General Information

Document Type:	Grants Notice
Funding Opportunity Number:	PAR-27-096
Funding Opportunity Title:	Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)
Opportunity Category:	Discretionary
Opportunity Category Explanation:
Funding Instrument Type:	Grant
Category of Funding Activity:	Health
Category Explanation:
Expected Number of Awards:
Assistance Listings:	93.121 -- Oral Diseases and Disorders Research 93.307 -- Minority Health and Health Disparities Research 93.361 -- Nursing Research 93.866 -- Aging Research
Cost Sharing or Matching Requirement:	No

Version:	Synopsis 1
Posted Date:	Sep 01, 2026
Last Updated Date:	Sep 01, 2026
Original Closing Date for Applications:	Jul 16, 2028
Current Closing Date for Applications:	Jul 16, 2028
Archive Date:	Sep 14, 2028
Estimated Total Program Funding:
Award Ceiling:	$125,000
Award Floor:	$

Additional Information

Agency Name:	National Institutes of Health
Description:	The goal of the Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program is to provide support for early-career clinician-scientists trained in medical or surgical specialties to launch careers as future leaders in aging- or geriatric-focused research. In support of the program's goal, this GEMSSTAR Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications that propose to conduct transdisciplinary aging research that will yield pilot data and experience for subsequent aging research projects. The GEMSSTAR program encourages candidates to seek out a supportive research environment to further the program's objectives of fostering the development of early-career clinician-scientists in aging- or geriatric-focused research, particularly as it applies to their clinical specialty/discipline. Toward this end, GEMSSTAR candidates should include a Professional Development Plan that reflects this supportive research environment. In selecting GEMSSTAR recipients, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) will consider the extent to which a candidate's environment is supportive of aging- or geriatric-focused research.
Link to Additional Information:
Grantor Contact Information:	If you have difficulty accessing the full announcement electronically, please contact: National Institute on Aging (NIA) NIATraining@mail.nih.gov

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Category	Details
Organization	National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Country	United States
Organization type	U.S. federal government biomedical and health research agency
Parent department	U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
Primary research areas	Biomedical science, disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, public health, clinical research, and translational medicine
Major grant programs	R01 Research Project Grants, R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grants, R03 Small Research Grants, K Career Development Awards, and F Fellowship Awards
Previous success predictors	1. Scientific significance and importance. 2. Innovation and originality. 3. Research rigor and feasibility. 4. Investigator expertise and qualifications. 5. Availability of institutional resources. 6. Strong research design and methodology. 7. Preliminary data, where appropriate. 8. Potential to advance scientific knowledge and improve human health. 9. Compliance with ethical and regulatory requirements. 10. Alignment with the relevant NIH institute's mission and funding priorities. grants.nih.gov +1
Additional funding considerations	Peer-review outcomes, institute-specific priorities, advisory council recommendations, budget availability, and responsible stewardship of federal funds. Grants & Funding
Historical success rate	Varies by fiscal year, grant mechanism, and NIH institute. Official rates are available through NIH RePORT. RePORT

Excel-ready entry — Previous Success Predictors

Scientific significance; innovation; research rigor; methodological feasibility; investigator expertise; institutional resources; preliminary data; potential health impact; ethical compliance; alignment with institute priorities; peer-review score and critiques; advisory council recommendations; and funding availability.

Important research note: NIH's simplified review framework for most research project grants focuses on three factors: importance of the research, rigor and feasibility, and investigator expertise and resources. Funding decisions also consider institute priorities and available funds. These are documented assessment factors, not a statistically validated ranking of historical predictors.

Specialties

Geriatrics & Gerontology

Eligibility Requirements

Eligible Applicants:

County governments
Private institutions of higher education
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Independent school districts
Special district governments
State governments
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Public housing authorities/Indian housing authorities
City or township governments
Small businesses
Others (see text field entitled "Additional Information on Eligibility" for clarification)
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education

Additional Information on Eligibility:

Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International CollaborationsNon-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16.8 Collaborative International Research Awards.Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: National Institutes of Health

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 31 Center Drive; MSC 2220; Bethesda; MD 20892-2220

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