Q: Are there citizenship requirements for your programs?
A: There are no citizenship requirements for the biology of aging programs. The Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) and Beeson Career Development programs require that the applicant is a US citizen or permanent resident.
Q: Is the _______ award available internationally?
A: The Hevolution/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Aging Biology and Geroscience Research are open to researchers who are located in Canada or the United States of America. The Hevolution Foundation Scientific Conferences Fund are open to organizations in North America (Canada, Mexico and the United States of America). The other AFAR grants are only open to candidates conducting research at a U.S.-based not-for-profit institution by the start date of the award. Please contact grants@afar.org with any questions.
Q: I am not familiar with the NIH-style biosketch, is there a template I can use?
A: The template for the NIH-style biosketch can be found here: https://grants.nih.gov/grants/.... Applicants who are applying from outside of the United States do not need to fill in the "eRA COMMONS USER NAME" field on the biosketch.
Q: For the Hevolution/AFAR New Investigator Award, could you clarify what papers count toward the requirement of “at least 3 last author research papers in an international peer reviewed journal from independent work carried out in the applicant’s own laboratory”?
A: We allow last/senior author peer-reviewed papers including research and methods papers, that must be published, or accepted for publication, prior to the LOI submission deadline of September 25, 2023; “corresponding author” is not considered equivalent to ‘last author’, and we do not allow pre-prints.
Q: Can I get an extension on the deadline? My cat died.
A: We are truly sorry that your cat died (we love pets!), but, no you cannot get an extension on the deadline for ANY reason.
Q: How will I know that my Letter of Intent or application was received?
A: After submitting your Letter of Intent/application through the appropriate link, you will receive an automatically generated confirmation email. Please keep this email for your records. If you do not receive this email within hours of submitting your application, please check your spam/junk folder. If you do not receive the confirmation email, contact AFAR immediately.
Q: I am submitting an LOI for the Glenn Postdoctoral Fellowship program and I have co-mentors, can I submit a 5 page biosketch for both mentors?
A: Yes, we will allow a 5 page biosketch to be submitted for both mentors (up to two).
Q: When is the start date of the award?
A: This varies for each grant program, but is clearly stated in the related guidelines. If you cannot locate the appropriate start date for the award to which you are applying, please contact grants@afar.org.
Q: Can my figures and graphs be included as appendices to the LOI or application?
A: This varies by grant. We allow a separate page for figures/graphs for the Glenn Postdoctoral Fellowship program. For the Junior Faculty and Discovery programs any figures/images must be included in the LOI as instructed. If you do not follow these instructions, your LOI may not be reviewed. Also, the reviewers do not want to use a magnifying glass to read the legend on your figures/images - please keep them legible.
Q: I was selected to submit a full application, can the budget include postdoctoral students and graduate students under personnel?
A: Yes. But we only cover salary or stipends, not tuition. (This does not apply to the postdoctoral fellowship program.)
Q: Under personnel in the budget, can fringe benefits be included as well as salary?
A: Yes. (This does not apply to the postdoctoral fellowship program.)
Q: Are indirect costs allowed?
A: Yes, but it varies by grant. Please read the grant materials carefully and contact us if you have questions.
Q: For the McKnight Innovator Awards - can unrecovered indirect costs be included as part of the cost sharing or matching commitment?
A: No, we do not accept unrecovered indirect costs as part of the matching commitment required on the award.
Q: Can there be more than one PI?
A: No, but we will allow for co-Investigator and Collaborators. The award will only be made to one person.
Q: I have a co-Investigator/Collaborator on my project. Should I have them write a letter of collaboration?
A: You should list them on your LOI and if your LOI is selected for a full application ask them to write a letter of commitment and include their NIH-style biosketch.
Q: Can I include a manuscript with my application that has not yet been accepted for publication?
A: No, you can only include it if it has been accepted for publication but has not yet been published. We will remove manuscripts from your application should they not meet this criteria, so please indicate where the manuscript has been accepted and the anticipated publication date.
Q: Do I need to include IRB/Animal Use Committee approval with my application?
A: No, but if your application is recommended for funding you must provide it prior to the start date of the award.
Q: Can my application be submitted a few days late? The official authorizing the proposal is in Tibet meeting the Dalai Lama.
A: No, it has to be submitted with the page of original scanned or electronic signatures by the deadline. We will not accept late submissions. Please plan accordingly.
Q: I was selected to submit a full application. Is it ok if my letters of reference come in after the deadline?
A: Yes. We prefer that the letters arrive by the deadline, but we will accept them a few days late. It is best to check with grants@afar.org to confirm this as it may change.
Q: I submitted an Institutional Commitment Form with my Letter of Intent (LOI). Do I need to re-submit the Institutional Commitment Form with my full application?
A: No. We do not need to receive the Institutional Commitment Form a second time unless there is a significant change over the initial submission.
Q: I already have an award, how can I find out about reporting requirements/no-cost extensions/rebudget/other administrative issues?
A: Head on over to our Administrative Guidelines page.
Q: Is the total amount for the Glenn and AFAR Junior Faculty Grant $150,000 for one year and $300,000 for two years?
A: No, it’s $150,000 total over one or two years.
Q: I am not yet junior faculty, but I will be by the start date of the award-- am I still eligible to apply?
A: Yes, as long as you are junior faculty by July 1, 2024. This should be indicated on the Institutional Commitment form which must be submitted by your Department Chair or Dean.
Q: Is there a citizenship requirement for the MSTAR program?
A: Yes. The Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) program requires that the applicant is a US citizen or permanent resident.
Q: Are MD/PhD students eligible?
A: Yes.
Q: Do I have to complete the MSTAR program in the summer between my first and second year of medical school?
A: While most applicants do complete the program between the first and second year of medical school, it is not required. It is only required that students have completed at least one year of medical school and that they are currently enrolled while participating in the program (i.e. they have not graduated). However, students are encouraged to conduct the program during the summer as there are group activities that will not be available during other times of the year
Q: When is the deadline?
A: Confirm with each National Training Center directly, although the deadline is typically in late January.
Q: I received the MSTAR last year. Will I receive a W-2 or some type of tax document to use when I file my taxes?
A: We do not provide any documentation for tax filing. You should check with the IRS or your tax-preparer to determine the best way to declare the scholarship.
