Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research

This program was developed to provide support for postdoctoral fellows (MD, MD/PhD and PhD) who specifically direct their research towards basic aging mechanisms and/or translational findings that have direct benefits to human aging and healthspan. Postdoctoral fellows at all levels of training are eligible. Up to ten one-year fellowships of $75,000 will be awarded in 2024.

The Program

The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research(“GFMR”), in partnership with the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), created the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Postdoctoral Fellowships in Aging Research to encourage and further the careers of postdoctoral fellows who are conducting research in the basic biology of aging, as well as translating advances in basic research from the laboratory to the clinic. The award is intended to provide significant research and training support to permit these postdoctoral fellows to become established in the field of aging.

The GFMR Postdoctoral Fellowship program supports research projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging as well as projects that have direct relevance to human aging if they show the potential to lead to clinically relevant strategies that address human aging and healthspan. Projects investigating age-related diseases will be considered, but only 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 such as frailty will also be considered. Projects that are strictly clinical in nature such as the diagnosis and treatment of disease, health outcomes, or the social context of aging are not eligible.

It is anticipated that up to 10 one-year grants will be awarded in 2024. The grant is $75,000, of which a minimum of $54,840 (*see note below) is to be used for salary and the remainder to be used for allowable expenses (research supplies, equipment, health insurance, travel to scientific meetings where the Fellow is presenting his/her biology of aging research, and relevant research and educational training). Funds for indirect costs or overhead are not allowed.

* The applicant’s salary/stipend must equal or exceed NIH pay scale for postdoctoral fellowships, appropriate to the level of training, https://www.niaid.nih.gov/grants-contracts/salary-cap-stipends. Thus, if the NIH stipend minimum for the corresponding level of experience exceeds $54,840, additional award funds may be taken as salary to meet the NIH standard.

Recipients of this award are expected to attend the combined Glenn AFAR Grantee Conference and Glenn Workshop on the Biology of Aging; funds will be allocated from the grant for this purpose. The goal of the meeting is to promote scientific and personal exchanges among recent AFAR grantees and experts in aging research.

Eligibility Criteria

  • The applicant must be a postdoctoral fellow (MD and/or PhD degree or equivalent) at the start date of the award (July 1, 2024).
  • The proposed research must be conducted at a qualified not-for-profit setting in the United States.
  • Individuals who are employees in the NIH Intramural program are not eligible.
  • Postdoctoral fellows in laboratories that receive support as part of a Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research are not eligible to apply.
  • Applicants who will have received more than 5 years of postdoctoral training at the time of the start of the award must provide a justification for the additional training period.
  • Fellows may not hold any concurrent funding for the same research project.

Former GFMR postdoctoral fellowship awardees may apply if the criteria above are met.

Applicants from underrepresented groups in the biomedical sciences are strongly encouraged to apply.

Application Guidelines

The following criteria are used to determine the merit of an application:

  • Qualifications of the applicant
  • Quality of the proposed research (*see note below)
  • Proposed career development plan, and training opportunities for the applicant
  • Excellence of the research environment
  • Likelihood that the applicant will pursue a career in aging research
  • Mentor's strength and qualifications to guide the applicant's research and career planning

* We recognize that most applicants’ postdoctoral projects will be multi-year projects. As such, the applicant should describe the overall project but indicate the scope of the work that is being proposed for the year to be funded by a Fellowship if awarded.

Application Procedures and Timeline

Please refer to the Letter of Intent instructions. Incomplete or late submissions will not be considered. All Letters of Intent must uploaded here.

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 and GFMR 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, please review Principles of Animal Use for Gerontological Research , or this webinar recording from the Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence: https://nathanshockcenters.org.

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

Timeline:

  • LOI deadline: January 25, 2024
  • Results of LOI review: Early April 2024
  • Deadline for full application: Mid-May 2024
  • Award Announcements: Late June 2024
  • Award Start Date: July 1, 2024

Reporting Requirements

Investigators will be required to submit narrative and financial reports within three months following the end date of the award.

Glenn Foundation for Medical Research

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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.

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More Funding Opportunities

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Diana Jacobs Kalman/AFAR Scholarships for Research in the Biology of Aging

Who is Eligible: MD, DO, PhD, or combined degree students who have completed at least two years by the start date of the scholarship
Research Area:
Biology of aging
Scholarship Amount: $5,000
Program Period: 3-6 months
Awards Given: Up to 10
Deadline: April 15, 2024

Hevolution Foundation Scientific Conferences Fund

Who is eligible: Non-profit organizations, public and private universities, colleges, laboratories and government agencies in North America (Canada, United States of America, and Mexico)
Amount of award: Up to $10,000 per meeting
Deadline: January 31, April 30, July 31, October 31

Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program

Who is Eligible: Any allopathic or osteopathic medical student in good standing, who will have successfully completed one year of medical school at a U.S. institution by June 2024.
Award Period: 8-12 weeks

Interested students should be in touch directly with the National Training Centers to determine their eligibility and program deadline.

Small Research Grant Program for the Next Generation of Researchers in Alzheimer's Disease (R03)

Who is Eligible: Early stage investigators in AD/ADRD research and established researchers who are not currently doing AD/ADRD research
Research area: Alzheimer’s Disease and Alzheimer’s Disease Related Dementias
Award Amount: $200,000
Award Period: 2 years
Awards Given: approximately 12
Deadlines: February 16, June 16, and October 16.

McKnight Brain Research Foundation Innovator Awards in Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss

Who is eligible: Independent Assistant and Associate Professors
Research area: Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss
Amount of award: $750,000
Award period: 3 years
Number of awards given: Two
Deadline for application: The deadline has passed for 2023

Hevolution/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Aging Biology and Geroscience Research

Who is eligible: Junior investigators (MDs and/or PhDs) with at least 3 years of independent research. Eligible investigators must be at an academic, government or non-profit institution in the US or Canada.
Research area: Basic biology of aging or geroscience
Amount of award: USD375,000
Award period: 3 years
Number of awards given: 18
Deadline for LOI: The deadline has passed for 2023

Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and AFAR Grants for Junior Faculty

Who is eligible: Independent Junior Faculty
Research area: Biology of aging
Amount of award: $150,000
Award period: 1 or 2 years
Number of awards given: Approximately 10
Deadline for LOI: The deadline has passed for 2024

Glenn Foundation Discovery Award

Who is Eligible: Full-time faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor or higher
Research Focus: Biology of aging
Award Amount: $525,000
Award Period: 3 years
Awards Given: 2
Letter of Intent Deadline: The deadline has passed for 2024

The Sagol Network GerOmic Award for Junior Faculty

Who is eligible: Independent Junior Faculty

Research area: Aging-related -omics research

Amount of award: $150,000

Award period: 1 or 2 years

Number of awards given: 1

Letter of Intent Deadline: The deadline has passed for 2024