External Resources
Following below is a selection of resources for research on aging and for finding funding for projects that pertain to older adults. Please contact Angelica Jaszewski if you see the need for corrections or if you have suggestions of resources to add.
Before contacting any foundation, please get in touch with your college’s ASU Foundation representative and any other person your college requires be informed of your plans.
AARP
In addition to serving as a policy and advocacy organization dedicated to the needs of older adults, it has several aspects that pertain to research. “Today’s Take on the News” section on its home page reports on research findings in the news. It publishes practical information on caregiving and has conducted surveys on caregiving (e.g., “2016 AARP Florida Caregiving Study”). Use the search tab to locate these and other resources. The AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) is “the focal point of public policy research, analysis and development at AARP. . . . PPI develops creative policy solutions to address our common need for financial security, health care, and quality of life. Founded in 1985, PPI publishes policy analyses and provides updates on a range of topics, including current AARP priorities and emerging issues that will affect older adults in the future. . . . PPI is also home to the Center to Champion Nursing in America, an initiative of AARP, the AARP Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.”
Administration for Community Living
“ACL brings together the efforts and achievements of the Administration on Aging (AoA), the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD), and the HHS Office on Disability to serve as the Federal agency responsible for increasing access to community supports, while focusing attention and resources on the unique needs of older Americans and people with disabilities across the lifespan.” Grant information accessible via the Grants tab.
Administration on Aging (AoA)
It is “the principal agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services designated to carry out the provisions of the Older Americans Act of 1965 (OAA), as amended (42 U.S.C.A. § 3001 et seq.). The OAA promotes the well-being of older individuals by providing services and programs designed to help them live independently in their homes and communities. The Act also empowers the federal government to distribute funds to the states for supportive services for individuals over the age of 60.” See the link for lists of offices and links to grants.
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
It is “the lead federal agency charged with improving the safety and quality of America's health care system. AHRQ develops the knowledge, tools, and data needed to improve the health care system and help Americans, health care professionals, and policymakers make informed health decisions.” Its funding supports “research to improve the quality, effectiveness, accessibility, and cost effectiveness of health care.” Grant announcements and other funding information are accessible via its “Funding & Grants” tab.
Alzheimer’s Association
Its “Research” page (https://www.alz.org/research/overview.asp) “is for professional researchers and anyone interested in following the progress in research. The Alzheimer's Association has been involved in every major advancement in Alzheimer's and related dementias research since the 1980's and is a leader in the global fight for a world without Alzheimer's.”
American Cancer Society
Its “Our Research” tab contains lots of information, e.g., “Cancer Facts and Statistics.”
American Heart Association
Research, including funding for research programs, is accessible via its “Research” tab; other information is available via other tabs (e.g., Professional).
Area Agency on Aging, Region One
The Area Agency on Aging, Region One [Maricopa County] is “a private non-profit corporation, which plans, coordinates, develops and delivers services for seniors (60 years and older), persons 18 and older who are HIV positive, adults (18-59 years) with disabilities and long-term care needs, and family caregivers of older adults.”
Arthritis Foundation
Information for researchers and the public is at https://www.arthritis.org/arthritis-cure/
Commonwealth Fund
The Commonwealth Fund is a private foundation that aims to promote a high performing health care system that achieves better access, improved quality, and greater efficiency, particularly for society's most vulnerable, including low-income people, the uninsured, minority Americans, young children, and elderly adults.
Current Awareness in Aging Report (CAAR)
Center for Demography of Health and Aging, University of Wisconsin-Madison has an e-clipping service and blog.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The CDC is one of the major operating components of the Department of Health and Human Services. As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish our mission, CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats, and responds when these arise.
Foundation Center
A significant source of information on foundation funding, reports, and news. ASU employees can access all the search tools for free by going through funding.asu.edu, “External Funding Opportunities,” and selecting “Foundation Directory Online.”
Funding.asu.edu
OKED’s page to access a range of tools, information, databases, and other material related to funding. There are links to, e.g., databases to search for funding, resources such as the Research Academy, and “Get Connected,” which has links to ASU blogs, Experts @ASU, and research forums.
Grants.gov
In 2002 it “was chartered to deliver a system that provides a centralized location for grant seekers to find and apply for federal funding opportunities. Today, the Grants.gov system houses information on over 1,000 grant programs and vets grant applications for federal grant-making agencies.” Pull-down tabs have sign-up pages that give access to subscriptions for receiving regular announcements and updates.
Health Resources & Service Administration (HRSA)
HRSA, “an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, is the primary federal agency for improving health care to people who are geographically isolated, economically or medically vulnerable. HRSA programs help those in need of high quality primary health care, people living with HIV/AIDS, pregnant women, and mothers. HRSA also supports the training of health professionals, the distribution of providers to areas where they are needed most and improvements in health care delivery. . . .” Its “Data Warehouse” gives access to fact sheets and data by a variety of filters.
Kaiser Family Foundation
“Kaiser is a non-profit organization focusing on national health issues, as well as the U.S. role in global health policy. Unlike grant-making foundations, Kaiser develops and runs its own policy analysis, journalism and communications programs, sometimes in partnership with major news organizations.”
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
In additional to the NIA (see next), several institutes and centers (ICs) of the NIH have research and funding on issues that pertain to aging. For a one-paragraph summary of what each IC does, see the list under “Institutes and NIH.” NIH’s Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tools (RePORT) “provides access to reports, data, and analyses of NIH research activities, including information on NIH expenditures and the results of NIH supported research.” - via the “Quick Links” tab, access the NIH RePORTER, which “allows researchers to search a repository of NIH-funded research projects.”
NIH, National Institute on Aging (NIA)
NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. NIA is the primary Federal agency supporting and conducting Alzheimer's disease research. Grants can be found via the “Research & Funding” tab, as can its “Research Resources.” The multiple topics under “Health Information” include the “Health Topics A-Z,” under which one can find “Healthcare professional information” and many health topics.
Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)
PCORI “funds research that offers patients and caregivers the information they need to make important healthcare decisions.” Its programs are Clinical Effectiveness and Decision Science, Healthcare Delivery and Disparities Research, Evaluation and Analysis, Engagement, and Research Infrastructure.
Retirement Research Foundation
Its mission is “improve the quality of life for older people in America. RRF is one of the first private foundations devoted exclusively to aging and retirement issues.” Its funding covers three main areas (Responsive Grants, Organizational Capacity Building Grants, and the Accessible Faith Grants Program); information on them accessible via its “Grants” tab.
Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The RWJF is the nation’s largest philanthropy dedicated solely to health. It also publishes research briefs, research and analysis, and other materials in its four focus areas: Healthy Communities; Healthy Children, Healthy Weight; Health Systems; and Leadership for Better Health. Its grant-making focuses on these areas.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
SAMHSA is the agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that leads public health efforts to advance the behavioral health of the nation. SAMHSA's mission is to reduce the impact of substance abuse and mental illness on America's communities. Grants are accessible via the “Grants” tab.
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
The “mission of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS) to enhance and protect the health and well-being of all Americans. We fulfill that mission by providing for effective health and human services and fostering advances in medicine, public health, and social services.”