XPRIZE Healthspan EVP Jamie Justice explains why early career researchers should jump into the world’s biggest healthspan competition.
How do we measure healthy aging? Despite billions of dollars flowing into longevity research, there is no universally accepted way to determine if a new therapy actually improves the way we function, feel, or survive.
While the concept of ‘living longer, healthier lives’ resonates across cultures and generations, defining and quantifying it for clinical trials has proven elusive. That’s the crisis in aging research today: incredible potential, but no measuring stick.
Where XPRIZE Healthspan steps in
Imagine turning 65 with strong muscles, sharp memory, and a robust immune system. This isn’t science fiction – it’s the mission behind XPRIZE Healthspan, a $101 million, seven-year global competition challenging innovators to develop therapies that restore muscle, cognitive, and immune function as we age.
The competition features two $10 million milestone awards in 2025 and 2026, culminating in an $81 million Grand Prize for teams that prove their therapy restores all three domains of function in people aged 50 to 80 years.
But here’s the key: before teams can win the $81 million, experts must first define what “success” actually looks like. How much improvement in muscle function is meaningful? How much cognitive resilience is enough to function like someone 10- or even 20-years younger? Without rigorous, global, and fair benchmarks, no breakthrough can be judged. That’s why XPRIZE is investing now in the science that will set the standard.
This work also has societal stakes. By 2050, one in six people worldwide will be over age 65 – a milestone that reflects incredible progress in human longevity. This demographic shift presents an extraordinary opportunity: to ensure those added years are lived in strength, independence, and vitality by extending healthspan – adding quality years, not just years. Achieving that goal requires more than promising therapies; it requires a standardized way to measure whether those therapies truly work.
Setting the gold standard
Before you can judge a running race, you need a level track and a common finish line. Similarly, before XPRIZE can crown a winner, it must define the measuring stick for improvement and set the standards so teams can show they have reached the finish.
That’s where the XPRIZE Healthspan Longitudinal Data Analysis Select Awards come in. These $10,000 grants give researchers the chance to shape the standards by which the Grand Prize will be awarded.
The focus of the awards is on analyzing existing longitudinal or large cohort studies to map how muscle, cognitive, and immune function change with age. The data already exist in cohort and large population datasets around the world, but the information has never been harnessed in a coordinated way.
By studying thousands of people across different ages, backgrounds, and locations, awarded researchers will create ‘reference thresholds – measuring sticks to judge whether new treatments truly make a difference. These become official standards for awarding the Grand Prize. When teams claim their treatment works, judges use these thresholds to determine if results are truly impressive or just normal variation.
Importantly, these grants prioritize researchers with access to data from non-US populations. This ensures breakthrough treatments and reference thresholds work for all backgrounds, not just typical medical research populations.
A golden opportunity for rising scientists
For early career researchers, these grants are more than funding – they are an invitation to the main stage of aging research.
First, grant reviewers will prioritize applications that include junior faculty and postdoctoral researchers. While established scientists often dominate major grants, XPRIZE actively seeks fresh perspectives and new voices.
Second, the scope is both manageable and impactful. Over six months, recipients will analyze existing data on adults aged 40–80, focusing on measures like endurance capacity, lower body power, cognitive function, and – where available – immune biomarkers. The results will directly inform the competition’s judging process.
Third, the collaborative aspect is unmatched. Recipients will work with XPRIZE data hubs and connect with an international network of researchers. For emerging scientists, those relationships could seed long-term collaborations and open career-defining opportunities.
Finally, the stakes couldn’t be higher. The thresholds developed through this work will determine which therapies succeed in the Grand Prize and, by extension, shape how future aging interventions are tested worldwide.
The future of aging research Is being measured now
Healthy aging isn’t just about breakthroughs in the lab. It’s also about building the tools to measure progress, set fair standards, and ensure innovations work for everyone. With these awards, XPRIZE is charting the path forward – so that when we say we’ve added life to years, we’ll know exactly what that means.
The XPRIZE Healthspan Longitudinal Data Analysis Select Awards are more than small grants – they lay the foundation for a revolution in aging science. If you have data access and passion for setting science standards for the field, this could be your moment. The future of aging research is being tested now – you could help measure it.
The call for applications is open now. Four $10,000 Select Awards will be granted in 2025. To qualify, researchers must have immediate access to longitudinal or large cross-sectional data on adults aged 40–80 that includes measures of muscle and cognitive function, and ideally, immune biomarkers.
Applications are due October 6, 2025, and competition will be fierce. But for those who are passionate about making aging research inclusive, measurable, and impactful, this is a chance to leave a lasting imprint on the field.
Applications for XPRIZE Healthspan Longitudinal Data Analysis Select Awards are due October 6, 2025. Learn more through AFAR.
About Jamie Justice
Jamie Justice, PhD, is the Executive Vice President of Health at XPRIZE, and Executive Director of XPRIZE Healthspan, a $101M global competition to revolutionize the way we approach human aging. She also serves as an Adjunct Professor in Internal Medicine and Sticht Center on Healthy Aging and Alzheimer’s Prevention at Wake Forest University School of Medicine (WFUSM).
