Funding Opportunity

Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for Longevity Research

Purpose: 

The NIA-supported Longevity Consortium is pleased to announce the availability of Translational Opportunity Funds (TOF) to support research aimed at expanding and translating the work of NIA-funded studies on Exceptional Longevity (EL). The intent of this TOF opportunity is to engage the broader scientific community to the study of longevity and to the Longevity Consortium. Eligibility for this TOF opportunity is limited to researchers outside of the current Longevity Consortium members and to Institutions in the United States.  Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations and foreign institutions are not eligible.

Background: 

NIA, with its longstanding interest in discovering and translating genetic and other factors linked to the rare and extreme phenotype of exceptional longevity, has been supporting large-scale human cohort studies on centenarians and exceptionally long-lived individuals since 2004. Over several years, the NIA has built a collection of human longevity-focused translational research projects (such as the Long Life Family Study (LLFS), the Longevity Consortium (LC), and the Longevity Genomics (LG), and the Integrative Longevity Omics (ILO) studies), which have performed extensive phenotypic characterization of their cohorts, including developing a Healthy Aging Index (HAI), and have utilized technologies to generate large omics data sets from the genome to the phenome. The primary goal of these longevity projects is to unravel the complex functional relationships across layers of biological information and regulatory processes that influence cellular functions, as reflected in the phenome. In addition to human cohort analyses, some studies have also conducted cross-species multi-omic analyses using data from humans and non-human species that show wide variation in lifespan. These projects aim to identify protective factors or mechanisms that contribute to an exceptional life span and health span, to discover druggable targets for interventions that promote healthy aging and extend life span. 

Research Requirements for this FOA:

The NIA Longevity Consortium is seeking projects that build upon and expand the current work of NIA-funded studies on Exceptional. Investigators are strongly encouraged to make use of their existing datasets and samples and / or make use of data or samples for which the investigator(s) has a data use and / or biospecimen use agreement completed with the study or repository. Examples of the types of studies suitable for this FOA include, but are not limited to:

  • Functional in vitro (human cell models) studies of cellular mechanisms underlying proteins, genes, or metabolites associated with variations in life span across species.

  • Testing associations between individual variants or polygenic scores from GWAS analyses with aging-related outcomes, such as dementia, in existing cohort studies. 

  • Prioritizing compounds identified by chemoinformatic analysis for follow up translational studies.

  • Development of data harmonization methodologies on diverse datasets using emerging technologies like LLMs.

  • Development of systems biology and integrated analysis approaches to longevity-related phenotypes.

  • Development of novel methodologies/pilot validation study to identify cell-type-specific omics characteristics relevant to longevity.

  • Development of predictive models from, e.g., longitudinal data sets, for assessing health on longevity trajectories.

  • The analysis of biological aging clocks.

Eligibility: 

Applicant organizations and investigators must be eligible for NIH funding and must be researchers outside the current Longevity Consortium members, including funded LC labs and their members and trainees.

Eligible organizations include domestic Higher Education Institutions and domestic Nonprofits Other Than Institutions of Higher Education. Only Institutions within the United States are eligible to submit an application in response to this FOA. Foreign components are not allowed.

Any individual(s) with the skills, knowledge, and resources necessary to carry out the proposed research as the Program Director(s)/Principal Investigator(s) (PD(s)/PI(s)) is invited to work with their organization to develop an application for support. Multi-PI applications are not allowed, but connections between external parties and Longevity Consortium investigators are encouraged. Based on the availability and applications received, this FOA aims to fund an application led by an Early-Stage Investigator and to fund a second application led by an established investigator. Early Stage Investigators (ESI) are defined by the NIH.

Proposed studies must adhere to the research requirements for this FOA. Human clinical trials are considered out of scope for this opportunity. If applicable, the proposed work will comply with the single IRB (sIRB) requirement as mandated by the Longevity Consortium, ensuring centralized ethical oversight across all participating sites.

All applications must comply with NIH guidelines regarding the appropriate use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), including requirements related to restricted data, originality of content, disclosure, confidentiality, and data security.

Proposals, Budget Limits and Number of Awards:  

Multi-year proposals are accepted up to a two-year limit. In the project description, aims for subsequent years should build from proof-of-concept and outcomes completed in the prior year. Continuation of TOF projects for the subsequent year will be based on availability of funds and progress made in the prior year. 

Proposals are requested with a total cost limit (direct and indirect costs) of up to $132,500, using established DHHS rates for indirect costs, fringe benefits, and salary caps. Two awards are expected. Third-tier subawards are not supported. The project year is September 1 to August 31 the following year. For project proposals involving multiple institutions, please contact Mikasa Morf ([email protected]) for guidance on developing the budget.

Application Process: 

There is a single submission date for TOF projects each project year. The LC project year is September 1 to the following August 31 each year. Applications submitted without all of the materials are not able to be considered for review and will not be submitted to the TOF Committee. Investigators should submit a single combined PDF of the following documents via email to Mikasa Morf ([email protected]) and Jennifer Dougherty ([email protected]). The email with the single PDF of the documents must be submitted with the approval of an institutional official.

  • PHS398 Form Page 1 - signed by institutional signing official

  • Performance Site Location Information using Project/Performance Site Format Page

  • Facilities and Resources Document, 1 page maximum

  • NIH Biosketch for Key Personnel, 5-page limit per biosketch

  • Maximum three-page description of the project, including: 1) Background and relevance to longevity, 2) succinct description of Approach, 3) potential impact or relevance to the understanding of longevity; 4) how results would provide preliminary data for future grant submissions by NIA’s Exceptional Longevity study investigators; 5) A schematic and figures/tables laying out the work to be pursued as well as reflecting preliminary data and 6) a timeline in the form of a Gantt chart using quarterly intervals  for the completion of key items / products.

  • Maximum of one page for References

  • PHS Human Subjects and Clinical Trials Information form, if applicable

  • Vertebrate Animals document limited to 1 page, if applicable

  • Detailed SF424 Budget and one-page Budget Justification

  • Institutionally negotiated F&A rate agreement

Due Date: October 31, 2025

Formatting:

Adherence to formatting requirements, and page limits noted in the Application Process, is necessary to ensure readability and fairness in review.

  • Font size: Must be at least 11 points. Smaller text in graphics, figures, graphs, diagrams, and charts is acceptable as long as it remains legible at 100% zoom.

  • Some PDF conversion software reduces font size, so it's important to verify that the final PDF meets the font requirements.

  • Type density: Must not exceed 15 characters per linear inch (including characters and spaces).

  • Line spacing: No more than six lines per vertical inch.

  • Text color: No restriction. Although not required, black or other high-contrast text colors are recommended, as they print well and are legible to the largest audience.

  • Follow NIH guidelines for the allowability of hyperlinks. 

Merit Review Process: 

Applications will be evaluated by a TOF Committee. Dependent on the number of applications received, the TOF Committee plans approximately 8-10 weeks for the review, selection and notification to the Investigators (applicants) and their institutions. The Committee is composed of investigators from the NIA program office, the NIA EL studies, and investigators from the Longevity Consortium’s Observational Study Monitoring Board and / or Pharmaceutical Translational Advisory Panel. Committee members will be selected specific to the expertise in the proposal's subject area.

Review Criteria: 

1) Relevance to understanding the biological basis of longevity; 2) Extends or translates concepts or results from NIA’s EL studies to other populations or from animal models to humans; 3) Utilizes rigorous research methods; and 4) Has potential as preliminary data for grant proposals on longevity. TOF proposals should include some details of an analytical plan, as needed.  

Reporting: 

Investigators from funded TOF projects are required to use Longevity Consortium meetings to present and lead a discussion on the progress of the TOF and the Investigator is required to submit interim and annual progress reports. Results may be posted on one or more websites of the respective NIA EL studies and the NIA ELITE (Exceptional LongevIty Translational rEsources) Portal. NIH data sharing policies apply to these TOF projects. Publications resulting from this project must acknowledge NIH/NIA as a sponsor in any publications or other public products that arise from the funded research.

Inquiries to the FOA: 

Potential applicants are encouraged to contact Drs. Steve Cummings ([email protected]) and Nicholas Schork ([email protected]) to learn more about this funding opportunity and discuss their project ideas. General questions about the LC TOF program should be directed to Jennifer Dougherty ([email protected]). Questions about institutional eligibility, administrative documentation and formatting, and budget/subcontracting requirements should be directed to Mikasa Morf ([email protected]).