Key Dates

Related Announcements

• May 7, 2020 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-195.
• May 5, 2020 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). See NOFO PA-20-185.

Issued by

National Institute on Aging (NIA)

Purpose

NIA is issuing this notice to encourage innovative interdisciplinary research on the molecular, cellular, and physiological processes involved in female reproductive aging, with the goal to identify and understand key biological pathways involved in aging associated health outcomes in women across the lifespan. Interdisciplinary research that integrates knowledge, expertise, and perspectives from different disciplines may help to give a more complete understanding of the biological drivers of female reproductive aging, as well as provide novel insights into the complexity of overall aging in females.

Background

Substantial evidence indicates that, during aging, reproductive tissues display degenerative changes before their functional decline. Aging of the reproductive system plays a pivotal role in human lifespan and healthspan, contributing to the development of co-morbidities unrelated to reproduction itself. Very little is known about the processes of aging that drive functional decline of the reproductive system, yet, limited research has focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms responsible for aging of the reproductive tissues and the contributions of those mechanisms on aging related health outcomes. Functional decline of reproductive organs (e.g. human ovaries) takes place faster in females and such declines are closely associated with reductions in healthspan. Studies have linked ovarian dysfunction to systemic organismal aging, and there is very little known regarding the basic mechanisms that initiate and perpetuate age-related ovarian functional declines. On average, clinically, females have more drug adverse events than their male counterparts, suggesting that there are sex specific differential pathways leading to diseases. These sex-differences undoubtedly influence female aging, impact women’s health beyond reproductive capacity, and can result in health inequity and a lower quality of life. The knowledge gaps in molecular and cellular mechanisms that govern, maintain, and regulate female reproductive aging also represent a critical barrier to developing treatments aimed at attenuating age-related ovarian failure and promoting healthy aging in women.

Research Objectives

This notice invites meritorious applications proposing to conduct basic, mechanistic studies on female reproductive aging at the molecular, cellular, and physiological levels. Innovative interdisciplinary research and integrative approaches to investigate female reproductive aging mechanisms at all levels from cellular to organismal are strongly encouraged.

Projects responsive to this notice may include, but are not limited to:

• Studies on molecular and cellular mechanisms driving and regulating functional decline in organs and tissues of the female reproductive system
• Studies on molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in female reproduction that affect metrics of aging and the aging process
• Studies proposing integrative approaches to explore the interplay between female reproductive aging and those related to aging relevant and other conditions or diseases, at the cellular and molecular level, that:
  • Are specific to the female sex (e.g., pregnancy, polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, etc.), or
  • Disproportionately impact women (e.g., osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, autoimmune diseases, etc.), or
  • Affect females differently (e.g., cardiovascular diseases, metabolic disorders, etc.).
• Studies that aim to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms that modulate and coordinate interactions between female reproductive and other organs, and their changes with age using novel models and/or tools for female reproductive aging research, such as the following:
  • In vivo, in vitro, in silico, and in chemico models and technologies for conducting basic research
  • Non-invasive or minimally invasive imaging modalities
  • Longitudinal monitoring and assessment
  • Machine learning and artificial intelligence to analyze research and/or patient data and develop predictive tools

Application and Submission Information

This notice applies to due dates on or after February 5, 2025 and subsequent receipt dates through May 8, 2028. 

Submit applications for this initiative using one of the following notices of funding opportunity (NOFO) or any reissues of these announcements through the expiration date of this notice.

• PA-20-185 - NIH Research Project Grant (Parent R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)
• PA-20-195 - NIH Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant Program (Parent R21 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

All instructions in the How to Apply - Application Guide and the notice of funding opportunity used for submission must be followed, with the following additions:

• For funding consideration, applicants must include “NOT-AG-24-074” (without quotation marks) in the Agency Routing Identifier field (box 4B) of the SF424 R&R form. Applications without this information in box 4B will not be considered for this initiative.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss proposed research with the scientific contact listed below. 

Applications nonresponsive to terms of this NOSI will not be considered for the NOSI initiative.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to the contacts in Section VII of the listed notice of funding opportunity with the following additions/substitutions:

Scientific/Research Contact(s)

Fei Wang, Ph.D.
Division of Aging Biology
National Institute on Aging
Email: [email protected]