Welcome to a new year of supporting older adults through aging research
Best wishes for a happy New Year to those who continue to work diligently to advance and implement aging research, and to all older adults and their care partners!
You’ve likely heard by now that President Biden signed the fiscal year 2023 omnibus appropriations bill into law on Dec. 29, 2022. This bill provides nearly $4.41 billion for NIA, which is an increase of more than $187 million over our FY 2022 enacted level. It also includes a total NIH-wide increase of $226 million for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias research. More details to come, but for now, our interim pay lines are in place. Read on for a few highlights of our FY 2023 plans.
Mark your calendar for these key events
To guide our long-term research priorities and strategies, NIA hosts research summits to gain broad and expert input on gaps, opportunities, and emerging ideas from a diverse range of colleagues and stakeholders. Two key upcoming summits are designed to do just that:
- The 2023 Dementia Care and Caregiving Research Summit will be held virtually March 20-22. The focus is sharing and building on the momentum of innovative and promising research in this area and identifying unmet scientific opportunities. Participants will include members of the research community, people living with dementia and their care partners, and those who provide them with health care or services and supports. Register today.
- The NIH Geroscience Interest Group will host its fourth summit, Geroscience for the Next Generation, April 24-26, as a hybrid event. Participants will explore differences in aging across populations, and how geroscience — the intersection of basic aging biology, chronic disease, and health — can leverage inclusive and equitable approaches to advance well-being and prolong the healthy, active years of life for all people. The summit will be held in person at the Natcher Conference Center on the NIH campus in Bethesda and also streamed live via NIH VideoCast.
NIA will use what we learn from these summits, collaboration with internal and external stakeholders, conversations with the grantee community and colleagues at NIH, and discussions with our staff to further inform our research priorities in the coming year and beyond.
Prioritizing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility
NIA will remain focused on increasing diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) in both the research workforce focused on aging and in clinical trial participation. This is a top priority for NIA, and also a passion of Amy S. Kelley, M.D., M.S.H.S., NIA’s new deputy director, and a continued scientific priority for our Office of Special Populations. We remain proud to be a part of NIH UNITE and other efforts to strengthen science by embracing perspectives and voices from people of all backgrounds.
NIA’s DEIA efforts support entrepreneurship and the next generation of scientists. As just two examples of our work in this area, we look forward to the results of our Healthy Aging Start-Up Challenge and Bootcamp to Foster Diversity and Accelerate Innovation and will welcome and mentor a new Butler-Williams Scholars Program cohort this summer.
Stay tuned for more
Stay connected for further information and I invite you to share something you’re looking forward to this year in a comment below. Thank you for your vital work and support, and best wishes for good health and robust research in 2023!
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