The Pepper Center and Institute on Aging are excited to announce a request for applications regarding pilot and exploratory study proposals and scholarships.
Pilot and exploratory study proposal examples include interventions to improve mobility function, observational studies that evaluate novel risk factors for mobility loss, database and informatics research on falls, data science and technology feasibility, development of quantitative methods, understanding mobility loss in high-risk groups, and age-related biological and/or physiological pathways that preserve or rescue mobility function. Successful applications should generate pilot data that will lead directly to proposals for extramural research grants and/or career development awards. Pilot and exploratory study proposals should reflect the Claude D. Pepper Older American’s Independence Center (OAIC)’s theme of “Conducting research on the multicomplexities of mobility loss using novel tools and research designs for developing treatment strategies that preserve mobility-independence.”
Scholar awards provide early career faculty both salary support for protected time to engage in research training and seed funding to conduct a pilot research project.
Interested applicants may submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by 5 PM on September 18, 2026. Accepted LOIs will receive full application details and instructions by October 1st. Full application due date is Friday, December 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM.
Full details about applications can be found on the Funding Opportunities page.