Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Aging awarded a $427,625 Project Grant to The Washington University (Office of Sponsored Research Services) on February 1, 2026, under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866) to support a two-year research initiative examining age-related differences in spatial navigation and cognitive mapping. The research will investigate how older adults acquire and retain flexible navigation behaviors—such as taking shortcuts through novel environments—over extended timeframes that more closely mirror real-world learning conditions. The study employs a longitudinal paradigm involving multi-day study-test trials across three days with a two-week retention interval, conducted in a real-world museum environment rather than a single-session virtual setting. This approach aims to address existing gaps in the literature by testing a theoretical model positing that age-related limitations in processing speed, attentional control, and associative processes contribute to slower acquisition of environmental knowledge and greater forgetting over time.

The research products will advance understanding of the cognitive mechanisms underlying age-related navigation deficits and inform interventions to reduce anxiety and activity restrictions in older adults experiencing wayfinding difficulties. The project's real-world experimental design and extended retention intervals will yield empirical data on the evolution of environmental knowledge across longer timescales than typical laboratory studies, providing insights relevant to improving navigation capabilities and quality of life for aging populations. The award period extends through January 31, 2028.