AFAR provides up to $100,000 for a one- to two-year award to junior faculty (M.D.s and Ph.D.s) to conduct research that will serve as the basis for longer term research efforts. AFAR-supported investigators study a broad range of biomedical and clinical topics including the causes of cellular senescence, the role of estrogen in the development of osteoporosis, the genetic factors associated with Alzheimer's disease, the effects of nutrition and exercise on the aging process, and much more. Since 1981, over 680 AFAR Research Grants have been awarded.

Please note: The 2013 awards are closed and applications are no longer being accepted.  The tentative deadline for applications for the 2014 awards is December 16, 2013; please check back in fall 2013 for updated application materials.

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.

Examples of potentially fundable areas of research include, but are not limited to:

• Aging and immune function
• Stem Cell Aging
• Inflammation
• Genetic Control of longevity
• Neurobiology and neuropathology of aging*
• Mechanisms of dementia*
• Invertebrate or vertebrate animal models
• Cardiovascular aging
• Aging and cellular stress response
• 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 or healthy brain aging research should apply for the New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer's Disease. Applicants proposing other dementia-related research should apply for the AFAR Research grant. 

It is anticipated that approximately 10 grants of up to $100,000 each will be awarded in 2013. Applicants may propose to use the award over the course of one or two years as justified by the proposed research. Up to 8% of funds may be budgeted for overhead or indirect costs (not to exceed $7,407). Funding will begin July 1, 2013.

Eligibility

The applicant must be an independent investigator with independent research space as described in a form completed by the Dean or Department Chair, and must be no more than 10 years beyond start of postdoctoral research training as of July 1, 2013. Exceptions to the ten year rule may be requested for unusual circumstances by emailing an NIH-style biosketch to AFAR at grants@afar.org.

The AFAR Research Grant Program does not provide support for:

• Postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory of a senior investigator
• Investigators who have already received major extramural funding for research (such as an R01 or NSF equivalent 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 2013 Glenn/AFAR Breakthrough in Gerontology (BIG) award
• Applicants who are conducting research at a for-profit institution, or at an institution outside of the United States

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

All candidates must submit applications endorsed by their institution (only not-for-profit settings in the United States.) The deadline for receipt of all applications and supporting materials is December 17, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Please refer to the AFAR instruction sheet and application for complete application procedures. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.  All applications and supporting materials must be submitted through the website www.afar.org/grants/.

Click here for our Frequently Asked Questions page.

All candidates must submit applications endorsed by their institution. Applications are reviewed in two stages: An initial screening is made by an international team of reviewers after which candidates are advised of the status of their applications via email by mid-April. Proposals that are successful in the initial screening are then reviewed by members of the AFAR Research Committee and final awards are announced by early June. The award start date is July 1, 2013. AFAR can only provide critiques for those applications that went through to the second level of review.

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.

Annual Meeting

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
Anonymous
Bristol-Myers Squibb
The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research
David W. Gore
F.M. Kirby Foundation, Inc.
Pfizer Inc
The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Foundation
The Irving S. Wright Endowment