Advanced Research Institute in Geriatric Mental Health

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This competitive renewal application responds to PAR-12-264 "NIMH Mentoring Networks for Mental Health Research Education (R25)" and requests continued funding of the "Advanced Research Institute (ARI) in Geriatric Mental Health". ARI is a national mentoring network that supports the transition of early-career faculty to independent investigators conducting high impact research in geriatric mental health. The goal of this renewal period is the ARI's long term impact, with a focus on the continued growth in the number of Independent Scientists (e.g., R01/R34-level investigators) conducting translational, intervention, and services research related to late-life mental health; and the development of the next generation of mentors and leaders to take responsibility for ongoing development of new investigators conducting high impact research. Outcomes analyses demonstrate ARI's impact on career development with evidence of a Two-fold increase in R01/R34 funding. Over 95% of the first 7 cohorts (N=68) still have active research careers. To date six ARI graduates are now ARI mentors, eleven have participated as guest faculty; and nineteen have been ARI- sponsored mentors for junior investigators at national and international meetings. The ARI Educational Program supports 16 early-career faculty annually. Key elements include: sustained mentoring by a member of the program faculty and structured opportunities for consultation. The program includes an annual in-person Spring Retreat and proposes new strategies of long-distance follow-up, mentor- training, and web-based seminars. The mentoring network is a multi-disciplinary team of scientists with complementary skills which span the spectrum of translational, interventions and services research. Public Health Impact: The unmet mental health needs of older adults is a significant public health problem that affects not only those who suffer from mental disorders but their families, care providers, communities, and institutions that deliver and pay for care. The impact of late life mental illness will only intensify as the nation's population ages. The capacity of research to reduce the burden of mental illness in late life rests largely on ongoing enrichment of the field with new independent investigators from across the translational spectrum with state-of-the-art training and innovative ideas. The goal of this application is to strengthen ARI's long term impact on developing independent investigators prepared to meet these scientific and public health challenges.