AFAR Grants for Junior Faculty and Glenn Foundation for Medical Research (GFMR) Grants for Junior Faculty

AFAR Grants for Junior Faculty and Glenn Foundation for Medical Research (GFMR) Grants for Junior Faculty provide up to $160,000 for a one- to two-year award to early career faculty (MDs and PhDs) to conduct research that will serve as the basis for longer term research efforts on the biology of aging. These investigators study a broad range of biomedical and clinical topics related to aging. The Letter of Intent deadline is December 15, 2025.

The major goal of this program is to assist in the development of the careers of junior investigators committed to pursuing careers in aging research. The program supports research projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging rather than disease-specific research. Projects investigating age-related diseases are supported if approached from the point of view of how basic aging processes may lead to these conditions. Projects concerning mechanisms underlying common geriatric functional disorders are also eligible, 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.

Projects investigating mechanisms of, or putative therapies for, Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias, are not eligible for this award and investigators should consider applying instead to the Small Research Grant Program for the Next Generation of Researchers in Alzheimer's Disease (R03).

Projects investigating ger-omics should apply for The Sagol Network GerOmic Award for Junior Faculty.

It is anticipated that approximately 10 grants of up to $160,000 each will be awarded in 2026. Applicants may propose using 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 $11,852). Funding will begin July 1, 2026.

To be eligible, the applicant must be:

• An independent investigator with independent research space as described in a form completed by the Dean or Department Chair.
• No more than 10 years beyond the start of postdoctoral research training as of July 1, 2026. Exceptions to the ten year rule may be considered for certain life events (e.g. familial, personal commitments or other exceptional circumstances) and may be requested by emailing an NIH-style biosketch to AFAR at grants@afar.org at least one week prior to the deadline date. COVID-related exception requests are not considered. For Awards funded by the GFMR preference will be given to investigators who are in the first 3 years of a faculty appointment.

The program does not provide support for:

• Postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory of a senior investigator
• Investigators who have received major extramural funding for research in any area as a PI or Co-PI (not Co-I) - such as an NIH DP1, DP2, DP5, R01, R37, R56, RF1, RL1, U01 and R35 or VA Merit Award - prior to and including the start date of this award (applicants may hold K, K99/R00 or R21 funding, or NSF funding provided direct costs do not exceed $200,000 a year)
• Senior faculty, i.e. at the rank of Associate Professor level or higher
• Former recipients of this award and Sagol Network GerOmic Award
• Applicants for the 2026 Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Discovery Award, and/or the 2026 Sagol Network GerOmic Award for Junior Faculty
• Applicants who are conducting research at a for-profit institution, or at an institution outside of the United States
• Alzheimer's Disease and/or related dementias research

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

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

Please refer to the LOI instructions. Incomplete applications cannot be considered. All Letters of Intent must be uploaded here. Institutional Commitment forms must be submitted via email to afarapplication@afar.org.

The Letters of Intent will be reviewed by a committee. A subset of applicants will be invited to submit a full application which will be reviewed by a Selection Committee. The Selection Committee’s recommendations will be presented to AFAR which will make final funding decisions.

Please review this link which includes suggestions for submitting an LOI or application to AFAR. Click here for our Frequently Asked Questions page. If you are using animals in your research, we strongly encourage you to review Guidelines for Aging Rodent Research.

AFAR will not provide reviewer critiques to any applicants at any review level.

Timeline:

LOI deadline: December 15, 2025

Results LOI review: Mid-March 2026

Deadline full application: Late April 2026

Award Announcement: Mid-June 2026

Award Start Date: July 1, 2026

Final narrative and financial reports are required within three months following the end date of the award. Guidelines for submitting reports as well as other administrative questions can be found here.

The award recipients are expected to attend the Glenn Foundation/AFAR Grantee Conference which convenes AFAR and GFMR 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.