Description

This program, jointly offered by the McKnight Brain Research Foundation and the American Federation for Aging Research, aims to identify and support emerging scientific leaders conducting innovative research in cognitive aging and age-related memory loss. The awards target advanced Assistant Professors and recently appointed Associate Professors in the U.S., providing substantial start-up support for high-risk, high-reward projects in both clinical translational research and basic biological mechanisms underlying cognitive aging. The expectation is for research to yield transformative discoveries, such as pilot clinical trials, proof-of-concept interventions, preclinical data, or mechanistic studies that could identify new treatment targets. Projects at the intersection of age-related cognitive changes and disease-related impairment may be considered if clearly relevant, but proposals primarily focused on neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s are not supported. Awardees are expected to attend annual scientific meetings to foster collaboration and knowledge exchange.