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

Funded by The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation and The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation, the major goal of this partnership program is to support important research in areas in which more scientific investigation is needed to improve the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The program also serves to encourage junior investigators in the United States and Israel to pursue research and academic careers in the neurosciences, and Alzheimer's disease in particular.

Projects in basic and translational research related to Alzheimer's disease (AD) that are clinically relevant, will be considered. Projects that focus on healthy brain aging are also considered. For one of the awards, priority may be given to an investigator with a research interest related to healthy brain aging. Areas of research could for example include learning and memory, nutrition, exercise, cardiovascular risk factors, as they relate to the brain and the aging process.

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

• Basic mechanisms of aging in the central nervous system
• Learning and memory
• Genetics of AD
• Neuroimaging and precursors of AD
• Cellular and Molecular pathways of AD
• Biological Markers of AD
• Exercise, nutrition and dietary factors
• Neurogenesis and AD
• Impact of environmental agents in CNS aging and early AD
• Inflammation
• Cardiovascular and cerebrovascular factors
• Drug discovery

It is anticipated that up to 4 grants of $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 proposed research must be conducted at any type of not-for-profit setting in the United States or Israel.

The New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer's Disease do not provide support for:

• Postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory of a senior investigator
• Investigators who have already received major extramural funding (such as an R01 or NSF equivalent grant)
• Senior faculty, i.e. at the rank of Associate Professor level or higher
• NIH Intramural program employees

Applicants cannot apply for the 2013 AFAR Research Grant Program or Glenn/AFAR BIG Program. Applications for this program will be considered for the AFAR Research Grant if deemed competitive.

 

Application Guidelines

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

• Qualifications of the applicant;
• Quality of the proposed research;
• Relevance of the proposal to how mechanisms of aging may lead to AD or encourage healthy brain aging;
• Excellence of the research environment;
• Likelihood that the project will advance the applicant's career in basic research on the mechanisms of aging and AD

For one of the awards, priority may be given to an investigator with a research interest related to healthy brain aging provided the application is deemed to meet the highest standards set by AFAR's Research Committee.

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. The deadline for receipt of applications and supporting materials is December 17, 2012 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Please refer to the instruction sheet and application for complete application procedures. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Click here for our Frequently Ask Questions page.

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 provide critiques only for those applications that are subject to a second stage 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. In addition, grant recipients of the New Investigator Awards in Alzheimer's are expected to attend a special session at the grantee conference.

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation (www.thegilbertfoundation.org) is committed to providing and connecting resources to organizations that promote and improve health, education, economic, and cultural opportunities to communities in California and Israel.

The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation supports:

• College access and retention in Greater Los Angeles
• Education, economic development, and scientific research & caregiver support
• Diabetes prevention and Alzheimer's disease research & caregiver support
• Cultural organizations and arts education programs in Greater Los Angeles
• Jewish organizations in Greater Los Angeles
• Programs at UC Berkeley and UCLA that intersect with the Foundation's mission and objects

In the area of Alzheimer's disease, The Rosalinde and Arthur Gilbert Foundation focuses its grantmaking on the advancement of research by junior investigators in the United States and Israel and investments in Alzheimer's disease caregiver resources and support.

The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation

The mission of The Diane and Guilford Glazer Foundation is to encourage cutting edge initiatives in the areas of higher education, interfaith relationships, and health related research in the United States and Israel.