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 twelve one-year fellowships of $80,000 will be awarded in 2026.
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 12 one-year grants will be awarded in 2026. The grant is $80,000, of which a minimum of $62,652 (*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 $62,652, 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.
If awarded, GFMR Postdoctoral Fellows may be eligible to apply for a second year of funding though the GFMR Postdoctoral Fellowship Continuation award.
We welcome applicants from all groups including those underrepresented in the biomedical sciences.
The following criteria are used to determine the merit of an application:
* 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.
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, 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:
Investigators will be required to submit narrative and financial reports 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.
