Gerontology, the science of aging, is an increasingly important field of endeavor as the peoples of the United States and the rest of the world age. Developed and developing countries alike are seeing dramatic growth in their elderly populations. The world's 60-and-over population increased by more than 12 million persons in 1995 alone, reaching a total of 550 million. By the year 2025, 1.2 billion people will be 60 or older. According to the U.S. Census Bureau*, in the industrialized countries of Europe, Asia, and North America, more than 50 countries already have 15% or more of their population 60 years of age or older. Improvements in health care and disease prevention have the potential to create economic benefit to, and to dramatically improve the quality of life of, millions of individuals.

Significant breakthroughs in understanding the basic biological processes that underlie aging and age-related diseases are the best hope we have for achieving genuine prevention or amelioration of age-related debilitation and disease. Many of the world's leading scientists believe that such breakthroughs in understanding are not only possible, but in fact are the likely consequence of the application of modern biological research techniques. The Ellison Medical Foundation was established by a gift from Mr. Lawrence J. Ellison in order to foster such breakthroughs.

The Ellison Medical Foundation will stimulate basic biomedical research in multiple disciplines including molecular genetics, cell cycle regulation, cellular differentiation, genetic epidemiology, immunology, gene/environment and gene/gene interactions, metabolism, endocrinology, signal transduction, and integrative physiology. The Ellison Medical Foundation fosters research by means of grants-in-aid to investigators at universities and laboratories within the United States.
*Global Aging into the 21st Century: U.S. Census Bureau, International Programs Center, International Data Base, 1996 July 31, 1998

Programs

New Scholar Program

The Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholars in Aging Program is designed to support new investigators of outstanding promise in the basic biological and clinical sciences relevant to understanding aging processes and age-related diseases and disabilities. Funding for these awards is provided by the Ellison Medical Foundation. The award is intended to provide the significant support to new investigators needed to permit them to become established in the field of aging. Applications are solicited by invitation only. Institutions not currently invited may contact Richard L. Sprott to discuss an application for inclusion in the program.

* Detailed information
* 1998 New Scholar Awardees
* 1999 New Scholar Awardees

Senior Scholar Program

The Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar program is designed to support established investigators to conduct research in the basic biological and clinical sciences relevant to understanding aging processes and age-related diseases and disabilities. The award is intended to provide the significant support to established investigators in order to allow the development of new creative research programs by investigators who may not currently be conducting aging research or who may wish to develop new research programs in aging. The Foundation particularly wishes to stimulate new research, which has rigorous scientific foundations, but which may not be currently funded adequately, because of its perceived novelty, its high risk, or because it is from an area where traditional research interests absorb most funding.

* Detailed information
* 1998 Senior Scholar Awardees
* 1999 Senior Scholar Awardees
* 2000 Senior Scholar Application

Conferences and Workshops Program
The Ellison Medical Foundation Conferences and Workshops Program is designed to support scientific exchanges that will bring together investigators from a variety of disciplines relevant to the biology of aging in order to stimulate new incisive research on aging processes and age-related diseases.

# 1998 & 1999 Conference and Workshop Awards

Infrastructure Award Program
The Ellison Medical Foundation Institutional Award Program is designed to support institutional programs that will have a significant impact on the infrastructure available for aging research at a national or international level. The Award is intended to provide very significant levels of support for infrastructure development that might not be possible without such support and thus enable investigators worldwide to advance aging research.

* Infrastructure Awards

Contact Info

For further information, contact:

Richard L. Sprott, Ph. D.
Executive Director
The Ellison Medical Foundation
4710 Bethesda Avenue
Suite 204
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 657-1830 / 2511 (Phone)
(301) 657-1828 (Fax)