Discover Funding Opportunities

The MSTAR Program provides medical students with an enriching experience in aging-related research and geriatrics, with the mentorship of top experts in the field. This program introduces students to research and academic experiences early in their training that they might not otherwise have during medical school. Students participate in an eight- to twelve-week structured research, clinical, and didactic program in geriatrics, appropriate to their level of training and interests. Research projects are offered in basic, translational, clinical, or health services research relevant to older people. Most scholars will do their training and research during the summer months. The program encourages medical students, particularly budding researchers, to consider a career in academic geriatrics by awarding short-term scholarships. Positive experiences in the MSTAR program have led many physicians-in-training to pursue academic careers in aging, ranging from basic science to clinical research to health services research. Applicants will compete for approximately 100 scholarships at seven National Training Centers supported by the National Institute on Aging. Students will also be invited to submit an abstract to present a poster at the Annual Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.

The McKnight Brain Research Foundation (MBRF) and the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) will provide up to two 3-year awards of $750,000 (USD) each to advanced Assistant Professors and recently appointed Associate Professors (MDs and PhDs.) One award will be made to support studies focusing on clinical translational research and another award toward understanding basic biological mechanisms underlying cognitive aging and age-related memory loss. The major goal of the program is to identify emerging scientific leaders by building a cadre of outstanding research scientists across the United States to lead transformative research in the field of cognitive aging. The program targets full-time independent investigators at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor (or equivalent) with established independent research programs who have already demonstrated a firm commitment to cognitive aging research. It will add substantial start-up support for a period of three years to help these investigators develop and/or expand an outstanding research program in cognitive aging and memory loss. It is expected that the proposed research will yield transformative discoveries and thus proposals are invited that are high risk/high gain in nature and that would be less suitable for conventional sources of funding.

The Fellows-to-Faculty Award program supports talented early career scientists and their research vision as they transition into tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. Fellows engage in a larger community of investigators, and receive funding toward the end of their postdoctoral career and a three-year faculty research grant. The program is offered by the Simons Foundation's Autism & Neuroscience division to nurture new talent and broaden the community of scientists contributing to their scientific mission. The award supports scientists whose scientific vision for their future independent laboratory is within the Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI) or the Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB). The postdoctoral award provides two years of funding including an $85,000 annual stipend, $10,000 career development allowance, and $15,000 health insurance and benefits allowance, followed by a three-year faculty research grant upon securing a tenure-track position.

The Autism & Neuroscience division at the Simons Foundation is accepting applications for funding of conferences and courses. This year, conferences and courses that align with the scientific missions of any of the following programs will be prioritized: Simons Foundation Autism Research Initiative (SFARI), with a mission to advance the basic science of autism and related neurodevelopmental disorders, Simons Collaboration on Plasticity and the Aging Brain (SCPAB), with a focus on healthy cognitive aging, Simons Collaboration on Ecological Neuroscience (SCENE), with a focus on understanding how interacting with the world shapes representations in the brain and mind, and the Simons Collaboration on the Global Brain (SCGB), with a focus on the fields of systems and computational neuroscience. Funding may be requested for instances of conferences or courses occurring over a period of up to three years between September 1, 2026, and August 31, 2029. The foundation does not typically fund any conference or course in its entirety, and all applicants are strongly encouraged to seek multiple sources of funding support. Eligible conferences or courses must have an open application or registration process.