Funding and Opportunities

UTHealth Houston offers a range of research opportunities, accessible internally to its members and affiliates unless stated otherwise. These opportunities are open to researchers at any academic level, subject to the specific requirements of each announcement.

Previous Funding

• 2024 Harry E. Bovay, Jr. Foundation Annual Symposium on Aging Research Pitch Competition

  Description of Program

  The Harry E. Bovay, Jr. Foundation Endowment for Aging Research and Education is dedicated to advancing interdisciplinary research and education across the various schools within UTHealth Houston. Its objectives include enhancing collaboration among faculty members across different disciplines and fostering the development of translational research initiatives.

  In alignment with these goals, the UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging is pleased to announce a competitive funding opportunity for junior faculty members (at the Instructor and Assistant Professor levels) at UTHealth Houston. This competition will award $15,000 for first place, $10,000 for second place, and $5,000 for third place. These grants are intended to support pilot studies in aging research and are aimed at faculty who have not previously received support through this program. The primary objective of these awards is to provide preliminary funding for aging related research, that will enable researchers to develop their projects and enhance their prospects for securing larger extramural grants.

  Criteria

  1. Project proposals must address aging-related conditions and issues related to understanding their underlying mechanisms and/or management. Clinical and basic science, research will be considered.
  2. The proposed studies must be interdisciplinary and collaborative. Proposals involving collaborations between basic scientists and clinicians will receive a more favorable rating. Collaborations between two faculty are encouraged but up to four collaborators with significant contribution to the study will be considered.
  3. Preference will be given to proposals from principal investigators who are junior faculty with innovative research studies that are previously unfunded. Junior faculty applicants are encouraged to work with a senior faculty mentor in submitting the proposal and, if awarded, in carrying out the study.
  4. Applicants should be members of the Institute on Aging or propose a project including an Institute member as a collaborator. Applications will also be accepted from non-members without collaborating Institute members; if awarded a grant, the awardee is expected to become a member of the Institute on Aging.
  5. Non-allowable budget expenses are travel expenses, food/beverages and computer equipment. All funds must be spent within the United States.
  6. The application does not require approval from the Office of Sponsored Projects and does not require Review and Approval (R&A) forms. The application does require a brief statement of approval and signature of the department chair.

  Awards

  Proposals will be reviewed by leadership of the Institute on Aging. Based on the reviewer's recommendations, the top three finalists will present a 10-minute presentation of their pitch at the Annual Symposium on Aging Research on October 16, 2024 at which the attendees will vote on the three pitch presentations. The finalists will be announced at the conclusion of the Symposium.

  Awardees

  •  Danesh Sopariwala, PhD, received $15,000 for his project titled “Mitigation Of Age-Related Decline In Muscle Function By Targeting Estrogen-Related Receptor Gamma”. Sopariwala's research offers promising insights into how muscle function can be preserved as we age, potentially improving the quality of life for older adults. 

  • Fadi Musfee, MD, PhD, received $10,000 for his project, “The Early Structural and Cognitive Changes in The Brain Among Hispanic/Latino Individuals in The Cameron County Hispanic Cohort”. Musfee's work highlights the unique cognitive changes seen in specific populations, which could inform early interventions. 

  • Pooja Shivshankar, PhD, received $5,000 for her project, “Role of Complement Anaphylatoxins in Helper T-Cell Dysfunction in Inflammaging”. This research focuses on the immune system's role in the aging process, specifically how certain proteins may contribute to age-related inflammation. 

  Expectations of Awardees

  Awardees are expected to:

  1. Complete their research studies within 1 year of the award, or demonstrate substantial progress towards completion of the study.
  2. Provide an annual report delineating research progress and the plan for the next year.
  3. Notify the Institute of Aging of any significant budget changes.
  4. Notify the Institute of Aging and IRB of any significant protocol changes.
  5. Disseminate their results through a minimum of one presentation and/orpublication.
  6. Participate in a presentation for the Board of the Harry E. Bovay, Jr. Foundation.
• 2024 Translational Aging Research Pilot Grants

  UTHealth Houston Institute on Aging is pleased to announce a request for applications for the 2024 Translational Aging Research pilot grants. The Institute on Aging seeks proposals exploring hypotheses regarding how social adversity experiences across the lifespan affect biological aging processes to increase susceptibility to disability, morbidity, and mortality in older age. In this context, social adversity includes any of a range of exposures and experiences associated with biological stress activation.

  Eligibility

  Proposals are encouraged from UTHealth Houston faculty and postdoctoral fellows affiliated with any of our 7 UTHealth Houston schools involving various levels of translational research (T1-T4). Faculty and postdoctoral fellows from collaborating institutions in the Texas Medical Center and the Greater Houston Area can also apply, and funding of their pilots will be considered contingent on available funding.

  Priority Research Areas:

  • Relationship between social adversity constructs and specific mechanisms or markers of aging
  • Association between social adversity measures and frailty
  • Interventions to enhance function and independence among individuals experiencing social adversity or interventions that reduce or mitigate disability or frailty
  • Interventions that affect specific biological measures of aging among individuals exposed to social adversity
  • Comparing populations with differential exposures to specific social adversity on mechanisms of aging
  • Diagnostic tool development or validation, or biomarker screening among individuals with social adversity experiences

  This pilot funding supports translational aging research that can lead to extramural funding. Pilot awardees will have access to research resources provided by the Institute on Aging Cores. Projects will receive funding for one year with total annual direct costs not exceeding $25,000. A one-year extension may be considered. The Institute on Aging anticipates supporting two proposals for this call. If applicable, approval by UTHealth Houston's Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) or Institutional Review Board (IRB) is required by the pilot start date.

  Full proposals will be evaluated by an Institute on Aging pilot grants review committee, including an independent external reviewer with specific expertise in the area of the pilot application.

  Funding Recipients 

  • Jessica Lee, MD, MS: Multi-Omics of Frailty and Social Adversity in Homebound Older Adults
    This study focuses on homebound older adults who are often frail and socially isolated, both of which increase their risk of disability and death. The research involves a pilot trial using an exercise and nutrition program delivered through Meals on Wheels, aiming to improve physical activity, reduce frailty, and lessen loneliness. Early results show that more daily steps are linked to better walking speed, less frailty, and reduced loneliness. The team is also studying blood samples to identify biological markers related to frailty and social isolation, with the goal of developing better interventions for this vulnerable population.
    
    
  • Min Ji Kwak, MD, DrPh, MS: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence Technology to Identify Social Adversity Factors Associated with Acute Heart Failure Exacerbation Among Older Adults
    This project aims to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help doctors identify social challenges that may lead to worsening heart failure in older adults, such as lack of access to medication, food, or transportation. These social factors often go unnoticed in routine medical care but can contribute to preventable hospitalizations. By analyzing patients' electronic health records, including unstructured notes, the AI tool will recognize these risks and create a scoring system (SCORE-AHF) to predict future heart failure events. The goal is to reduce unnecessary hospital visits and improve care for older adults.