Center for Aging and Policy Studies (CAPS) Core B: Program Development (Pilot) Core

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Project Summary/Abstract for Core B: Program Development (Pilot) Core The overarching objectives of the Program Development (Pilot) Core (hereafter “Pilot Core”) are to: (1) generate new lines of innovative, interdisciplinary, policy-relevant, and cross-institution research in CAPS thematic areas; (2) enhance human capital in population-based aging research and build the pipeline of emerging and underrepresented scholars; and (3) promote research that informs and responds to priority areas identified by NIA, including and especially CAPS thematic areas. The Pilot Core will accomplish its objectives through four specific aims. Aim 1 is to promote new lines of research in CAPS signature and cross-cutting themes as well as other emerging high-priority areas. The CAPS Pilot Project Program is a key mechanism through which the CAPS leadership team will stimulate scientific research on CAPS thematic areas and other high-priority issues, with such research explicitly sought through the program’s annual call for proposals. Aim 2 is to encourage innovative team science in the demography and economics of aging. The pilot program’s annual call for proposals will emphasize that such features are among the major evaluation criteria for funding. CAPS will provide many opportunities and supports for forming collaborative teams. In the Pilot Core, these supports include a mentoring session at the CAPS Annual Conference and regular availability of the CAPS leadership team to consult with and mentor prospective applicants as they form teams and draft proposals. Aim 3 is to foster strategic growth in the size and scope of the list of CAPS affiliates. The Pilot Core will achieve this aim in part by coordinating with the Administrative Core and the Dissemination Core to advertise the pilot program to non- affiliate scholars at CAPS sites and via curated distribution lists with a broad reach, including to other universities in Upstate New York and to other NIA-funded centers and networks. Aim 4 is to accelerate research and external funding success of CAPS affiliates. To achieve this aim, the Pilot Core will take an innovative, highly integrated approach that ensures touchpoints throughout the entire life cycle of a pilot project. Pilot investigators will benefit from sustained mentorship, starting with how to craft a competitive pilot proposal and, ultimately, how to extend a successful pilot project into a competitive external grant proposal. The Pilot Core will coordinate closely with the Administrative Core to implement the pilot program, with a clear set of responsibilities outlined in each core. The CAPS leadership team identified four significant, innovative, and methodologically rigorous pilot project proposals for Year 1. In addition to achieving those essential criteria, these proposals support: (1) each of CAPS thematic areas; (2) emerging scholars in order to help launch their externally funded research portfolios; (3) mid- career scholars who have impressive track records of innovative, externally funded, high-impact population- based research but who are relatively new to aging science; (4) an even mix of projects lead by demographers and economists; and (5) underrepresented scientists in the demography and economics of aging.