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Pilot Projects

National Institute on Aging

The NEXT STEPs program was established in 2024 with funding by a cooperative agreement from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) [Grant U24AG087939]. The goal of NEXT STEPs is to support high-quality research by advising on research design, disseminating best practices, and sharing findings with those who can use them to improve the lives of nursing home residents, their families, and staff.

The intent of funding NEXT STEPs pilot projects is to support investigators in their effort to obtain preliminary data necessary to successfully garner funding for and to conduct explanatory clinical trials in nursing homes. In addition to receiving funding, awardees will have access to relevant curriculum content and receive input from experts to help them hone their research skills and ensure successful project completion.

Examples of clinical trials that could be considered:

Using data from the LTCDC, to study the impact of an intervention to promote vaccination on vaccination rates and hospitalizations due to influenza.
Test an intervention to train nursing home providers on the use of point of care ultrasound to improve outcomes during heart failure exacerbations.
Test an arts and music therapy intervention to reduce agitation among nursing home residents with dementia.

Funding Information

Each individual award budget is limited to $125,000 [Total costs].
Duration one year (12 months).
We anticipate funding 2-3 awards in the third cycle.

The NEXT STEPs team is eager to work alongside and support your focused nursing home research projects. The NEXT STEPs team has the opportunity to provide additional support to awarded pilot investigators that may include:

Up to 20% of a data scientist to support use of LTCDC
Travel to NEXT STEPs Annual Meetings
Travel to another professional meeting to present research findings
Publication costs

AI Based Application Success Predictor

Category	Details
Organization	National Institute on Aging (NIA)
Parent organization	National Institutes of Health (NIH), United States
Organization type	U.S. federal government research institute
Primary research areas	Aging, Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD), gerontology, healthy aging, age-related diseases, and geriatric care. Grants & Funding
Major funding mechanisms	Research Project Grants (R01), Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21), Small Research Grants (R03), fellowships, and career development awards. National Institute on Aging +1
Previous success predictors	1. Scientific merit and significance. 2. Alignment with NIA research priorities. 3. Innovation and originality. 4. Research rigor and reproducibility. 5. Investigator expertise and research team capabilities. 6. Institutional resources and research environment. 7. Preliminary data and feasibility, where appropriate. 8. Potential to advance aging or Alzheimer's research. 9. Appropriate budget and responsible use of funds. 10. Alignment with specific funding opportunity requirements. National Institute on Aging +1
Additional funding considerations	Career stage, existing NIH support, mentorship and training contributions, portfolio balance, and available appropriations. Early-stage investigator status may be relevant for certain mechanisms. Grants & Funding +1
Historical success rate	Varies by grant mechanism and fiscal year. NIA reports success-rate data through NIH funding databases. National Institute on Aging +1

Excel-ready entry — Previous Success Predictors

Scientific merit; aging research relevance; alignment with NIA priorities; innovation; methodological rigor; reproducibility; investigator expertise; institutional resources; preliminary evidence; career stage; mentorship and training potential; budget justification; and availability of funds.

Specialties

Geriatrics & Gerontology

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must hold a faculty or research scientist position at an eligible institution (see below) by the start date of the award or be otherwise eligible to serve as a Principal Investigator as determined by their organization. Applicants who are junior faculty are encouraged to identify a mentor with research experience in nursing homes and include this person as a mentor on the application. Interested applicants without a mentor can request to be paired with a mentor through the NEXT STEPs program. More information on who qualifies as a ESI can be found here.

Although investigators at all stages of their career are invited to apply, funding priority will be given to:

Qualified and promising early career investigators
Mid-career investigators who are new to Nursing Home research

Applicants must be a NEXT STEPs member or have applied for membership at the time of application submission. To become a NEXT STEPs member, please complete the membership application.

*Please note individuals who are currently on a training award (e.g. T32, R02, and F awards) are not eligible to apply.

Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States and project work needs to be completed in the U.S.

Eligible Institutions

Any organization with a Unique Entity Identifier and processes for following federal guidelines/regulations for using research funds meet eligibility for this grant.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: National Institute on Aging

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: Building 31, Room 5C27, 31 Center Drive, Bethesda, MD 20892

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