LGBTQ+ and Aging Scholar’s Award

The Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in collaboration with AARP, is launching the inaugural LGBTQ+ and Aging Scholar’s Award. This award seeks to recognize and support an early career researcher (those who completed their doctoral or medical degree within the past 10 years) dedicated to studying the experiences of LGBTQ+ older adults in the United States. Applicants should be emerging scholars who demonstrate potential, creativity, and a commitment to developing a sustained program of research focused on LGBTQ+ aging issues. The award recipient will be announced on December 23, 2024, and will undertake a year-long period of focused research and scholarship from January 1 to December 31, 2025. This scholar will receive a $5,000 grant to support research activities and will have access to select AARP research data, contingent upon AARP approval. The recipient will also be invited to participate in a multiday residency on Northwestern University’s Chicago campus, where they will have opportunities for collaboration, networking with ISGMH faculty and AARP partners, and mentorship with faculty specializing in LGBTQ+ aging. By the end of the award period, the scholar will be expected to have completed a manuscript ready for publication and will be invited to present at the 2026 National LGBTQ Health Conference in Chicago. Eligible applicants include early-career scholars in fields such as psychology, public health, social work, sociology, and medicine who are currently in a postdoctoral or faculty position at a U.S. academic institution. Innovative project proposals are encouraged, especially those focusing on specific LGBTQ+ subpopulations like women, trans and gender-diverse individuals, and bisexual persons. To apply, candidates must submit a comprehensive application package online by December 2, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT. This package must include a demographic questionnaire, a CV with publication listings, and a one-page single-spaced document outlining the applicant’s research focus on LGBTQ+ aging, their project proposal, relevant training and skills, mentorship needs, and a statement of commitment to the award period. Additionally, a writing sample, a doctoral or medical program transcript, and three letters of recommendation (submitted separately by recommenders) are required. All application materials should be compiled into a single PDF and uploaded online; the letters of recommendation must also be submitted by December 2, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. PT. Following the deadline, all applicants will receive notification of their application status by December 23, 2024. For additional inquiries, applicants may contact ISGMH’s Associate Director, Dr. Jagadīśa-devaśrī Dācus, via email at jagadisa@northwestern.edu.