With funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), the NBER Center for Aging and Health Research advances research on health and aging issues across a large community of economists, clinical researchers, and experts from other disciplines. The goal of the Center is to stimulate research among new investigators and on new topics in health and aging, systematically advancing science toward the most pressing issues and challenges of an ever-changing societal landscape. The Center is co-directed by David Cutler (Harvard University and NBER) and Karen Joynt Maddox (Washington University in St. Louis).
The Center co-directors are soliciting letters of intent for two-year pilot projects that, if approved by NIA, would receive support during the period September 1, 2027 – August 31, 2029. Potential funding is likely to fall in the range of $30,000 to $50,000 of direct costs. If your budget includes a subaward, be aware that the entire subaward budget (including any F&A costs assessed by the subrecipient institution) will be counted towards your direct costs total.
Leaders of funded projects will participate in a virtual research and career development seminar series, receive mentorship from Center and Network leaders, and submit a K or R grant application before the end of the project period.
To be eligible, applicants must qualify as a New or Early-Stage Investigator under NIH criteria, be based in the US, and be affiliated with a US college or university. Applicants need not be affiliates of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER).
The co-directors welcome proposals on any topic related to health and aging. All researchers, including those who are not NBER affiliates and who are early in their careers, are welcome to submit papers. Proposals that align with one or more of our thematic networks are of particular interest:
- Applications of Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
- Economics of Chronic Disease
- Emerging Challenges in Long-Term Care and Caregiving
- Geography and Health
- Health and Healthcare Variations Across the Population
- Healthcare Administration and Fraud
- Medical Innovation and Its Assessment
Applicants should prepare a one-page letter of intent, devoting roughly half of the page to an overview of the project and its relevance to the Center’s goals, and the other half to a summary of anticipated budget needs. With the exception of references, the letter must not exceed one page.
Proposals will be evaluated by the Center co-directors, Center advisory panel, and NBER leadership. Letters of intent must be received by 11:59pm ET on January 31, 2027.
To be considered, letters of intent must be submitted at the following link:
Projects that advance to the next phase will be notified by February 26, 2027 and asked to submit a more detailed proposal by March 31, 2027. Projects that are selected by the Center for review by NIA will be notified by April 30, 2027 and asked to submit final proposal details by May 31, 2027.
Please direct any questions to Sarah Holmes Berk at sholmes@nber.org.