Pilot Grants
Applications are closed, click here for the 2025 awardees
The Scientific Research Network on Decision Neuroscience and Aging has awarded several grants to junior researchers or senior researchers new to the area. The proposed research must focus directly on the neural mechanisms of decision making in adult development and aging or on life course decisions that improve health and well-being in old age.
In line with the expanding priorities of SRNDNA, priority will be given to projects related to a) Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) and/or b) health disparities due to by race, ethnicity, immigrant status, disability, sex, gender, income, or geography.
The grants are awarded to help provide researchers new to the area with resources for data collection, task development, and/or to add an older adult sample to a current/planned study focused on young adults. The budget should be entirely or almost entirely allocated to data collection and not salary support.
The overall goal is to provide the initial resources to support a larger grant application.
Eligibility
Priority is given to graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and junior faculty especially those from underrepresented groups in science. Senior researchers new to the area will also be considered.
Individuals must not have received a major grant from the NIA focused on aging and decision making in the past 3 years (although trainees who have advisors with recent/current NIA grants are eligible).
Applicants do not have to be US citizens but must be at a U.S. institution.
Proposed grant budgets must be limited to $24,000 in total costs (direct + indirect).
Application
In a single PDF document, include
- 3-page proposal (single-spaced in the style of the Research Strategy section of an NIH grant)
- 1-page line-item budget (e.g., 30 90-minute scans @ $550/hr = $24,750; 30 subjects payments @ $100 = $3,000)
- NIH biosketches for all key personnel
Evaluation criteria and process
- Clear future grant writing plans
- Combination of theories and methods from at least two SRNDNA disciplines
- Methods that facilitate data sharing and overall transparency
- Comprehensive research team with expertise in all project-relevant disciplines
- Focus on life course decisions that improve health and well-being in old age
- *Focus on Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD) and/or health disparities due to by race, ethnicity, immigrant status, disability, sex, gender, income, or geography
- Proposals are reviewed by a small group of anonymous network affiliates and scored following the NIH/CSR guidelines and rubric for R01/R03/R15/R21/R34
- Applications scoring in the top 50% are guaranteed to receive complete scores and comments using NIH score sheets. Depending on the number of applications, those under the top 50% may also receive feedback.
* Focus on these areas is not required, but projects that examine these factors will be prioritized for funding.
Send questions and/or applications to srndna@gmail.com.
Applications will be accepted Aug. 1, 2025
FAQ
Pilot Grant FAQ
DO I HAVE TO ROUTE THIS PROPOSAL AT MY INSTITUTION LIKE A NORMAL FEDERAL GRANT?
Please do not do that. It creates an unnecessary paperwork/email burden for us. The pilot grant review can be viewed as a pre-review of a potential subaward application. You will not be sending us a formal grant application; it’s essentially a 3-page idea. Just email the proposal to us directly. (Warning: Your institution may be annoying and require you to route it internally anyway.)
IF I ALREADY HAVE A SIMILAR FEDERALLY-FUNDED PROJECT ON AGING, AM I ELIGIBLE FOR A PILOT GRANT?
No, but your trainees may be eligible as long as they propose a project that is mostly independent from your existing grant.
DO I HAVE TO BE AN “AGING RESEARCHER” TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR THESE GRANTS?
No, but you do need to have someone with aging expertise as a core member of your team who is involved in study design and data analysis.
HOW ARE THE FUNDS DISBURSED?
If you are selected for funding, we will issue a subaward to your institution on our NIA grant. You will get full details about this if you are selected.
Current & Previous Grants
SRNDNA (R24-AG039350; R24-AG054355) has provided support for at least 20 publications on aging and decision neuroscience through its research pilot grant program (awards issued 2012-2014 and 2017-2019) and career transition award programs (awards issued 2019-2021).