Aging Research

(Aging)
CFDA 93.866 Active Grant Other Financial Assistance

Open Opportunities (34)

Live Grants.gov opportunities funded under this program — you can apply now.

Program Funding

Annual program obligations reported to SAM.gov.

Latest annual funding (estimated)
$261.8M FY2026
$3.75B
FY24
$3.78B
FY25
$261.8M
FY26*
* estimated

Who has received this funding

Organizations awarded under CFDA 93.866 (USAspending.gov).

Program Objective

To encourage biomedical, social, and behavioral research and research training directed toward greater understanding of the aging process and the diseases, special problems, and needs of people as they age. The National Institute on Aging has established programs to pursue these goals. The Division of Aging Biology emphasizes understanding the basic biological processes of aging. The Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology supports research to improve the abilities of health care practitioners to respond to the diseases and other clinical problems of older people. The Division of Behavioral and Social Research supports research that will lead to greater understanding of the social, cultural, economic and psychological factors that affect both the process of growing old and the place of older people in society. The Division of Neuroscience fosters research concerned with the age-related changes in the nervous system as well as the related sensory, perceptual, and cognitive processes associated with aging and has a special emphasis on Alzheimer's disease. Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program: To expand and improve the SBIR program; to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development; to increase small business participation in Federal research and development; and to foster and encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation. Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program: To stimulate and foster scientific and technological innovation through cooperative research development carried out between small business concerns and research institutions; to foster technology transfer between small business concerns and research institutions; to increase private sector commercialization of innovations derived from Federal research and development; and to foster and encourage participation of socially and economically disadvantaged small business concerns and women-owned small business concerns in technological innovation.

Eligibility

Eligible Applicants

  • U.S. Federal Government
  • For-Profit Organization
  • Not-for-Profit Organization
  • Nonprofit Organization
  • International Organization
  • Foreign For-Profit Organization
  • Local
  • State
  • Territorial
  • Tribal
  • U.S. Territory Government

Grants: Universities, colleges, medical, dental and nursing schools, schools of public health, laboratories, hospitals, State and local health departments, other public or private institutions (both for-profit and nonprofit), and individuals. National Research Service Award: Individual NRSAs may be made for postdoctoral training to applicants who hold a professional or scientific degree (M.D., Ph.D., D.D.S., D.O., D.V.M., Sc.D., D.Eng., or equivalent domestic or foreign degree) or for predoctoral training to applicants registered for doctoral research training. Institutional NRSAs may be made for both predoctoral and postdoctoral research training. Predoctoral awardees must have a baccalaureate degree. Applicants must be citizens of the United States or admitted for permanent residency. Individual NRSA awardees must be nominated and sponsored by a public or private nonprofit institution having staff and facilities suitable to the proposed research training. Nonprofit domestic organizations may apply for the Institutional NRSA. SBIR grants can be awarded only to domestic small businesses (entities that are independently owned and operated for profit, are not dominant in the field in which research is proposed, and have no more than 500 employees). Primary employment (more than one-half time) of the principal investigator must be with the small business at the time of award and during the conduct of the proposed project. In both Phase I and Phase II, the research must be performed in the U.S. or its possessions. STTR grants can be awarded only to domestic small business concerns (entities that are independently owned and operated for profit, are not dominant in the field in which research is proposed and have no more than 500 employees) which "partner" with a research institution in cooperative research and development. At least 40 percent of the project is to be performed by the small business concern and at least 30 percent by the research institution. In both Phase I and Phase II, the research must be performed in the U.S. and its possessions. To be eligible for funding, a grant application other than a fellowship must be assessed for scientific merit by a scientific review group and receive approval from a national advisory council. Individual funding opportunity announcements published in the NIH Guide provide more detail on eligibility.

How to Apply

Award Procedure

Grants and Institutional NRSAs: Each application receives an initial scientific review by non-NIH scientists and a secondary review by the National Advisory Council on Aging. Individual NRSAs do not receive a secondary review by the National Advisory Council on Aging. Awards are issued by the NIA to the grantee institution. All accepted SBIR/STTR applications are evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate scientific peer review panel and by a national advisory council or board. All applications receiving a priority score compete for available SBIR/STTR set-aside funds on the basis of scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the proposed research, program relevance, and program balance among the areas of research.

Decision Timeline

  • Renewal interval: > 180 Days
  • Appeal: From 30 to 60 days

Grants: From 6 to 9 months. National Research Service Awards: From 6 to 9 months. SBIR/STTR: About 7-1/2 months.

Program details & compliance

Description

The National Institute on Aging’s mission is to support biomedical and behavioral research and training in aging, with a particular emphasis on identifying ways to prevent and to treat Alzheimer’s disease and its related dementias.

Mission Categories

Primary: General Health and Medical

Use of Funds

Allowed Uses

Research grants are intended to support the direct costs of a project in accordance with an approved budget, plus an appropriate amount for facilities and administrative costs. Grantees must agree to administer the grant in accordance with the regulations and policies governing the research grants program of the Public Health Service. National Research Service Awards (NRSA) (Individual) are made directly to approved applicants for research training in specified biomedical shortage areas. In addition, National Research Service Awards (Institutional) may be made to institutions to enable them to make NRSAs to individuals selected by them. Each individual who receives a postdoctoral NRSA is obligated, upon termination of the award, to comply with certain service and payback provisions. Regulations are published in the Code of Federal Regulations and 42 CFR, Part 66. SBIR Phase I grants (of approximately 6 months' duration) are to establish the technical merit and feasibility of a proposed research effort that may lead to a commercial product or process. SBIR Phase II grants are for the continuation of the research initiated in Phase I and that are likely to result in commercial products or processes. Only Phase I awardees are eligible to apply for Phase II support. STTR Phase I grants (normally of 1- year duration) are to determine the scientific, technical, and commercial merit and feasibility of the proposed cooperative effort that has potential for commercial application. Phase II funding is based on results of research initiated in Phase I and scientific and technical merit and commercial potential on Phase II application.

Reporting & Compliance

Records Retention
3 years

Applicable 2 CFR 200 Subparts

  • Subpart B — General Provisions
  • Subpart C — Pre-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart D — Post-Federal Award Requirements
  • Subpart E — Cost Principles
  • Subpart F — Audit Requirements

Contacts

Kenneth Santora — Director, Division of Extramural Activities
(301) 496-9322
Division of Extramural Activities, National Institute on Aging, 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Room 2W113, Bethesda, MD 20892
Data from SAM.gov Federal Assistance Listings. Source published: 2026-02-10. Spec v2.0. Last synced: 2026-05-28 07:28:40.