AGS/AGING Learning, Educating, And, Researching National INitiative in Geriatrics (“LEARNING”) Collaborative

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the Health Care Systems Research Network (HCSRN)-Older Americans Independence Centers (OAICs) AGING (Advancing Geriatrics Infrastructure and Network Growth) Initiative, funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), are partnering to create an AGS/AGING Learning, Educating, And, Researching National INitiative in Geriatrics (“LEARNING”) Collaborative to fill educational and training gaps in multiple chronic conditions (MCCs) research. The AGS is the leading organization of ageriatrics health professionals in the United States and has extraordinary depth of expertise in development and dissemination of educational programs. The HCSRN-OAICs AGING Initiative is a highly productive, collaborative, interdisciplinary endeavor involving scientists from 18 HCSRN research centers, in partnership with investigators from 13 premier, university-based centers established by the NIA (the OAICs or “Pepper Centers”). The overarching goal of the proposed AGS/AGING LEARNING Collaborative is to develop a national self-directed learning curriculum focused on the science of MCCs. Through the AGS/AGING LEARNING Collaborative, we will design, implement, and widely disseminate an innovative, multi-disciplinary, clinical and translational geriatrics-relevant research curriculum to reach emerging clinician and translational investigators (T2-T4). The AGS has extensive networks that will allow us to reach institutions that are under- represented in NIH research funding and enhance recruitment of under-represented minorities into careers in academic research. The curriculum will encompass: (1) research on the prevention and management of MCCs; (2) the development and incorporation of function and other patient-valued outcomes into clinical trials; (3) the recruitment of diverse populations into clinical research; (4) research approaches to the study of geriatric health disparities; and (5) patient and caregiver engagement in research design, implementation, and evaluation. Our specific aims are to: (1) Develop a multi-disciplinary online curriculum with a focus on training new and emerging investigators to conduct clinical and translational research on the prevention and management of MCCs across the lifespan; (2) Offer train-the-trainer sessions, at the AGS Annual Scientific Meeting, to introduce the curriculum to clinical and translational scientists for use in teaching at their own institutions, and meetings and conferences that bring investigators together; (3) Establish a virtual Learning Community of clinical and translational scientists to promote discussions of innovative solutions to the challenges of conducting research focused on the prevention and management of MCCs including those relating to recruitment of diverse populations; (4) Disseminate the curriculum through national research networks, collaboratives, and professional societies and organizations; and (5) Assess the overall impact of the LEARNING Collaborative through a quantitative analysis of network reach and impact, and a qualitative analysis of learner feedback on the curriculum itself.