Clin-STAR
Mini-Sabbatical Support

Looking for a funded short-term, immersive, learning experience?

Mini-Sabbaticals are short-term immersion opportunities to learn specific methods or techniques designed to fulfill objectives based on the applicant's previous knowledge, experience, specific research interests, and/or training goals.

These mini-sabbaticals, which may last up to a week, should offer a highly collaborative and supportive academic environment, mentorship, opportunities to participate in organized scholarly activities, access to a workspace, and reasonable access to relevant resources.

This outreach opportunity will build connectedness with the aging research community that extends well beyond the sabbatical itself. The Clin-STAR investigator will continue to engage the aging research community by maintaining the collaborative and personal connections established during the sabbatical and by continuing to participate in Clin-STAR activities.

Up to $3,000 may be requested, to cover travel, housing, and meals.

At this time, travel must be completed by 4/30/26.

Eligibility

• Clinician-investigators who are early career investigators as defined by the NIH
• Priority will be given to investigators from institutions that do not have well-established clinical aging research/training programs. In special circumstances, we will also consider investigators from institutions with established clinical aging research/training programs if there is a compelling need to gain additional skills in a specialty that is not strong at the investigator’s institution
• Institution and travel must be within the US

Selection Criteria

Qualifications of the applicant and the proposed activities:

• Rationale for going to another institution
• Likelihood that the support will have a sustainable impact and can be shared within the applicant’s community/specialty
• Alignment with Clin-STAR Program’s stated mission to advance transdisciplinary research, training and career development in aging

How to Apply

Investigators may apply at any time. Requests for funding will be reviewed on a first come, first serve basis.

Questions regarding the mini sabbaticals can be sent to contact@clin-star.org. Click here for our Frequently Asked Questions page or see the Clin-STAR website for details.

Requests for support should be submitted through the online application form here as a single PDF document, using Arial 11 pt. font.

The application must include the following information in this order:

1. A cover letter should include your name, degree(s), academic title, institutional affiliation and email address. In the cover letter please describe the activity/activities expected for a mini-sabbatical. Include why you need to go to another institution, and plans after you have completed the mini-sabbatical, including how you will share knowledge within your community/specialty.
2. NIH-style biosketch for the applicant
3. A budget and budget justification
4. Letter of support from host investigator, describing opportunities available for the applicant

Report and Evaluation

A short report and full financial accounting should be submitted to AFAR within 60 days after the visit. The narrative report should describe the nature and quality of the activities and what you believe was the main impact of the funding (e.g., how helpful was this award in increasing your scientific knowledge? enhancing your career development? increasing your collaborations, mentorship or establishing interactions with the host institution?)

Funded Examples

Examples of Mini Sabbatical funding that have helped to:

• Support to visit a memory clinic with a different structure, to understand strengths and challenges of alternative models of providing dementia care and to provide ideas for potential interventions to strengthen dementia care within the health systems at home institution.
• Support career development related to mechanistic health disparities at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health Center for Health Disparities Research
• Support career development related to implementation science and fall prevention. The mini-sabbatical visit with Dr. Elizabeth Eckstrom at OHSU enabled me to gain knowledge and develop skills to implement STEADI for fall prevention in outpatient physical therapy at my institution.
• Gain expertise in transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with Dr. Brad Manor at the Marcus Institute for Aging Research at Harvard University in order to conduct research aimed at enhancing mobility and independence of older adults with cancer.