The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research (GFMR) in collaboration with the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), has established the Glenn Foundation Discovery Award. This Award was created to support research projects with strong potential to develop pioneering discoveries for understanding the underlying biological mechanisms that govern normal human aging and its related physiological decline. Relevant proposals from any branch of biology are eligible. This funding program specifically seeks to include principal investigators who may not have previously worked in the area of aging, but whose research and expertise are applicable to understanding the biological mechanisms of normal aging and its relevance to age-associated health decline.
Projects that characterize aging as a disease, or that focus on specific diseases are discouraged unless the research plan provides direct connections to the biology of aging and/or the prospect of a translational discovery relevant to improving human healthspan.
Up to two three-year awards will be made in 2026. Each award is for $555,000 payable in annual installments of $185,000 per year, of which a maximum of 8% may be used for indirect expenses or institutional overhead (not to exceed $13,704 per year).
Recipients of this award are expected to attend the combined AFAR Grantee Conference and Glenn Foundation Workshop on Biology of Aging in the second and third year of the award. The purpose of the meetings is to promote scientific and personal exchanges among recent AFAR and GFMR grantees and other invited scientists in aging research.
To be eligible, the applicant:
Investigators who may not have previously worked in the area of aging, but whose research interests and expertise are relevant and could lead to discoveries in understanding the biology of normal aging are encouraged to apply.
Former AFAR Research Grant for Junior Faculty awardees may apply; former Glenn Foundation Breakthrough In Gerontology (BIG) awardees may NOT apply. If you are applying for an AFAR Grant for Junior Faculty and Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Grants for Junior Faculty, you may NOT also apply for the 2026 Glenn Foundation Discovery Award.
Questions about eligibility and suitability of research project can be addressed to grants@afar.org.
Selection Criteria
Applications are reviewed based on the following criteria:
The Letter of Intent (“LOI”) deadline is February 18, 2026. Please refer to the GFMR Discovery Award LOI for instructions. Incomplete or improperly completed LOIs cannot be considered. All LOIs should be submitted as PDFs here. The Letters of Intent will be reviewed by a committee. All LOI candidates who are invited to submit applications must have it endorsed by their institution. Neither the GFMR nor AFAR will provide reviewer critiques to any applicants at any review level.
Timeline:
If you are using animals in your research, we strongly encourage you to review Guidelines for Aging Rodent Research.
Please review this link, Things to Consider When Submitting an Application, which includes suggestions for submitting an LOI or application to AFAR. Click here for our Frequently Asked Questions page.
Investigators will be required to submit a brief narrative report annually on the progress of their research. Final narrative and financial reports are required within three months following the end date of the award.
Founded by Paul F. Glenn in 1965, the mission of the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research is to extend the healthy years of life through research on mechanisms of biology that govern normal human aging and its related physiological decline, with the objective of translating research into interventions that will extend healthspan with lifespan.
