Emerging Scholars Pilot Grants

Request For Applications 2027-28

Submit your LOI here: https://umn.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_bqLZA0clIhaup94

Overview

The Boston University-Quantitative Population Science and Healthy Cognitive Aging Research Program (BU-SHARP) invites new and early-stage investigators (per NIH criteria) to apply for Emerging Scholars Pilot Grants. BU-SHARP is funded by the National Institute on Aging (P30AG097147).

The grants support small, innovative research projects that generate preliminary findings for larger research efforts on Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease-related dementias (AD/ADRD). Awardees also receive structured mentorship to prepare an NIH R-series or K-series application within two years of the award. We anticipate funding two projects in this cycle.

Research Themes

Projects must address at least one of BU-SHARP’s research themes:

  • (A) Between- and within-group patterning of AD/ADRD onset, progression, and consequences across persons with disabilities, underserved rural populations, and other populations disproportionately affected by AD/ADRD.
  • (B) Life course individual and interpersonal resources and mechanisms contributing to this patterning.
  • (C) Modifiable influences on AD/ADRD onset, progression, and consequences in these populations.

Eligibility

Applicants must meet both requirements below:

  1. Career stage. Applicants must qualify as a New Investigator or Early-Stage Investigator under NIH criteria.
  2. Institution. Applicants must be currently enrolled as a doctoral student, or employed as a postdoctoral fellow or faculty member, at Boston University or at another U.S. based college or university that does not currently have an NIA-funded Demography and Economics of Aging (D&E) Center.

BU-SHARP will also consider established scholars who are new investigators and/or new to the study of aging and cognitive health, and who help broaden representation in the population aging research workforce across disciplines, career stages, and institutions.

Projects should fall within demography, economics, sociology, epidemiology, public health, gerontology, law, or a related population-based field. Applicants must disclose any prior D&E Center pilot awards and any current applications to other D&E Centers.

Funding

Awards provide up to $20,000 in direct costs, to be spent over the course of up to 12 months beginning April 1, 2027. Allowable expenses include:

  • Salary and fringe benefits
  • Data collection
  • Research staff
  • Travel
  • Supplies (e.g. computing software)

Awardees also receive separate funding for travel to the Population Association of America (PAA) annual meeting and one additional scientific conference of the grantee’s choice.

Awardee Support and Expectations

Each awardee receives:

  • Mentorship. A mentoring team made up of a primary mentor at Boston University, a secondary mentor of the scholar’s choice (facilitated by BU-SHARP), and Pilot Core Director Dr. Deborah Carr.
  • Technical assistance. Help with methods and data, via BU-SHARP workshops and one-on-one consultations.
  • Dissemination support. Help sharing findings with research and non-research audiences.
  • Proposal review. A funded ‘mock review’ of their NIH K or R proposal.

Awardees are expected to:

  • Submit quarterly progress updates and an annual report.
  • Maintain regular contact with their mentoring team.
  • Present at a BU-SHARP Research Accelerator Meeting and at least one related workshop per year.
  • Attend at least two professional development activities per year.
  • Share code and replication materials with resulting publications.
  • Acknowledge NIA support (P30AG097147).

Participation may be remote. Projects involving human subjects must obtain IRB approval or exemption within 30 days of the award notice.

Application

Stage 1: Letter of Intent (due November 15, 2026). Complete the online form with your contact information, prior D&E Center pilot awards, other D&E Center applications, and project title. Upload a separate LOI document that includes:

  • Your name and project title.
  • A project abstract and anticipated outcome(s), such as an NIH grant proposal (500 words).
  • How the project and participation in BU-SHARP advances your career goals, including information on whether you plan to pursue a K, R or other grant mechanism and if so, which mechanism, e.g., K99, K01 etc (100 words).
  • A description of how the project aligns with BU-SHARP themes (250 words).
  • A preliminary budget request (500 words).

Stage 2: Full Application (by invitation, due March 1, 2027). The full application includes:

  1. A cover letter describing your interest in the program and your career goals, including plans for NIH funding.
  2. An abstract.
  3. Specific aims.
  4. A research strategy with four subsections: Significance, Innovation, Approach, and Anticipated Outcomes.
  5. A detailed budget and budget justification.
  6. Project timeline.
  7. An NIH biosketch or CV.
  8. References.
  9. A dissemination plan.

We expect to provide critical feedback on LOIs and applications, even if not selected for funding, with the intention of supporting applicants’ progress towards preparing a competitive K or R mechanism proposal. Detailed instructions will be provided to invited applicants.

Each full application will be reviewed by three members of the BU-SHARP Executive Committee. Review criteria are:

  • Alignment with BU-SHARP themes.
  • Significance.
  • Innovation.
  • Approach.
  • Potential impact.
  • The investigator’s scientific potential.

Application Timeline

The annual call for applications will be announced each academic year. Applications for the second cohort of Emerging Scholars will open on October 1, 2026. Anticipated application timeline below.

LOI opens October 1, 2026
LOI deadline November 15, 2026
LOI notifications December 1, 2026
Full application opens December 2, 2026
Full application deadline March 1, 2027
Award notifications March 15, 2027
Project start April 1, 2027