAGER Inquiry
We look forward to receiving your applications and supporting innovative, skill-building opportunities in aging research!
AGE Trainee Research Awards Committee

 

Apply Today!

 

The University of Washington Nathan Shock Center  has pilot project funding available. They are soliciting short proposals, particularly aimed at early career and junior investigators, or established researchers who are new to aging research. 

The pilot awards are up to $10K and will fund analysis in one of the UW Nathan Shock Cores. They are aiming to assist investigators in developing new research directions and novel insights in any of these areas:

Protein Phenotypes of Aging
Proteomics Core

Metabolite Phenotypes of Aging
Metabolomics Core

Invertebrate Longevity and Healthspan
High throughput, microfluidic and chemostatic assays in S. cerevisiae or C. elegans.

Artificial Intelligence and Bioinformatics
AI and computationally intensive projects, analysis and collaboration

AGE members can see announcement details at https://halo.dlmp.uw.edu/pilot/

All applicants are encouraged to contact the core directors and UW Nathan Shock advisors for assistance with study and proposal design.

New investigators and investigators new to aging, and new to omic/high throughput/computational analysis are highly encouraged to apply.

 

Alzheimer's Association, Research Grants

Link: https://www.alz.org/research/for_researchers/grants/types-of-grants
Discipline: Alzheimer’s Disease
Target group: Various, including post-doctoral fellows, residents, junior faculty, senior faculty, clinicians
US Citizenship requirement: None
Deadline: Various, check specific funding opportunity

American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)

Link: https://www.afar.org/funding-opportunities
Discipline: Aging (general)
Target group: Various, including undergraduate students, graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, junior faculty, senior faculty
US Citizenship requirement: None
Deadline: Various, check specific funding opportunity

Archstone Foundation

Link: https://archstone.org/how-we-work
Discipline: Health care, social care pertaining to older Californians and their caregivers
Target group: Check specific funding opportunity
US Citizenship requirement: None
Deadline: Various, check specific funding opportunity

Center for Retirement Research at Boston College

Link: https://crr.bc.edu/about-us/opportunities/
Discipline: Retirement or disability research
Target group: Various, including doctoral students, junior or non-tenured scholars (within 7 years of receiving their Ph.D.)
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: Check specific funding opportunity

Clinician-Scientist Transdisciplinary Aging Research Coordinating Center (Clin-STAR) 

Link: https://clin-star.org/funding-opportunities#otherfundingopportunities
Discipline: clinically-relevant aging research
Target group: various including junior and early career clinician-scientist
US Citizenship requirement: check funding opportunity, includes opportunities for U.S. citizen or permanent residents
Deadline: various, check specific funding opportunity 

Edward N. and Della L. Thome Memorial Foundation Awards Program in Age-Related Macular Degeneration Research

Link: https://hria.org/tmf/thomeamd/
Discipline: Age-Related Macular Degeneration, translational research
Target group: not specified 
US Citizenship requirement: not specified
Deadline: check funding opportunity 

Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity and Equality (GCRLE)

Link: https://gcrle.org/funding/
Discipline: Female reproductive aging
Target group: Post-doctoral fellows, junior faculty, senior faculty
US Citizenship requirement: None 
Deadline: Variable
            Note: Global initiative, researchers residing outside the US are eligible as well 

HIV and Aging Research Consortium (HARC), HIV/Aging Pilot Program 

Link: https://hiv-arc.org/funding.html
Discipline: HIV & aging
Target group: Faculty investigators who have not yet had an R01 or other substantial NIH funding, or geroscience faculty investigators at any rank who are new to HIV research; All applicants must have a collaborator or mentor from one of the participating centers (NSC, MBI, OAIC, or CFAR).US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: January

Longevity Impetus Grants

Link: https://impetusgrants.org/
Discipline: Diverse aging topics, founding round-specific
Target group: Any 
US Citizenship requirement: None
Deadline: Variable

Nathan Shock Center - University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB), pilot grant

Link: https://www.uab.edu/shockcenter/research/funding/pilot-grants
Discipline: Aging (general)
Target group: Independent investigators
US Citizenship requirement: None
Deadline: Rolling

Nathan Shock Center - University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB), exploratory fund

Link: https://www.uab.edu/shockcenter/research/funding/exploratory-funds
Discipline: Aging, mechanistic hallmarks and/or energetics of aging
Target group: Not specified
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: Rolling, monthly

Nathan Shock Center - Albert Einstein College of Medicine, pilot grant

Link: https://www.einsteinmed.edu/centers/aging/centers-of-excellence/nathan-shock/
Discipline: Aging (general)
Target group: Not specified (preference: junior faculty and investigators new to aging research)
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: Rolling

Nathan Shock Center - University of Washington Medicine, pilot grant

Link: https://halo.dlmp.uw.edu/pilot/
Discipline: Aging (general)
Target group: Not specified (preference: junior faculty and investigators new to aging research)
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: Rolling

Nathan Shock Center - Buck Institute, pilot grant

Link: https://uscbucknsc.org/grants/
Discipline: Aging (general)
Target group: Junior or senior faculty member
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: Rolling

Nathan Shock Center - Oklahoma, pilot grant

Link: https://uscbucknsc.org/grants/
Discipline: Aging (general)
Target group: not specified
US Citizenship requirement: not specified
Deadline: October

Nathan Shock Center - San Diego, pilot grant

Link: https://www.salk.edu/science/research-centers/san-diego-nathan-shock-center/pilot-grant-program/
Discipline: Aging (general)
Target group: Post-doctoral fellows or staff scientists within 10 years of obtaining a PhD, assistant professors within 5 years of initial faculty appointment, senior investigators new to the field of aging
US Citizenship requirement: None
Deadline: August
               Note: award includes mentorship and career development component for junior investigators

Nathan Shock Center - San Antonio, pilot grant

Link: https://nathanshock.barshop.uthscsa.edu/cores/research-development/rfa-support-core-service/
Discipline: Aging (general), basic research
Target group: All tenure-track and non-tenure track faculty members
US Citizenship requirement: Not required
Deadline: September

Nathan Shock Center - The Jackson Laboratory, pilot grant

Link: https://www.agingmice.org/home/research-development-core/ 
Discipline: Aging (general) using aged mice
Target group: Junior or senior faculty members
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: Variable

National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) and Gates Ventures, pilot program

Link: https://naccdata.org/nacc-collaborations/digital-biomarker-pilots 
Discipline: Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias
Target group: Researchers and clinicians 
US Citizenship requirement: None 
Deadline: March

National Institutes of Aging

Link: https://www.nia.nih.gov/research/grants-funding  
Discipline: Aging (general)
Target group: Diverse funding mechanisms across career stages 
US Citizenship requirement: U.S. citizen or permanent resident for most funding mechanisms, with exceptions! 
Deadline: Variable, see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/how-to-apply-application-guide/due-dates-and-submission-policies/due-dates.htm 

Network for Investigation of Delirium: Unifying Scientists (NIDUS), Pilot Grant

Link: https://deliriumnetwork.org/pilots/nidus-pilots-application-instructions/
Discipline: Brain, Delirium & Alzheimer’s Disease
Target group: Junior and senior investigators
US Citizenship requirement: None
Deadline: February

Seed Pilots for Aging Research Collaboration (SPARC): RCCN Pilot Grants to Promote Inter-NIA Center Collaborative Research

Link: https://www.rccn-aging.org/rccn-pilot-awards-request-for-applications
Discipline: Aging (general)
Target group: Investigators affiliated with at least two different NIA Centers Programs
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: April, October

Simon Foundation, SCPAB Transition to Independence Award

Link: https://www.simonsfoundation.org/grant/scpab-transition-to-independence-award/
Discipline: Brain aging, cognition
Target group: Post-doctoral fellows
US Citizenship requirement: None
Deadline: January

Retirement Research Foundation, Foundation for Aging

Link: https://www.rrf.org/apply-for-a-grant/
Discipline: Various, including non-research grants
Target group: Various, check specific funding opportunity 
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: November, February, May

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Aging Priority

Link: https://hjweinbergfoundation.org/grants/how-we-give/aging/
Discipline: Health care/ social care pertaining to selected priority communities 
Target group: Not specified 
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: Check funding opportunity

The Patrick and Catherine Weldon Donaghue Medical Research Foundation, Another Look Grant

Link: https://donaghue.org/another-look/
Discipline: Healthcare (pertaining to 65+ year-old adults in Long Term Care Facilities)
Target group: Investigators holding a PhD (or equivalent) 
US Citizenship requirement: Not specified
Deadline: Check funding opportunity