Fellowships | Animal Models for the Social Dimensions of Health and Aging Research Network

The 2024-2025 McEwen Application Cycle is now closed.

Bruce McEwen Career Development Fellowship on Social Determinants of Health

The NIA supported Animal models for the social dimensions of health and aging: a research network (R24 AG065172) is pleased to announce the 2024 Bruce McEwen Career Development Fellowship on Social Determinants of Health. This award will support outstanding junior scientists in research-related activities with high potential to advance the use of animal models or comparative approaches to understand the social determinants of health and aging.

Eligibility: Advanced PhD students, post-docs, or Assistant Professors affiliated with a US institution, or proposing to conduct research at a US-based institution. There is no restriction on nationality. The applicant should propose a research program within the broad scope of the research network’s interests and have an outstanding track record of accomplishments. Applications from underrepresented populations in biomedical, behavioral, and social sciences research are strongly encouraged.

Details on the fellowship: We expect to award 1 – 3 fellowships with budgets of $3,000 – $6,000 each in 2024. The award can be used to support a short-term residency at an awardee-selected institution, to develop a new mentorship/collaborative relationship, or for secondary data analysis, new skill acquisition, manuscript writing, or professional development/planning.

Fellowships will be paid directly to the awardees and cannot be issued to institutions (note that fellowships may therefore be considered taxable income). Awardees are expected to complete their experience and use the funds within 12 months of the award, and will submit a report of their activities within one month of completion. Awardees will also be invited to participate in subsequent Research Network meetings and activities.

Application: The application consists of a current NIH biosketch and primary application document (2 pages max) that includes: 1) a 1 paragraph description outlining the applicant’s background; 2) a title and description of the proposed research activity, and its relevance to animal models for the social dimensions of health and aging; 3) a proposed timeline, budget and budget justification, and anticipated outcomes. If the primary purpose of the fellowship will be to support short-term collaborative or training visits to a different institution, a letter from the host PI or institution should also be attached.

The application material, saved in a single pdf file named “Lastname.Firstname.McEwenFellowshipR24.2024.pdf” should be submitted electronically no later than May 31, 2024 at 5:00 pm ET. The awardees will be announced by the beginning of July 2024.

Review of the application and priorities: Applications will be reviewed by the Research Network PIs, members of the Advisory Boards, and ad hoc reviewers, if necessary. The highest priority applications will clearly articulate the value of the proposed activity for research on the social determinants of health and aging and for the applicant’s professional development and training.

Acknowledgments: Resulting publications, presentations or material disclosed to the public domain should be shared with the R24 PIs for posting on the Network website and should include the following statement: “Supported by the Bruce McEwen Career Development Fellowship and the Animal Models for the Social Dimensions of Health and Aging: a Research Network (NIH/NIA R24 AG065172).”

Bruce McEwen

This career development fellowship is dedicated to the memory of the late Bruce McEwen (January 17, 1938 – January 2, 2020) in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the fields of stress physiology, aging, neuroendocrinology, and health disparities research. Dr McEwen was the Alfred E. Mirsky Professor of Neuroendocrinology at Rockefeller and member of the National Academies of Sciences and Medicine. He was one of the world’s leading experts on the cellular and molecular mechanisms that link stressful experiences. Dr. McEwen is best known for his foundational work on stress-induced changes in the human brain, and for developing the “allostatic load” framework for understanding how repeated insults, including those imposed by the social environment, lead to physiological decline. Dr. McEwen was a champion of interdisciplinary research on stress, social adversity, and aging, who was strongly committed to making connections between animal model research and human health. He was instrumental in planning the early stages of this Research Network, including service on the Network Advisory Board. For more about Dr. McEwen, see here.