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Call for Applications: RCCN Supplemental Grants to Promote Inter-NIA Center Collaborative Research

Writer: Roybal Coordinating Center
Roybal Coordinating Center
5 days ago
3 min read
Application Deadline: November 10, 2026

The goal of this mechanism is to provide funding to allow PIs who have current pilot support through an NIA Center Program or NIA Center Program Coordinating Center, to explore and incorporate measures, concepts, approaches from other disciplines, through services and input provided by investigators affiliated with one of the other NIA Center Programs.


Each supplemental award will provide up to $20,000 in direct costs. The proposal must engage services and/or investigators affiliated with a different NIA Center Program (AITCs, Shock, Roybal, Older American Independence Centers (Pepper), Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research, Centers for Demography and Economics of Aging, and Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers). Investigators not affiliated with these NIA programs may be included in addition.

Applications may seek support to collect or analyze data, study samples, measure biomarkers, or develop multi- or interdisciplinary conceptual models to motivate further cross-center work. There must be clear evidence that all investigators will contribute meaningfully to the intellectual design and conduct of the research.


Applicants may propose to use the funds while their NIA Pilot grant is active and as justified by the proposed activity. The RCCN will support 20% (up to $4,000) in indirect costs for each award.


Eligibility

  • Applicants must be Principal Investigators who are faculty and who have an active grant from one of the 7 NIA Center Programs listed above.

  • Investigators who are engaged in Supplemental research must be faculty who are affiliated with any of the 7 NIA Center programs

    • In general, NIA Center affiliation means either: 1. Having (partial) salary support through an NIA Center Program; or 2. Having previously received pilot funding, accessed Center data, used center cores, or received mentoring. Other forms of affiliation will also be considered

  • Investigators who are not (yet) faculty can be Co-Investigators on the grant.

  • If the study requires IRB or IACUC approval, this must already be in place at the time of this application.


If you need help identifying another NIA Center investigator and/or service you may contact the RCCN at contact@rccn-aging.org. You can also access the Research Compass which is a searchable database of publications from NIA Center programs.


Application Guidelines

The following criteria are used to determine the merit of an application:

  • Relevance of the proposed aims to cross-cutting topics relevant to the missions of multiple NIA Center programs;

  • The significance and innovation of the proposed research or planning project and likelihood that it will develop into new on-going research collaborations;

  • The feasibility of the proposed activities;

  • Productivity of the investigators;

  • Involvement of early career investigators;

  • Participation of applicants who identify as a member of an underrepresented group.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria are used to determine the merit of an application:

  • Clear evidence that this supplemental funding extends the disciplinary reach of the original investigation

  • The significance and innovation of the proposed research

  • Likelihood that this will develop into new on-going research collaborations;

  • The feasibility of the proposed activities;

  • Track record of the principal investigator;

Priority/Preference is given to applications that include investigators:

  • from different institutions;

  • who have not co-published or have been co-funded previously;

  • who are early-stage investigators.

Application Procedures

All applications must be submitted using this form. Incomplete applications cannot be considered. The applications will be reviewed by the RCCN Steering Committee and independent reviewers selected by the American Federation for Aging Research. RCCN will not provide reviewer critiques to any applicants at any review level.

Questions regarding this RFA can be sent to: Sabrina Isaacs, sabrina@afar.org.

Requests for Support should be submitted as a single PDF document, using 12-point font and single-spaced. The application must include the following and in this order:

  • Page 1: Application Cover Page

  • Page 2: Abstract of funded Pilot Award (250 words)

  • Page 3 – 4: Brief project description that includes the hypotheses/rationale, specific aims, and a sketch of the work to be done including methods, timeline, expected outcomes, and next steps. The letter should also describe how the project relates to missions of multiple NIA Center programs and the relationships of the partnering investigators with NIA supported Centers.

  • Page 5: References

  • Page 6: A budget and budget justification

  • NIH-style biosketches for the key investigators

  • Statement from the director of NIA Center program that issued the Pilot Grant for which supplemental funding is allowable

Timeline

Application Deadline: November 10, 2026

Award Announcement: January 2027

Award Start Date: March 1, 2027

Award and Reporting Requirements

Funding will be awarded via a subcontract from Wake Forest School of Medicine. NIA approval of projects involving human subjects or animal research require administrative and regulatory approvals according to NIH/NIA policy must already be in place. All questions regarding the award should be directed to the contact listed on the notice of award.

Awardees must agree to report on the progress of the pilot and subsequent awards for up to 5 years after.

 
 
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