2024 Pepper Scholars Program Application

Northwestern’s Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center is accepting brief proposals (1 page) for pilot research projects related to aging. Selected proposals will be submitted with the Northwestern Pepper Center’s grant renewal to the National Institute on Aging this fall, with anticipated funding for pilot projects to be available late spring 2025. 

The goal of the OAIC program is to increase scientific knowledge that allows older adults to maintain, restore, or improve their independence, and the mission of the Northwestern Pepper Center is to improve primary care management of older, more medically complex adults living with multiple chronic conditions (MCC).
 
Preference will be given to early career investigators at the instructor or assistant professor level at Northwestern. However, applications from postdoctoral fellows and more senior investigators seeking to transition to aging research will be considered. Pepper Center Pilot Projects will provide either $100,000 over two years or $50,000 over 1 year. 
 
Clinically oriented proposals focusing on the management of older patients with multiple chronic conditions applicants will have the highest priority for funding. However, high quality proposals from promising investigators who are conducting other types of research related to aging, including basic research, may apply and will be considered for funding.  
 
Northwestern Pepper Center leadership expects to select up to 6 proposals.

The deadline for submissions is 5/17/2024. 

Application: The one-page proposal should state the specific aims and rationale for the aims following NIH specific aims formatting. If basic research is proposed or if research not directly related to Northwestern’s Pepper Center mission is proposed, applicants are strongly encouraged to include a paragraph highlighting the relevance of their work to aging and Northwestern’s Pepper Center mission. Applicants will also be asked to submit an NIH biosketch and to select the proposal length requested (1 or 2 years)

Northwestern's Pepper Center is committed to promoting the study of aging in multiple disciplines. Please feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the relevance of your research for these funding mechanisms. 

Questions?