The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), intends to announce a new funding opportunity aimed at establishing institutional training programs for aging research. This initiative will use the T32 activity code under the NIH Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) framework. The primary objective of the NRSA program is to ensure the availability of a highly trained and diverse pool of scientists to address national needs in biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research. This forecast provides early notice to allow interested organizations ample time to prepare responsive applications and build collaborative relationships.
The forthcoming Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) will support institutions in developing comprehensive training programs that include coursework, mentored research experiences, and skill development in both technical and professional domains. The NRSA institutional training programs are designed for both predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees and are expected to add value to existing educational structures at participating institutions.
Funding under this program will cover stipends, tuition, fees, and training-related expenses, including health insurance, following the standard NIH support levels. This financial support is intended to offset the costs associated with high-quality training and enable institutions to implement robust and diverse training environments.
Eligible applicants span a wide array of institutions, including state and county governments, tribal organizations (both federally recognized and not), public housing authorities, school districts, public and private institutions of higher education, nonprofits, and for-profit organizations, among others. Specific eligibility conditions will be further clarified in the NOFO upon its release.
The anticipated NOFO is scheduled to be published in February 2025, with a projected application due date of May 25, 2025. The estimated award date is March 1, 2026, and funded projects are expected to start on April 1, 2026. No cost sharing or matching is required. The total anticipated funding for this opportunity is approximately $1,188,000, with an expected three awards to be distributed.
For inquiries, applicants can contact the NIH OPERA DGSI Systems Policy Branch via email at operasystemspolicy@nih.gov. Detailed programmatic and submission information will be made available when the full NOFO is published.
