Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)

Open Posted

Opportunity number
PAR-27-096
Agency
Applications due
Award size
Up to $125,000

Opportunity facts

Funding instrument
Grant
Category
  • Health
Eligible applicants
  • Special District Governments
  • Independent School Districts
  • City/Township Governments
  • Small Businesses
  • Public or Indian Housing Auth.
  • Other
  • County Governments
  • Higher Education Inst. (Private)
  • For Profit Organizations
  • Tribal Organizations (Not Federally Recognized)
  • Non-501(c)(3) Nonprofits
  • Higher Education Inst. (Public)
  • 501(c)(3) Nonprofits
  • State Governments
  • Tribal Governments (Federally Recognized)
Points of contact

Opportunity details come from Grants.gov. Updated .

About this opportunity

Written by GovTribe AI ·

The National Institute on Aging (NIA), in partnership with the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), and National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), seeks applicants for the Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program with an application deadline of November 10, 2026. This R03 mechanism supports early-career physician-scientists, dentist-scientists, and other clinician-scientists with clinical doctoral degrees (MD, DO, DDS, DMD, OD, DC, PharmD, ND, PsyD, DNP, DPT, DVM) launching careers as future leaders in aging- or geriatric-focused research.

Eligible applicants include higher education institutions (public and private), nonprofits (501(c)(3) and non-501(c)(3)), for-profit organizations, state and local governments, tribal governments, and faith-based organizations. Non-domestic entities and foreign subawards are ineligible; foreign components of U.S. organizations are permitted. Applicants must hold faculty appointments at award start and generally be within 10 years of completing specialty training. Those with prior NIH aging-related career development or research awards are ineligible; applicants with non-aging NIH awards may apply if demonstrating meaningful commitment to shifting research focus to aging science.

NIA intends to commit $3,000,000 annually (FY 2027–2029) to fund approximately 15 awards on general aging topics and $800,000 annually to fund approximately 4 awards focused on Alzheimer's disease or related dementias. Award budgets are limited to $125,000 in direct costs per year, with indirect costs calculated under an approved organizational rate or a 10% de minimis rate. The period of performance is two years, with the earliest start date of July 2027.

Applicants must propose transdisciplinary aging research addressing aging-related questions within their specialty, including pilot or feasibility studies, secondary data analyses, or methodology development, with senior collaborators possessing aging research expertise. A separate Professional Development Plan (limited to 5 pages), independently funded and concurrent with the R03 award, is required. Applications undergo scientific peer review in March 2027 and advisory council review in May 2027. Registrations in SAM, Grants.gov, and eRA Commons are required; all PD/PIs must hold eRA Commons accounts and valid ORCID IDs. Applicants must submit a Data Management and Sharing Plan and address NIH inclusion policies for human subjects research.

This program operates under CFDA 93.866 (Aging Research), 93.121 (Oral Diseases and Disorders Research), 93.361 (Nursing Research), and 93.307 (Minority Health and Health Disparities Research).

Synopsis

The goal of the Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program is to provide support for early-career clinician-scientists trained in medical or surgical specialties to launch careers as future leaders in aging- or geriatric-focused research. In support of the program's goal, this GEMSSTAR Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications that propose to conduct transdisciplinary aging research that will yield pilot data and experience for subsequent aging research projects. The GEMSSTAR program encourages candidates to seek out a supportive research environment to further the program's objectives of fostering the development of early-career clinician-scientists in aging- or geriatric-focused research, particularly as it applies to their clinical specialty/discipline. Toward this end, GEMSSTAR candidates should include a Professional Development Plan that reflects this supportive research environment. In selecting GEMSSTAR recipients, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) will consider the extent to which a candidate's environment is supportive of aging- or geriatric-focused research.

Eligibility

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International CollaborationsNon-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16.8 Collaborative International Research Awards.Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.

Files

File Type Posted
PKG00294123.pdf PDF
PAR-27-096-Full-Announcement.html HTML file

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