Age-Friendly Funding Opportunity: U.S. NAM Catalyst Award

As part of the Healthy Longevity Global Competition, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (“NAM”), with support from Johnson & Johnson Innovation, will issue up to 24 Catalyst Awards per year between 2020 and 2022. Each Catalyst Award includes a $50,000 cash prize as well as travel costs to attend an annual Innovator Summit, beginning in summer 2021. The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR)  will collaborate with the NAM on the application and scientific review process.

Catalyst Awards will reward bold, new, potentially transformative ideas to improve the physical, mental, or social well-being of people as they age, in a measurable and equitable way. In particular, we seek ideas that aim to extend the human healthspan through innovative approaches. Applications may originate from any field or combination of fields (e.g., biology, chemistry, medicine, engineering, infrastructure, behavioral and social sciences, technology, and policy). Ideas may focus on any stage of life, as long as they ultimately promote health as people age.

Examples of topic areas include but are not limited to:
• Biology of aging and molecular pathways
• Physical health (e.g., mobility and functionality)
• Built environment and urban planning
• Disease prevention, including biomarkers and indicators of disease
• Health care delivery
• Housing (e.g., smart-enabled homes, intergenerational housing models)
• Policy (e.g., economic, health, and science policy)
• Behavioral health (e.g., social connectedness, engagement, and well-being)
•.Technology (e.g., artificial intelligence; robotics; medical, assistive, and information-technology)

Timeline

The application period will open on January 13, 2020 at 12:00am ET and close on February 24, 2020 at 11:59pm ET. To apply, please complete this application form. Note the form will not allow submissions until the application period opens. The complete set of instructions on how to prepare your application are listed below. We also encourage you to sign up to receive updates at HealthyLongevityChallenge.org.

Refer to the site for more information on the application instructions and  eligibility requirements. Please review the FAQ page before submitting your application, and contact CatalystAward@afar.org should you have any questions.