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The University of Pennsylvania Institute on Aging (IOA) will fund eight multidisciplinary pilot projects on biomedical, epidemiological, behavioral or health services research in basic science, clinical or psychosocial areas in aging.  Four will be funded by the School of Medicine and will be led by a member of the School of Medicine full-time faculty. The remaining four are funded through a generous grant from The Bingham Trust and may be led by a member of the University of Pennsylvania full-time faculty from any of its 12 schools. Each pilot will be funded at a level of up to $50,000/year for personnel and supply costs, but not equipment or instruments. These one-year, non-renewable grants support multidisciplinary pilot projects in aging-related research. The purpose is to assist faculty in obtaining preliminary data to serve as the basis of a grant application to the NIH or other public or private agencies concerned with aging.

A committee of IOA Internal Advisory Board members will review all proposals. Funding depends on scientific merit, and the likelihood that the pilots will lead to independent funding to continue the research. Principal Investigators must be full-time faculty of the University of Pennsylvania and collaboration with other departments is strongly encouraged. Priority will be given to:

   • Faculty in the early stages of their career who seek to enter the aging research arena

   • Senior faculty who intend to shift their research emphasis towards aging 

Application Process:

Applications should utilize the basic NIH PHS 398 format, with one exception: a title page should be substituted for the NIH face page. Applications should be limited to 5 pages (exclusive of title page, budget, biosketches, letters of collaboration and literature cited). Animal and/or IRB protocols may be pending. Suggested organization for page distribution is:

1)  Title Page (not the NIH face page) showing the title of grant, name of P.I., affiliation, address and telephone numbers

2) Budget (costs for personnel, supplies, but no equipment or instruments)

3) Biosketch

4) Specific Aims

5) Background and Significance

6) Preliminary Studies

7) Experimental Design & Methods

8) Human Subjects (if applicable and protocol may be pending)

9) Vertebrate Animals Sections (if applicable and protocol may be pending)

10) Consultants (if applicable)

11) Consortium Contractual Arrangements (if applicable)

12) Literature Cited

13) Certification of Patient Oriented Research (if applicable)

It is obligatory that pilot awardees provide a financial and research progress report at the end of the pilot year and present their pilot data at IOA.

For more information, contact Kathryn Jedrziewski, deputy director, Institute on Aging (IOA), at (215) 898-2445 or e-mail: jedrzmk@mail.med.upenn.edu.

Applications Due: May 1, 2006; anticipated date of award July 1, 2006.

Submit original and ten (10) copies to: Kathryn Jedrziewski, Institute on Aging, University of Pennsylvania, 3615 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104.

  Almanac, Vol. 52, No. 23, February 21, 2006

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