The Program
The major goal of this program is to support gender-based research in the biology of aging that could yield important information benefiting the health care of older women and older men. The program also assists in the development of the careers of junior investigators committed to pursuing careers in aging-related research utilizing a gender-based approach. Two grants of up to $60,000 will be awarded in 2007.

Background

There are important gender differences in patterns of human aging. These include demographic differences in life spans, variations in the progression and manifestation of certain diseases and disorders, as well as disparities in the susceptibility to aging-associated disorders. These differences in gender aging are not well-understood. The Rippel/AFAR program is soliciting applications in support of research that can elucidate the impact and importance of intrinsic biological differences between the sexes in humans and/or in animal models.

Some examples of research areas that could be funded under the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation/AFAR New Investigator Awards on Gender Differences in Aging include, but are not limited to:

• Role of sex chromosomes
• Immune function
• Genetic control of longevity
• Neurobiology and cognition
• Cardiovascular aging
• Cellular and molecular biology
• Metabolic and endocrine changes
• DNA repair and control of gene expression
• Biology of the menopause

Research in these areas should lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms of normal biological aging processes, the progression of diseases and disorders, as well as mechanisms underlying age-related diseases. Finding answers to many of these questions may begin at the molecular and cellular level. The program's goal is to support research that could yield important information affecting preventive, diagnostic and therapeutic applications benefiting the health and health care of older women and older men.

The Fannie E. Rippel Foundation/AFAR New Investigator Awards on Gender Differences in Aging will support important and innovative sex-based biological research in this currently under-explored area.

Eligibility Criteria

A typical successful applicant will be serving in his or her first or second year of a junior faculty appointment and will be establishing his or her independent research activities. The Fannie E. Rippel/AFAR Award does not provide support for: postdoctoral fellows in the laboratory of a senior investigator; investigators who have already received major independent funding for research on aging, such as an R01 grant or a grant equal to or greater than $100,000 from another private funding source; or senior faculty at the rank of Associate Professor level or higher.

Former AFAR grant recipients are eligible to apply. Applicants for the 2007 Glenn/AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) award cannot apply for this award. Applicants for this program may not also apply for the 2007 AFAR Research Grant but will be considered for funding through the AFAR Research Grant mechanism if deemed competitive.

The proposed research must be conducted within a not-for-profit setting in the United States. Applicants who are employees in the NIH Intramural program are not eligible.

Application Guidelines

Applications are reviewed in two stages. After the first stage of review, candidates will be advised by mid-April if their application will go to the next level of review. A final decision about grant awards is made in early June.

The following criteria are used to determine the merit of an application:

• Qualifications of the applicant and evidence of the applicant's commitment to this field;
• Quality of the proposed research and potential to advance the field;
• Relevance of the proposal to gender differences in aging;
• Excellence of the research environment;
• Likelihood that the project will help position the applicant as a leader in gender-based aging research.

If you are using animals in your research, please review Principles of Animal Use for Gerontological Research.

It is anticipated that 2 grants of up to $60,000 each will be awarded in 2007. Candidates may propose to use the award over the course of one or two years, as justified by the proposed research. Funds may not be requested for overhead or indirect costs. Funding will begin July 1, 2007.

Application Procedures

All candidates must submit applications endorsed by their institution. The deadline for receipt of all applications and supporting materials is December 15, 2006 at 5:00 p.m. EST. Please refer to the instruction sheet and application for complete application procedures. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Those applicants who are selected for the second level of review will be contacted by e-mail by mid-April. AFAR can provide critiques only for those applications that are reviewed, at the second stage, by their Review Committee.

Reporting Requirements

Investigators will be required to submit a brief narrative report on the progress of their research five months after the start date of the award. Final narrative and financial reports are required within three months following the end date of the award.

The Fannie E. Rippel Foundation

The Fannie E. Ripple Foundation is the legacy of Mr. Julius S. Rippel. Born in Newark, he started working early and, while still a young man, began to prosper as an investment dealer. His business activities focused on the enterprises of his community, particularly banks and insurance companies. Mr. Rippel remained active in business until the day of this death in December 1950 at the age of eighty-two. His last will and testament provided for the incorporation of the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation in memory of his wife, and he bequeathed his residuary estate to it.

As outlined in the Charter, the primary mission of the Fannie E. Rippel Foundation is to fund initiatives that:

• Address the needs of and issues affecting the elderly and women of all ages
• Further current understanding or treatment of cancer
• Further current understanding or treatment of heart disease
• Provide for facilities and equipment, as well as the quality of hospitals

In addition, the Foundation has particular interest in:

• Women's Health
• Medically Underserved Populations
• Preventative Medicine
• Integrative Medicine

Complete listing of all AFAR Selection Committees.

Listing of all AFAR Award Recipients.

Back to the List of Grants and Applications