Roybal Funding Program
CHIBE invites proposals from affiliated faculty for clinical trials that translate ideas from behavioral economics into practice in “real world” settings, specifically testing interventions that reach middle-aged and elderly Americans at high risk for premature morbidity and mortality.
Program Overview
The Roybal Centers for Translational Research on Aging are designed to accelerate the translation of behavioral and social science research into practical interventions that can improve the quality of life for older adults. The Northwell Roybal Coordinating Center invites applications for funding under any of the Roybal Centers participating in the 2025 application cycle. Supported by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), these centers address a broad range of themes that aim to tackle the complex challenges of aging, Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), social health, and disparities among aging populations.
2026 Funding Opportunity
The Roybal Program is currently accepting applications to fund fully powered, randomized clinical trials on behavioral interventions in aging. Applicants must apply the NIH Stage Model as a conceptual framework and clearly articulate a plan for how their trial will progress through the NIH Stage Model.
All clinical trials must have adequate statistical power to test mechanism of behavior change and/or efficacy of the intervention.
Each Roybal Center has a unique theme and individual call for proposals with eligibility criteria and budgets specific to each center. Please refer to the following guidance in identifying which Roybal center your proposal is best aligned with and follow the application submission instructions specific to that center.
Applicants may propose projects that align with any of the following key themes addressed by the Roybal Centers. To view center-specific application criteria and application links, please review information below. Once you have identified a primary center you would like to apply to, complete the form to initiate access to the letter of intent application.
Eligibility
• Eligible applicants include, but are not limited to, early-stage, mid-career, and established investigators from academic, non-profit, or corporate institutions. In addition, at least one principal investigator must be a CHIBE affiliated faculty member.
• Investigators may affiliate for purposes of applying for project funding
Affiliation requires submitting a current CV and a short description of your research for the CHIBE website and committing to attend at least 1 annual Penn Roybal Center Retreat every 2 years. Learn more here.
How to Apply
To learn more about this funding opportunity, please review the full call for proposals: Call for Proposals: Randomized Clinical Trials on Behavioral Interventions in Aging.
Please see the CHIBE-specific application here.
Why is it called the “Roybal” Funding Program?
CHIBE’s Roybal Center and the annual retreat CHIBE holds each year called the Roybal Retreat are in honor of Congressman Edward R. Roybal, the first Latino elected to Los Angeles City Council in 1949. Roybal co-founded the House Select Committee on Aging and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama in 2014 posthumously. He was an active patron for the underprivileged, the elderly, non-native English speakers, and various nonprofit organizations.