The McKnight Brain Research Foundation Innovator Awards in Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss

RFA Window Open Now:
Letters of Intent Due April 15, 2026

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The McKnight Brain Research Foundation and the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) will provide up to two 3-year awards of $750,000 (USD) each to advanced Assistant Professors and recently appointed Associate Professors (MDs and PhDs.) One award will be made to support studies focusing on clinical translational research and another award toward understanding basic biological mechanisms underlying cognitive aging and age-related memory loss. The program aims to identify emerging scientific leaders and build a cadre of outstanding research scientists across the United States to lead transformative research in the field of cognitive aging.

The Letter of Intent deadline is April 15, 2026.

Learn more about the award and the application criteria here. 

One award will be made to support innovative studies focusing on clinical translational research and another will support innovative studies of basic biological mechanisms underlying cognitive aging and age-related memory loss.
The program supports full-time independent investigators at the rank of Assistant Professor or Associate Professor (or equivalent) with established independent research programs who have already demonstrated a firm commitment to cognitive aging research. The funding provided will add substantial start-up support for a period of three years to help these investigators develop and/or expand an outstanding research program in cognitive aging and memory loss.
The types of studies that could be supported include conducting a pilot clinical trial, developing proof-of concept interventions to prevent/slow age-associated cognitive impairment, gathering preclinical data to accelerate testing of potential interventions, and furthering the study of the mechanistic basis of age-associated cognitive impairment in relevant experimental models with the goal of identifying novel treatment targets.
Learn More About the Program and Application Criteria

Qualifications

Scientists proposing to pursue basic research should clearly articulate the potential of their findings to be translated into clinically relevant strategies, and/or treatments.

Research studies at the intersection of age-associated cognitive changes and disease-related cognitive impairment may be considered if a strong case can be made for their relevance to cognitive aging and age-related memory loss. However, research that is primarily focused on neurodegenerative diseases (e.g., Alzheimer’s disease) will not be supported.

Two 3-year awards of $750,000 (USD) each will be made annually of which a maximum of 10% may be used for indirect expenses or institutional overhead. 

Meet Our Grant Recipients

Selection Criteria

Five criteria are used to determine the merit of an application:
  • Qualifications of the applicant
  • Quality and promise of the proposed research and its relevance to cognitive aging/age-related memory loss
  • Novelty/impact of the proposed research and the potential to have transformative clinical impact
  • Excellence of the research environment
  • The commitment by the institution to the applicant as described in the institutional commitment form and letter

Timeline

  • Letter of Intent (LOI) Deadline: April 15, 2026
  • Results of LOI Review: mid-June, 2026
  • Full Application Deadline: mid-August, 2026
  • Anticipated Award Announcement: late September, 2026
  • Award Start Date: October 1, 2026
See if you qualify

For more information on program eligibility and application procedures, please visit the American Federation on Aging website.

Go to Program Eligibility