NEW YORK, NY — The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2026 AFAR Grants for Junior Faculty. The Grants for Junior Faculty program provides up to $160,000 to junior faculty (MDs and PhDs) for 1-2 years to conduct research that will serve as the basis for longer term research efforts on the biology of aging. The major goal of this program is to assist in the development of the careers of early career investigators committed to pursuing careers in aging research. Selected through a rigorous review process, with support from key funding partners, this year’s recipients are exploring a range of aging-related topics at research institutions nationwide:
* Underwritten fully by the Hearst Foundations
Additional funders of the AFAR Grants for Junior Faculty include: AFAR Board of Directors, Anonymous, The James A. and Dorothy R. Brunn Foundation, The Charina Foundation, The Irene Diamond Fund, David W. Gore, Diana Jacobs Kalman, The Lowell F. Johnson Foundation, Irving Kahn Fund, Diane Nixon Fund, Sami Sagol, and The Irving S. Wright Endowment.
“A core program since AFAR's inception, the AFAR Grant for Junior Faculty continues to provide flexible support at a critical juncture in an early career investigator’s career when research funding is most difficult to secure, especially in today’s vulnerable funding climate for science,” notes Stephanie Lederman, EdM, Executive Director of AFAR. “Many of the field’s most prominent scientists were able to leverage an AFAR Grant for Junior Faculty to secure larger funding to advance their research path, building the foundation of knowledge that is leading to innovations to help us all live healthier, longer.”
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About AFAR - The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is a national non-profit organization that supports and advances pioneering biomedical research that is revolutionizing how we live healthier and longer. For nearly half a century, AFAR has served as the field’s talent incubator, providing nearly $232,000,000 to close to 4,600 investigators at premier research institutions to date — and growing. In 2026, AFAR expects to provide approximately $6,522,000 to 56 investigators through a range of programs. A trusted leader and strategist, AFAR also works with public and private funders to steer high-quality grant programs and inter-disciplinary research networks. AFAR-funded researchers are finding that modifying basic cellular processes can delay—or even prevent — many chronic diseases, often at the same time. They are discovering that it is never too late—or too early—to improve health. This groundbreaking science is paving the way for innovative new therapies that promise to improve and extend our quality of life — at any age. Learn more at www.afar.org .