Clin-STAR Transdisciplinary Aging Research Pilot/Planning Grants

Funding Agency:
American Federation for Aging Research

The Clinician-Scientists Transdisciplinary Aging Research (Clin-STAR) Coordinating Center is seeking to fund pilot or planning grants that aim to stimulate new collaborations focused on the development of clinical aging research projects.

A major goal of this effort is to bridge junior and senior researchers from different disciplines and institutions in order to stimulate new areas of age-related clinically relevant research that is focused on generating or analyzing data from human subjects. This might include epidemiological, clinical, health services, or biological measurement research. Funding may be used by investigators who are collecting preliminary data in emerging areas and/or understudied areas of clinical aging research, for collaborative projects to support transdisciplinary collaborations, or for smaller planning grants. The funding also provides opportunities to build mentee/mentor relationships at different institutions and content expertise in different disciplines for the junior investigator.

This mechanism provides funding for at least three pilot or planning grants. Awards will be made to junior clinician investigators who work collaboratively with a senior investigator(s) from a different discipline at a different institution. Funding may be used by investigators who are collecting preliminary data in emerging areas and/or understudied areas of clinical aging research, for collaborative projects to support transdisciplinary collaborations, or for smaller planning grants (up to $10K). The latter may be especially of interest to investigators from disciplines that do not have a strong tradition of collaboration by providing seed money to help develop or expand potential collaborations. Small clinical trials are eligible under this mechanism.

Letters of Intent due: April 12, 2022

Agency Website

https://clin-star.org/pilot-grants

Eligibility Requirements

  • Principal investigators (PIs) must meet the NIH Early Stage Investigators definition; however, early stage investigators and senior faculty at the rank of Associate Professor level or higher at the award date (October 2022) are not eligible.
  • The PI should have a health professional degree, such as physician, nurse, physical therapist, dentist, psychologist, or pharmacist, proposing a broad range of research topics that might include epidemiological, clinical, health services, or biological measurement research relevant to human subjects.
  • Investigators must conduct research at a U.S. based academic institution and be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. The primary mentor must also be at U.S. academic institutions, but secondary mentors (not required) may be from a non-U.S. academic institution.
  • The PI must identify a senior investigator from a different discipline or specialty who will serve in an advisory role on the project. The senior investigator must be from a different institution.
  • This opportunity is intended for candidates who have not had previous substantial research funding. Candidates who have received substantial research funding as principal investigator by October 1, 2022 are ineligible to receive this award. Substantial research funding is defined as any research award of $100,000 or greater in direct costs in any single year.
  • Applications are especially encouraged from women and underrepresented minorities, and from institutions that do not have significant aging research resources, e.g., a Pepper Center, GRECC.

Amount

$50,000

Amount Description

Each non-planning grant award will provide up to $50,000 in direct costs. In addition, up to 8% ($4,000) may be budgeted for indirect costs. This rate is set by AFAR. If you have questions or concerns about the indirect rate, please contact AFAR before submitting a letter of intent.

Funding Type

Grant

Eligibility

Junior Faculty

Category

Interdisciplinary
Medical
Medical - Clinical Science

External Deadline

April 12, 2022