2024 NIA Application Deadlines
- Letter of Intent Deadline: October 18, 2023 at 11:59 PM EDT
- Full Application Deadline: December 13, 2023 at 11:59 PM EDT
Table of Contents
- Preparing the Letter of Intent
- Preparing the Application Form
- Biographical Sketch
- Budget
- Research Narrative
- Formatting and required components
- Resubmissions
- Supporting Documents
- Animal Research
- Human Subject Research
- Letters of Support
- Download Signature PDF
- Upload Signature Document
Guidelines for Preparing the 2024 NIA Letter of Intent
The LOI consists of information about the applicant used to determine eligibility for the NIA and information about the proposed project that will be used to evaluate the LOI by a reviewer drawn from the appropriate AACP Section. Applicants will also be asked to identify their research mentor and research mentor’s institution. In preparing the LOI, applicants are encouraged to view the evaluation criteria that will be used to score LOI.
The following information must be included in the LOI under Proposed Project:
- Brief description (Max 300 words)
- Keywords (Max of 5)
- Specific Aims (Max 750 words):
- A clear statement of the objective(s) of the proposal, which may include testing a central hypothesis, creating a novel design or developing a new technology, solving a specific problem or addressing a critical barrier;
- The aims in which to attain the objective(s);
- The expected outcomes for the research field;
- The expected outcomes for the applicant’s career.
One figure in pdf format can be uploaded as part of the Specific Aims.
Guidelines and Specifications for Preparing the 2024 NIA Full Proposal Application Form
The NIA Application Form consists of six tasks as shown below, including the Research Narrative and appropriate supporting documents. The application package may be prepared at any time; however, completed applications may not be submitted through the online submission portal until the LOI has been reviewed and the applicant has received an invitation to submit a full application. Application packages with incomplete or missing information will not be reviewed. Specific instructions regarding the preparation of each component of the application package can be found below.
Task 1: Biographical Sketch
The NIA biographical sketch consists of the following sections:
- The applicant's education;
- The applicant's professional and teaching experience;
- The applicant's previous relevant publications; and
- The applicant's additional previous experiences relevant to the application.
Applicants must not include an NIH biosketch as a supporting document.
Task 2: Budget
The NIA is designed to provide start-up money for new investigators to obtain enough data to apply for additional extramural funding from government and non-government sources. A maximum of $11,000 may be requested for the completion of the proposed research. Award money may not be used for indirect or overhead costs that are commonly allowed by government research grants and contracts. Award money may also not be used for the applicant’s, collaborator’s or other professional’s/consultant’s salary, either as salary offset or as a summer salary. Grant money may be used, however, to pay the salary of student or technical trainees, but must be justified in the application. Up to $1,000 of grant money may be budgeted for travel to the AACP Annual Meeting to present the NIA research findings when the NIA project is completed, final project and financial reports are submitted, and a poster abstract is submitted before the deadline.
Task 3: Research Narrative
Preparing the Research Narrative
In preparing the Research Narrative, applicants are encouraged to view the evaluation criteria that will be used to score applications in phase 1 of review.
- The Research Narrative is limited to six (6) pages in length, including legible figures, tables, surveys, and references. The research narrative section must be single-spaced (no more than six lines of text within one vertical inch). Use a font that is no less than 11 point. All margins (top, bottom, left, right) must be one-inch. Headers and footers may be used for titles and page numbers.
- Do not include reprints of any research articles with your application.
- The Research Narrative must contain each of the following sections with appropriate headings:
- Nature of Project: A brief description of the purpose and goals of the proposed work, including appropriate background material.
- Specific Aims: A clear statement of the objective(s) of the proposal, including the central hypothesis, novel design, new technology, specific problem or critical barrier to be addressed in the proposal and the aims in which to attain the objectives.
- Methods: The methods to be used for the study, including data analysis and interpretation; the indicators that will be used to measure the project’s success and analysis of results; and documentation of the adequacy of the research facilities to complete the proposed study.
- Timeline for Completion of the Project: A maximum of one year. Proposals that require long-term patient enrollment are discouraged.
- Contribution to Career: The relationship between the project and the applicant’s career objectives and the role of this project in relation to future funding efforts.
- Significance of the Project: The ways in which the project will contribute to the advancement of new knowledge, the contribution that the project will make to the applicant’s program and or school, and the applicant’s plan for dissemination or publication of the research results.
- Budget Justification: Justification for requested budget items, excluding minor supply expenses, should be in sufficient detail to enable reviewers to evaluate how funds will be used to support the proposed research project.
- Personnel Description: Provide information on all those involved in this research project.
- References: A list of the most relevant references related to the proposed project.
- Narratives that exceed the six (6) page limit or are not formatted according to the specifications above will not be reviewed.
Resubmissions
- Resubmissions of unfunded NIA proposals are accepted if the applicant still meets the eligibility criteria listed above. Applicants must indicate in the LOI if the proposal is a resubmission. Resubmissions are allowed an additional one (1) page at the beginning of the Research Narrative labeled:
- Introduction that specifically addresses previous reviewer comments. New applications must not contain an introduction, nor may resubmissions exceed the one (1) page limit for the introduction. Applications that utilize all or part of the introduction page for any purpose other than to address reviewer comments will not be reviewed.
Task 4: Supporting Documents
This section must not be used to include any Research Narrative materials as a means to off-set the page requirement. Certain supporting documents may be required, depending on the nature of the project and/or PI. Allowed supporting documents include:
- Copies of IRB/IACUC submission cover letters as described in the “Animal Research” and “Human Subject Research” sections above, if applicable (required for all proposals describing animal or human subject research).
Animal Research
Research involving animals must be subjected to review and written approval by the appropriate Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC). The research application must be submitted to the IACUC before the application deadline December 13, 2023. A copy of the IACUC submission cover letter with the request for approval must be included as a supporting document in the NIA application, and the final IACUC approval letter must be sent to AACP immediately after approval is granted but no later than February 2024. Email approval letters to NIA@aacp.org. No animal research application will be funded without prior written IACUC approval. Investigators who plan to use significant numbers of animals or potentially painful procedures are recommended to obtain IACUC approval before submission.
Human Subject Research
Research involving human subjects must receive written approval from the appropriate Institutional Review Board (IRB). The research protocol must be submitted to the IRB before the application deadline December 13, 2023. A copy of the IRB submission cover letter with the request for approval must be included as a supporting document in the NIA application, and the final IRB approval letter must be sent to AACP immediately after approval is granted but no later than February 2024. Email approval letters to NIA@aacp.org. No human subject research application will be funded without written IRB approval. Research involving human subjects must also abide by NIH policy regarding inclusion of women and minority group members in the study populations, unless there is a clear and compelling rationale and justification that their inclusion is inappropriate with respect to the health of the subjects or the research goals. This rationale and justification should be included in the research narrative. All investigators who plan on utilizing human subjects must abide by the NIH Policy and Guidelines on The Inclusion of Women and Minorities as Subjects in Clinical Research – Amended, November, 2017.
Task 5: Letters of Support
This section must not be used to include any Research Narrative materials as a means to off-set the page requirement. The following Letters of support should be included:
- Letters of support from collaborators stating a willingness to assist in the proposed research (required for proposals that use collaborators to assist in any capacity in the proposed research; the applicant should also describe the collaborator’s role in the Research Narrative).
- A letter of support from the proposed research mentor.
- Approval letters from appropriate institutional committees for research projects involving biohazards, such as radioactive materials or infectious organisms, if applicable.
- An official university appointment letter demonstrating how the applicant’s salary is fully supported by the institution (required for all regular full-time clinical- or research-track faculty).
Applications missing required documentation will be returned without review.
Task 6: Download Signature PDF
Please download and save the Signatures document as LastName_FirstName_NIA Signatures prior to uploading in the next Task. The following information is required to be filled:
- Project Title
- Name of Principal Investigator (PI)
- PI’s Current Position Title
- PI’s Institution
- AACP Academic Section
- Budget Amount Requested
Required Signatures (By signing below, each person indicates that he/she has read and
reviewed this proposal. The applicant additionally certifies that the research proposal in this NIA application has not been submitted to another funding agency unless previously noted in the Letter of Intent. Electronic or scanned original signatures are accepted).
- Principal Investigator’s Name, Sign and Date
- Applicant’s mentor Name, Sign and Date
- Applicant’s CEO Dean Name, Sign and Date
Task 7: Upload Signature Document
Upload the above PDF document saved as LastName_FirstName_NIA Signatures to this Task.
Submitting the Application Package
Please be sure to check all completed tasks to ensure it is complete and correct. AACP will not check for the presence, accuracy or compliance of uploaded applications prior to the submission deadline. Applications not in compliance with the above specifications will be returned without review.
Inquiries
Please direct all inquires to NIA@aacp.org.