The Program
The major goal of this program is to assist in the development of the careers of junior investigators committed to pursuing careers in the field of aging research. AFAR supports research projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging. Projects investigating age-related diseases are also supported, especially if approached from the point of view of how basic aging processes may lead to these outcomes. Projects concerning mechanisms underlying common geriatric functional disorders are also encouraged, as long as these include connections to fundamental problems in the biology of aging. Projects that deal strictly with clinical problems such as the diagnosis and treatment of disease, health outcomes, or the social context of aging are not eligible.

• Aging and immune function
• Genetic Control of longevity
• Neurobiology and neuropathology of aging*
• Invertebrate or vertebrate animal models
• Cardiovascular aging
• Aging and cellular stress resistance
• Metabolic and endocrine changes
• Age-related changes in cell proliferation
• Caloric restriction and aging
• DNA repair and control of gene expression
• Biology of the menopause
• Aging and apoptosis
• Biodemographic analysis of aging
• Comparative gerontology
• Evolutionary biological aspects of the biology of aging

*Applicants proposing a project in Alzheimer's Disease research, should apply for the Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer's Disease. (This program is currently under review for renewal in 2009.)

It is anticipated that approximately 15 grants of up to $75,000 each will be awarded in 2009. Applicants may propose to use the award over the course of one or two years as justified by the proposed research. Funds may not be requested for overhead or indirect costs. Funding will begin July 1, 2009.

Recipients of this award are expected to attend the AFAR Grantee Conference. The purpose of the meeting is to promote scientific and personal exchanges among recent AFAR grantees and experts in aging research.

Eligibility

The applicant must be an independent investigator with assigned independent space and must be within the first four years of a junior faculty appointment (instructor, assistant professor or equivalent) by July 1, 2009.

• Postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory of a senior investigator
• Investigators who have already received major extramural funding for research on aging (such as an R01 grant)
• Senior faculty, i.e. at the rank of Associate Professor level or higher
• Former AFAR Research Grant recipients
• NIH Intramural program employees
• Applicants for the 2009 Glenn/AFAR Breakthrough in Gerontology (BIG) award

Application Guidelines

Four criteria are used to determine the merit of an application:

• Qualifications of the applicant;
• Quality of the proposed research;
• Excellence of the research environment;
• Likelihood that the project will advance the applicant's career in aging research.

If you are using animals in your research, please review Principles of Animal Use for Gerontological Research.

Application Procedures

Applications are reviewed in two stages: The initial screening takes place in mid-April, after which candidates are advised of the status of their applications via email. A final decision about grant awards is made in early June. The award start date is July 1, 2009.

AFAR can provide critiques only for those applications that are reviewed, at the second stage, by their Review Committee.

Reporting Requirements

Investigators will be required to submit a brief narrative report on the progress of their research five months after the start date of the award. Final narrative and financial reports are required within three months following the end date of the award.

The award recipients are expected to attend the AFAR Grantee Conference which convenes AFAR grant recipients, mentors and leaders in the field to review and disseminate the research progress of the grantees and their findings. The meeting encourages networking, facilitates collaborations, and enhances the development of leadership.

Major Funders of AFAR Research Grants Include:
The AFAR Board of Directors
Dorothy Dillon Eweson Endowment
The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
The Partners of Goldman Sachs & Company
David W. Gore
F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc.
Diane Nixon
Pfizer Inc
The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation
Joseph L.K. Snyder Trust
The Starr Foundation
The Irving S. Wright Endowment

Complete listing of all AFAR Selection Committees.

Listing of all AFAR Award Recipients.

Back to the List of Grants and Applications