Overview

The National Institute on Aging's (NIA) Office of Strategic Extramural Programs (OSEP) is hosting the 2026 NIA Mentorship Prize to recognize and stimulate excellence in aging research mentorship.
 
Scientific research mentors are typically expected to mentor in conjunction with their other professional responsibilities but frequently lack adequate institutional support. While mentorship plays a critical role in fostering the next generation of aging researchers, limited opportunities exist to establish mentorship programs and/or to reward exceptional mentorship. Institutions also tend to reward grants and publications rather than mentorship. Furthermore, public input on the proposed NIA mentorship prize revealed that, while 58% of 103 respondents’ institutions consider mentorship in tenure and promotion decisions, fewer than one-quarter (22%) of respondents reported receiving teaching release time or additional resources for dedicated mentoring activities.

The NIA Mentorship Prize aims to address these barriers by awarding $100,000 each to up to six (6) faculty mentors  who have demonstrated dedication to outstanding mentorship and training.  NIA intends for this award to: (1) aid mentors in dedicating time and effort to develop additional trainees in aging research; (2) enable the creation of resources and products to share mentorship best practices with the broader research community; and (3) demonstrate the importance that NIA places on mentorship, thereby encouraging institutional leadership to do the same.

Prizes will be awarded directly to the winner's institution in recognition of the mentor's accomplishments. To be eligible to receive the NIA Mentorship Prize, mentors must have received at least two (2) mentee-submitted nominations to warrant invitation to participate in this prize competition and must be an early career or midcareer/established faculty member in a tenure-track or equivalent position. Early career is defined as 0–12 years from the start of the first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position. Midcareer/established is defined as 13+ years from the start of the first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position. Mentors must be listed as a PI or MPI on an NIA award (not including Loan Repayment Program awards) active within the last five years (i.e., 10/1/2021 – 9/30/2026), must not have received an NIH K24 or K07 award, and must not be a prior NINDS Landis Award recipient. Please see the Prize’s comprehensive eligibility criteria under Eligibility Rules.

Partners: N/A

Dates:

• Prize Competition Launch: August 17, 2026
• Mentee Nomination Period (Phase 1): August 17, 2026 – October 15, 2026
• Mentor Invitations Sent: October 22, 2026
• Mentor Submission Deadline (Phase 2): November 23, 2026
• Pre-Screening and Initial Review: November 23, 2026 – January 4, 2027
• Judging and Final Selections: January 11, 2027 – February 15, 2027
• Winners Announced: Week of April 12, 2027

Statutory Authority to Conduct the Prize Competition.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is conducting this prize competition under the America Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science (COMPETES) Reauthorization Act of 2010, as amended [15 U.S.C. § 3719].

This Prize is consistent with NIA's statutory mission to conduct and support biomedical, social, and behavioral research and training related to the aging process and the diseases and other special problems and needs of older Americans. By recognizing and incentivizing excellence in mentorship, this Prize directly supports NIA's commitment to developing the next generation of aging researchers.

Prizes

Amount of the Prize:

The NIA will award $100,000 to each of up to six (6) winning mentors, for a total prize pool of up to $600,000. Up to three (3) prizes will be awarded in the early career mentor category and up to three (3) prizes in the midcareer/established mentor category. Prizes are awarded directly to the winner's institution in recognition of the mentor's accomplishments. NIA encourages institutions to use the cash prize to expand mentorship opportunities for the winners and support the research career development of trainees working under the guidance of these outstanding mentors.

Award Approving Official:
 
The Award Approving Official will be Richard J. Hodes, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Aging.

Payment of the Prize:

Prizes awarded under this Competition will be paid by electronic funds transfer and may be subject to federal income taxes. HHS/NIH will comply with the Internal Revenue Service withholding and reporting requirements, where applicable.

Entities participating in this prize competition are required to request and obtain a free Unique Entity ID (UEI), if they have not already done so, via SAM.gov as this will expedite prize payment. Additional information can be found at https://sam.gov/content/entity-registration.

NIH/NIA reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to (a) cancel, suspend, or modify the prize competition, or any part of it, for any reason, and/or (b) not award any prizes if no submissions are deemed worthy.

Rules

The Eligibility Rules and Participation Rules are outlined separately for both the outstanding Mentors, which this prize competition seeks to recognize, and the Institutions that currently employ the Mentors and will accept the cash prize on behalf of Mentors selected as winners. To be awarded a cash prize, both Mentors and Institutions must meet the Rules stipulated below. Cash prizes will be awarded directly to the eligible Institutions that currently employ the Mentors selected as winners of the NIA Mentorship Prize, and not to the Mentors themselves.
 
Eligibility Requirements:

For Mentors:

To be eligible to compete in and be selected as a winner under this prize competition, a Mentor —

1. Shall have received at least two (2) mentee-submitted nominations to warrant invitation to participate in this prize competition; 
2. Shall be an early career or midcareer/established faculty member in a tenure-track or equivalent position. Early career is defined as 0–12 years from the start of the first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position. Midcareer/established is defined as 13+ years from the start of the first tenure-track or equivalent faculty position; 
3. Shall be listed as a PI or MPI on an NIA award (not including Loan Repayment Program awards) active within the last five years (i.e., 10/1/2021 – 9/30/2026); 
4. Shall not have received an NIH K24 or K07 award; 
5. Shall not be a prior NINDS Landis Award recipient;
6. Shall be free of any unresolved research-misconduct finding, federal funding debarment, or retraction for cause.
7. Shall have registered to participate in the prize competition under the rules promulgated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as published in this announcement; 
8. Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement; 
9. Shall not be a federal entity or federal employee acting within the scope of their employment; 
10. Shall not be an employee of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS, or any other component of HHS) acting in their personal capacity; 
11. Who is employed by a federal agency or entity other than HHS (or any component of HHS), should consult with an agency ethics official to determine whether the federal ethics rules will limit or prohibit the acceptance of a prize under this prize competition;
12. Shall not be a judge of the Challenge, or any other party involved with the design, production, execution, or distribution of the prize competition or the immediate family of such a party (i.e., spouse, parent, step-parent, child, or step-child). 
13. Shall be 18 years of age or older at the time of submission. 

For Institutions:

To be eligible to receive a cash prize under this prize competition, an institution —

1. Shall currently employ the nominated mentor;
2. Shall have given approval to the Mentor to participate in the prize competition under the rules promulgated by NIH as published in this announcement;
3. Shall have complied with all the requirements set forth in this announcement;
4. Shall be incorporated in and maintain a primary place of business in the United States; and
5. Shall not be a federal entity.

Participation Rules:

For Both Mentors and Institutions:

1. Mentors may not use federal funds from a grant award or cooperative agreement to develop their prize competition submissions or to fund efforts in support of their prize competition submissions.
2. Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop their prize competition submissions or to fund efforts in support of their Challenge submissions. 
3. By participating in this prize competition, each Mentor and Institution agrees to assume any and all risks and waive claims against the federal government and its related entities, except in the case of willful misconduct, for any injury, death, damage, or loss of property, revenue, or profits, whether direct, indirect, or consequential, arising from participation in this prize competition, whether the injury, death, damage, or loss arises through negligence or otherwise. 
4. Based on the subject matter of the prize competition, the type of work that it will possibly require, as well as an analysis of the likelihood of any claims for death, bodily injury, property damage, or loss potentially resulting from prize competition participation, no Mentor or Institution participating in the prize competition is required to obtain liability insurance, or demonstrate financial responsibility, or agree to indemnify the federal government against third party claims for damages arising from or related to prize competition activities in order to participate in this Challenge. 
5. Participating Mentors and Institutions shall not be deemed ineligible because the Mentor or Institution used federal facilities or consulted with federal employees during the prize competition if the facilities and employees are made available to all Participants participating in the prize competition on an equitable basis.
6. By participating in this prize competition, each Mentor and Institution warrants that they are sole author or owner of, or have the right to use, any copyrightable works that the submission comprises, that the works are wholly original with the Participant (or is an improved version of an existing work that the Participant has sufficient rights to use and improve), and that the submission does not infringe any copyright or any other rights of any third party of which the Participant is aware. 
7. By participating in this prize competition, each Mentor and Institution grants to the NIH an irrevocable, paid-up, royalty-free nonexclusive worldwide license to reproduce, publish, post, link to, share, and display publicly the submission on the web or elsewhere, and a nonexclusive, nontransferable, irrevocable, paid-up license to practice, or have practiced for or on its behalf, the solution throughout the world. Each Mentor and Institution will retain all other intellectual property rights in their submissions, as applicable. To participate in the prize competition, each Participant must warrant that there are no legal obstacles to providing the above-referenced nonexclusive licenses of the Mentor or Institution’s rights to the federal government. To receive an award, Mentors and Institutions will not be required to transfer their intellectual property rights to NIH, but Mentors and Institutions must grant to the federal government the nonexclusive licenses recited herein. 
8. Each Mentor and Institution agrees to follow all applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, and policies.
9. Each Mentor and Institution participating in this prize competition must comply with all terms and conditions of these rules, and participation in this prize competition constitutes each such Mentor and Institution’s full and unconditional agreement to abide by these rules. Winning is contingent upon fulfilling all requirements herein.
10. As a condition for winning a cash prize in this competition, each Mentor and Institution that has been selected as a winner must complete and submit all requested winner verification and payment documents to NIH within 3 business days of formal notification. Failure to return all required verification documents by the date specified in the notification may be a basis for disqualification of a cash prize winning submission.

For Mentors:

1. Each participating Mentor is required to provide, as part of their submission, a letter signed by an authorized institutional official on official letterhead stating that the Institution has reviewed and agrees to the rules, terms, and conditions of the Prize competition and agrees to accept the cash prize on behalf of the Mentor if the Mentor is selected as a winner. In the event of winning a cash prize, the prize will be paid directly and in full to the Institution. In the event that a dispute regarding the Institution’s approval of the Mentor’s entry cannot be resolved to NIH’s satisfaction, the affected submission will be deemed ineligible
2. Submissions must include a Participant Registration and Consent form that is signed by the Mentor certifying that they have institutional approval to compete for this prize.
3. Mentors may not use federal funds from a grant award or cooperative agreement to develop their prize competition submissions or to fund efforts in support of their prize competition submissions.
4. Federal contractors may not use federal funds from a contract to develop their prize competition submissions or to fund efforts in support of their prize competition submissions.

For Institutions:

1. The Institution that employs the nominated Mentor must provide a letter signed by an authorized institutional official on official letterhead stating that they have reviewed and agree to the rules, terms, and conditions of the prize competition and agree to accept the cash prize on behalf of the Mentor if the Mentor is selected as a winner. In the event of winning a cash prize, the prize will be paid directly and in full to the Institution.
2. The institution will provide approval for the Mentor to compete in this prize competition (as indicated on the Participant Registration and Consent form).

Judging Criteria

Basis Upon Which a Winner Will be Selected.

NIA-funded investigators who receive two or more nominations from former and/or current trainees and who meet the eligibility criteria (described in section Eligibility Rules) will be formally invited via email to participate in the prize competition. Following the review and judging process detailed below, up to six (6) winners will be selected — up to three (3) in the early career category and up to three (3) in the midcareer/established category. Early and midcareer/established career submissions are reviewed separately and are not in competition with each other.

1. Commitment to Trainee Development (30%)
   • To what extent do the personal statement, together with the breadth of the mentor’s trainee record (volume and range across career stages), indicate demonstrable commitment to and investment of time and effort in the professional and career development of early career researchers? 
   • Examples could include: maintaining a sustained record of mentoring trainees across multiple career stages; establishing structured one-on-one meetings dedicated to career development alongside scientific progress; creating and regularly revisiting individualized development plans (IDPs) with mentees; serving as a mentor for career development and/or institutional training grants. 
2. Facilitation of Mentee Outcomes and Trajectories (30%)
   • To what extent do the mentee nomination letters and documented career outcome data provide clear, specific evidence of the mentor's attributable impact on mentee development, career progression, and contributions to the field of aging?  
   • Examples could include: mentee descriptions of having received attributable guidance and support from the mentor in developing and leading independent research projects within the aging field; grant writing; building a professional profile through publications, presentations, or speaking invitations; mentees advancing to independent or fulfilling careers across a range of sectors; or other documented career development and progression.
3. Mentorship Best Practices and Culture (20%)
   • How well has the applicant implemented best practices in their mentorship approach and contributed to fostering a culture of mentorship beyond their own lab? 
   • Examples could include: formally adopting evidence-based mentorship practices within one's own lab; developing or participating in mentorship training workshops at the institutional or society level; mentoring junior faculty or postdocs in how to become effective mentors themselves; or contributing to professional societies' mentoring initiatives such as early-career pairing programs. 
4. Scientific Excellence and Rigor (20%)
   • To what extent has the mentor created and/or contributed to an environment dedicated to the pursuit of state of the art and cutting edge methodological and scientific principles within their lab or among their mentees?  
   • Examples could include: leading discussions with trainees on experimental design, statistical power, and reproducibility; incorporating open science practices into lab culture; organizing journal clubs that critically evaluate methodology and interpretation of findings; or supporting trainees in engaging with cross-disciplinary or methodological training relevant to aging research.

Examples of each criterion have been provided, but these examples are illustrative only, and we highly encourage the inclusion of innovative and effective approaches beyond the provided examples. Judging will be divided into two (2) stages:

1. Pre-screening and Initial Review
   • All Submissions will be pre-screened for eligibility with respect to compliance with the rules of the prize competition, including the submission guidelines and signed consent form as applicable. Only fully complete submissions confirmed to meet all eligibility requirements will move forward for review and judging.
   • Eligible Submissions will be reviewed individually by federal staff with NIA programmatic expertise based on the evaluation criteria listed above. Each eligible submission will be reviewed individually by a minimum of two reviewers.
2. Judging and Final Selections
   • At the next stage, high-scoring submissions (typically the top half submissions) will be presented to a judging panel of federal staff with NIA programmatic expertise.
   • The judges will submit their selection of winners to the Award Approving Official for a final decision on prize payments. Winners are subject to final approval by the Award Approving Official.

How To Enter

Registration and Submission Process:

Phase 1 – Mentee Nomination

The first phase of the Mentorship Prize will be an open invitation to current or former trainees to nominate individuals who have served as their mentors. Nominations must come directly from mentees and may not be solicited by mentors or institutions.

Mentees will complete an online form with the following required information:

• Mentee details (e.g., name, current position, position when mentored) 
• Mentor details (e.g., name, position, NIA grant information, career stage)
• Basis of nomination 
  • Why the mentor is exceptional 
  • Specific examples of dedication to mentorship 
  • Commitment to trainee development in research 
  • Specific activities that influenced nominator’s growth as an aging researcher

Mentees can submit their nominations using this form. Nominations must be received by October 15, 2026, at 5 pm ET. A PDF version of the form can be downloaded and viewed under the Resources section.

Phase 2 – Mentor Application

NIA-funded investigators who receive two or more nominations from former and/or current trainees and who meet the eligibility criteria (described below) will be formally invited via email to participate in the prize competition.
 
Eligible mentors invited to participate in the NIA Mentorship Prize competition must obtain approval from their institution to compete for the award, as it will be awarded directly to the institution in recognition of the mentor’s accomplishments. NIA encourages institutions to use the cash prize to expand mentorship opportunities for the winners and support the research career development of trainees working under the guidance of these outstanding mentors.

Mentors are responsible for assembling complete submissions and submitting them via email to [email protected] by November 23, 2026. Incomplete submission packages will not be reviewed.  

Submission packages must include:

• Mentor’s curriculum vitae 
• A personal statement that describes the applicant’s commitment to mentorship, their mentorship philosophy, concrete examples of mentee outcomes, specific mentorship activities and approach, future goals for enhancing personal mentorship practice, dedication to fostering the pursuit of scientific excellence and rigor among mentees, and any other information the applicant wishes to share related to mentorship, such as participation in mentorship training programs and/or networks. 
• Participant and registration consent form
• Institutional commitment letter signed by the mentor and an authorized institutional official on official letterhead that describes the institution’s support for the mentor and that states the mentor and the institution have reviewed and agree to the rules, terms, and conditions of the prize competition and agrees to accept the cash prize on behalf of the mentor if the mentor is selected as a winner. 
• Fully completed quantitative metrics attachment (see Appendix 1)

Submission Requirements:

Multiple submissions from a single Institution are allowed.

Late submissions will not be accepted.

Resources

• August 18, 2026 Informational Webinar
• 2026 NIA Mentorship Prize Nomination
• NIA Mentorship Prize Consent and Registration Form

Additional Information

For Further Information Contact:
 
For additional information or questions, contact the NIA Mentorship Prize Team by emailing [email protected]. 

Appendix 1 - Mentorship Quantitative Metrics

For each element, please provide a numerical value in the Metric column and supporting information, as described in the Detail column.

Domain 1: Trainee Volume and Scope

These metrics capture the breadth of a mentor's investment in developing the next generation of aging researchers.

Metric	Detail
Count of PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, medical residents/fellows, and junior faculty formally mentored over career	Two lists of trainees organized by career stage that describes role and time range (month/year – month/year) when mentored by the applicant. One list should be current trainees, and one list should be former trainees.
Number of distinct career stages mentored (undergraduate, graduate, postdoc, junior faculty, K-award recipients)	Two lists of trainees organized by career stage that describes role and time range (month/year – month/year) when mentored by the applicant. One list should be current trainees, and one list should be former trainees.
Count of training awards (e.g., for NIH: T32, F31, F32, K-series) on which applicant served as mentor or co-mentor	List of training awards on which the applicant served as mentor or co-mentor. Include grant number, principal investigator name, and project title.

Domain 2: Trainee Research Productivity During Training

These metrics reflect the quality of research training provided.

Metric	Detail
Estimated mean and median numbers of first author publications per trainee	Selected trainee papers, including first author publications, and conference presentations. These references must include trainees identified in the list above.
Estimated mean and median numbers of conference presentations per trainee	Selected trainee papers, including first author publications, and conference presentations. These references must include trainees identified in the list above.
Estimated mean and median numbers of peer-reviewed publications by trainees during their mentored period (relative to disciplinary norms)	Selected trainee papers, including first author publications, and conference presentations. These references must include trainees identified in the list above.
Percentage of trainees who applied for their own grants (e.g., NIH, foundation, institution) under the nominee's mentorship	List of current and former trainees who applied for their own grants (e.g., NIH, foundation, institution) under the nominee's mentorship. This should be a subset of the full list of current and former trainees, which will serve as the denominator for the percentage calculation.
Percentage of trainees who successfully obtained independent funding (e.g., NIH, foundation, institution) during or within 2 years of completing the mentorship period	List of current and former trainees who received their own grants (e.g., NIH, foundation, institution) during or within 2 years of completing the mentorship period. This should be a subset of the full list of current and former trainees, which will serve as the denominator for the percentage calculation.

Domain 3: Contributions to Mentorship Culture Beyond the Lab

These metrics reflect leadership in elevating mentorship as a discipline.

Metric	Detail
Mid/Established Career Track
Number of workshops, seminars, or courses on mentorship taught to peers or trainees	List of workshops, seminars, or courses on mentorship taught to peers or trainees.
Number of years serving on graduate training committees, postdoc office advisory boards, mentorship program leadership, etc.	List of relevant positions with date ranges (month/year – month/year).
Number of external mentorship roles	List of national mentorship programs outside home institution (e.g., professional society mentorship programs) in which the applicant has participated.
Early Career Track
Number of peers, junior trainees, or rotating students the nominee has informally or formally mentored	List of peers, junior trainees, or rotating students the nominee has informally or formally mentored

Domain 4: Trainee Career Outcomes (Mid/Established Career Track Only)

These metrics assess the mentor's downstream impact — whether trainees go on to successful, independent careers in aging-related research.

Metric	Detail
Number and percentage of former trainees who obtained research positions across career sectors (academia, government, industry, nonprofit, policy)	List of former trainees who obtained research positions across career sectors (academia, government, industry, nonprofit, policy). This should be a subset of the full list of former trainees, which will serve as the denominator for the percentage calculation.
Number and percentage of former trainees in the academia/research sector who have received NIH R-series or K-series awards as PI	List of former trainees in the academia/research sector who have received NIH R-series or K-series awards as PI. Include grant number, principal investigator name, and project title. This should be a subset of the full list of former trainees, which will serve as the denominator for the percentage calculation.
Number and percentage of former trainees who remain active in aging-related research fields 5 and 10 years post-training	List of former trainees who remain active in aging-related research fields 5 and 10 years post-training. This should be a subset of the full list of former trainees, which will serve as the denominator for the percentage calculation.

 

Winners

Winners will be announced following judging of submissions.