Mentored Career Enhancement Awards to Build Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills for Comparative Studies of Human and Nonhuman Primate Species with Differing Life Spans (K18 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

Background
The National Institute on Aging (NIA), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is inviting applications for Mentored Career Enhancement Awards to Build Cross-Disciplinary Knowledge and Skills for Comparative Studies of Human and Nonhuman Primate Species with Differing Life Spans. The goal of this grant opportunity is to broaden and strengthen the investigator's capability to lead future comparative studies of the factors contributing to differences in life spans between human and nonhuman primate species.

Grant Details
This grant opportunity provides support for experienced investigators in pertinent fields to augment or redirect their research program by acquiring expertise in other fields related to comparative primate research and aging, and develop collaborations with research fields with which they do not commonly interact. The specific emphasis is on cross-training independent investigators in a substantially different area of study than their current field of study in scientific disciplines such as comparative biology of aging, evolutionary genetics, evolutionary biology, anthropology, primatology, and human longevity studies.

Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must hold an academic rank of associate or full professor, or the equivalent in non-academic research settings. The award is designed specifically for applicants proposing research that does not involve leading an independent clinical trial, a clinical trial feasibility study, or an ancillary study to a clinical trial. Applicants are permitted to propose research experience in a clinical trial led by a mentor or co-mentor.

Period of Performance
The period of performance for this grant opportunity begins on November 1, 2024, and ends in November 2026. The total project period may not exceed two years.

Grant Value
NIA intends to commit up to $1.5 million in fiscal year 2025 to fund approximately 4 to 5 awards. Award budgets are composed of salary and other program-related expenses. NIA will contribute salary funds for a minimum of 3 person-months and maximum of 12 person-months of full-time professional effort per year toward the salary of the career award recipient. NIA will also contribute up to $100,000 in direct costs per year toward the research development costs of the award recipient.

Place of Performance
The proposed research project must be conducted in facilities or field sites affiliated with either the applicant's institution or the mentor's institution, ensuring access to appropriate resources and institutional commitment to support the proposed research career enhancement experience.