National Institutes of Health · Department of Health and Human Services
Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) (R03 Clinical Trial Optional)
Key facts
- Deadline
- Due Jul 16, 2028 · 648 days left
- Award size
- Up to $125K
- Match ?
- Not required · Work out your budget and match
- Who can apply
- Special district (utility, fire, etc.), School district, City or town government, Small business, County government, Private college or university, Larger business, Tribal organization, Nonprofit without 501(c)(3), Public college or university, Nonprofit with 501(c)(3), State government, Tribal government, and others named in the official notice
- Where
- Anywhere in the U.S., including Tennessee
Before you apply: federal grants require an active SAM.gov registration (Unique Entity ID) and a Grants.gov account. Registration is free but can take weeks, so start now, not when the deadline is close. Get-ready checklist
How this fits you
- Available in Hamilton County (nationwide program)
- No match required
- Past Tennessee awards on file: 297
Tell us who you are to see whether you're eligible.
Official notice: https://simpler.grants.gov/opportunity/b9d7723c-cdcb-484c-b8b5-5f0b3ff1ee41 · Printed from grantme.click/grants/0eb4e316-10bf-4e77-bf0d-81eaabe761c3
View on Grants.gov Add deadline to my calendar
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About this grant
The goal of the Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR) program is to provide support for early-career clinician-scientists trained in medical or surgical specialties to launch careers as future leaders in aging- or geriatric-focused research. In support of the program's goal, this GEMSSTAR Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) invites applications that propose to conduct transdisciplinary aging research that will yield pilot data and experience for subsequent aging research projects. The GEMSSTAR program encourages candidates to seek out a supportive research environment to further the program's objectives of fostering the development of early-career clinician-scientists in aging- or geriatric-focused research, particularly as it applies to their clinical specialty/discipline. Toward this end, GEMSSTAR candidates should include a Professional Development Plan that reflects this supportive research environment. In selecting GEMSSTAR recipients, the National Institute on Aging (NIA) will consider the extent to which a candidate's environment is supportive of aging- or geriatric-focused research.
Who can apply, from the official notice
Refer to Section III. Eligibility Information in the NOFO for additional information on eligibility.Foreign Organizations/International CollaborationsNon-domestic (non-U.S.) Entities (Foreign Organizations) are not eligible to apply.Non-domestic (non-U.S.) components of U.S. Organizations are not eligible to apply.Foreign components, as defined in the NIH Grants Policy Statement, are allowed.NIH will no longer issue awards (i.e., new, renewal, or non-competing continuation) to domestic or foreign entities that involve foreign subawards/subcontracts. All NIH-funded research involving foreign subawards/subcontracts must be submitted in response to a NOFO that is specifically designated for funded international collaborations. See NIH Grants Policy Statement 16.8 Collaborative International Research Awards.Applications involving foreign subawards/subcontracts submitted in response to this NOFO will be deemed noncompliant and will not be considered for funding. This policy applies to all monetary international collaborations resulting in foreign subawards/subcontracts, however, it does not preclude unfunded international collaborations or foreign components, funding for foreign consultants, or procurement of unique equipment or supplies from foreign vendors.
Your schedule, working back from the deadline
- Oct7
Check that your SAM.gov registration is active (or start it now)
Grants.gov: allow up to 10 business days for SAM registration, weeks or months if information isn't verified. It must be renewed every year. Grants.gov - Jun25
Ask partners for letters of support or commitment
Suggested: partners need about three weeks to write and sign letters. - Jul10
Finish a complete draft for a final review
Suggested: leave about a week for someone else to read the draft. - Jul14
Submit
Grants.gov: submit at least 24–48 hours before the deadline: uploads fail, systems slow down, errors need fixing. Grants.gov blog - Jul16
Deadline
From the funder.
Save this grant to put these dates in My grants and your private calendar.
Writing the need statement? Hamilton County facts with citations.
Who in Tennessee has won this program
94 awards to Tennessee groups in 6 counties since 1994 · 0 in Hamilton County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meharry Medical College | Nashville, Davidson County | $66.3M spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $39.5M spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $37.5M | 2021 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $25.8M | 2015 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $24.1M | 2011 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $18.6M | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $18.3M | 2019 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $15.5M | 2021 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc | Memphis, Shelby County | $14.9M | 2015 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $11.9M | 2016 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | $10M | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville | $9.1M spent that year | 2025 |
Source: Federal Audit Clearinghouse, USAspending.gov. Past awards show who this program funds. They don't guarantee future awards.
Tennessee groups that got this money through Tennessee Department of Education
This federal money also reaches local groups as pass-through grants. In Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Education passes it on: watch that agency for applications, not the federal agency. 203 pass-through grants on file · 0 in Hamilton County. Largest shown:
| Past winner | Where | Through | Amount | Fiscal year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Vermont & State Agricultural College | $4.4M | 2023 |
| University of Tennessee | Memphis, Shelby County | Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University | $1.8M | 2023 |
| Meharry Medical College | Nashville, Davidson County | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | $1.6M | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Regents of the University of Michigan | $1.4M | 2024 |
| St Jude Children's Research Hospital Inc | Memphis, Shelby County | The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center | $1.4M | 2026 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Vanderbilt University | $1.3M spent that year | 2025 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | $1.2M | 2026 |
| Meharry Medical College | Nashville, Davidson County | Vumc | $1.2M spent that year | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Mayo Clinic | $1M | 2026 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston | $993K | 2024 |
| Vanderbilt University | Nashville, Davidson County | Vanderbilt University Medical Center | $979K | 2023 |
| Vanderbilt University Medical Center | Nashville, Davidson County | Vanderbilt University | $965K | 2023 |
Source: USAspending.gov pass-through reports (the first recipient reports each one of $30,000 or more).
About the federal program
Oral Diseases and Disorders Research, also called “Dental, Oral and Craniofacial Research.”
Program number 93.121 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health · Cooperative agreement (a grant with close agency involvement), project grant
How applications are judged
The primary criteria for evaluating grant applications include assessment of: (1) the scientific merit, significance and overall impact of the proposed study and its objectives; (2) the competency of the proposed investigator(s) to successfully pursue the project; (3) the innovation and novelty of the concepts, approaches, or methodologies; (4) the technical adequacy of the experimental design and approach; (5) the adequacy of the available proposed facilities and resources; (6) the necessity of the budget components requested in relation to the proposed project; and (7) the relevance and importance to the posted institute program objectives. Also evaluated, where applicable, but not scored are: (1) protections for human subjects; (2) inclusion of women, minorities, and children; (3) vertebrate animal welfare; and (4) adequate protection of research personnel and/or the environment, biosafety, biocontainment and the security of select agents; (5) resource sharing plans; (6) authentication of key biological and/or chemical resources, (7) budget and period of support. In addition, the following criteria will be used in considering the scientific and technical merit of SBIR/STTR Phase I grant applications: the potential of the proposed research for commercial application. Phase II grant applications will reviewed based upon the following criteria: (1) The degree to which the Phase I objectives were met and feasibility demonstrated; (2) the scientific and technical merit of...
Match
None required (federal program listing).
About the federal program
Minority Health and Health Disparities Research
Program number 93.307 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health · Project grant
How applications are judged
The major elements in evaluating all new grant and renewal grant applications include assessments of the scientific merit and general significance of the proposed study and its objectives; the technical adequacy of the experimental design and approach; the competency of the proposed investigator or group to successfully pursue the project; the adequacy of the available and proposed facilities and resources; and the necessity of the budget components requested in relation to the proposed project and the relevance and importance to the announced program objectives. SBIR and STTR grants: For Phase I grant applications, the criteria used are the soundness and technical merit of the proposed approach; the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff, and consultants; the technological innovation of the proposed research; the potential of the proposed suitability of the facilities and research environment; and where applicable, the adequacy of assurances detailing the proposed means for safeguarding human or animal subjects and/or protecting against or minimizing any adverse effect on the environment. For Phase II grant applications, the criteria used are the degree to which the Phase I objectives were met and feasibility demonstrated; the scientific and technical merit of the proposed approach for achieving the Phase II objectives; the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff and consultants; the technological...
Match
None required (federal program listing).
About the federal program
Nursing Research
Program number 93.361 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health · Project grant
How applications are judged
The major elements in evaluating proposals include assessments of the significance of the proposed research; approach; innovation; investigators; environment; and alignment with NIH and Administration priorities.
Match
None required (federal program listing).
About the federal program
Aging Research, also called “(Aging)”
Program number 93.866 (the federal Assistance Listing number) · U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health · Project grant
How applications are judged
The major elements in evaluating proposals include assessments of: the scientific merit and general significance of the proposed study and its objectives; the technical adequacy of the experimental design and approach; the competency of the proposed investigator or group to successfully pursue the project; the adequacy of the available and proposed facilities and resources; the necessity of the budget components requested in relation to the proposed project; and the relevance and importance to announced program objectives. The following criteria will be used in considering the scientific and technical merit of SBIR/STTR Phase I grant applications: (1) The soundness and technical merit of the proposed approach; (2) the qualifications of the proposed principal investigator, supporting staff, and consultants; (3) the technological innovation of the proposed research; (4) the potential of the proposed research for commercial application; (5) the appropriateness of the budget requested; (6) the adequacy and suitability of the facilities and research; and (7) where applicable, the adequacy of assurances detailing the proposed means for (a) safeguarding human or animal subjects, and/or (b) protecting against or minimizing any adverse effect on the environment. Phase II grant applications will be reviewed based upon the following criteria: (1) The degree to which the Phase I objectives were met and feasibility demonstrated; (2) the scientific and technical merit of the proposed...
Match
None required (federal program listing).