Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (OAICs)(P30)

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is a competing renewal application for the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center at the University of Michigan (UM Pepper Center). The specific aims of the UM Pepper Center is: 1) to support research that will improve understanding of how metabolic factors and inflammation interact with age related diseases and comorbidities to determine key health outcomes related to mobility and functional status. 2) To support translational research on the interaction of metabolic factors and inflammation with age-related diseases and comorbidities to improve health outcomes related to mobility and functional status. To achieve this aim, the UM Pepper Center will work closely with other UM programs including the NIH funded Michigan Institute for Clinical and Health Research (MICHR), the home of the UM's Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). 3) To provide Resource Cores that support and assist investigator-initiated projects related to the UM Pepper Center's research focus. 4) Through its Research Career Development Core (RCDC), to strengthen the UM environment for training of future academic leaders in geriatrics and aging who can conduct research related to the UM Pepper Center's research focus. 5) Through its Pilot and Exploratory Studies Core (PESC), to attract UM junior faculty, as well as selected senior faculty not previously involved in aging research, to develop new research projects related to the UM Pepper Center's research focus. The UM Pepper Center, now in its 25th year of continuous NIA funding, has in place a well-established leadership and administrative structure, an RCDC, a PESC, and four RCs: the Human Subjects and Assessment Core (HSAC); the Biomechanics Core (BC); the Methodology, Data Management and Analysis Core (MDMAC); and the Core Facility for Aged Rodents(CFAR). The RCDC features three central elements: 1) a competitive program to select 2 promising UM junior faculty per year to conduct research relevant to the UM Pepper Center's research focus using the KL2mechanism to guarantee 75% effort for research career development; 2) a nationally recognized research training program for junior faculty engaged in such research, and 3) a Mentorship Program that enhances opportunities for junior faculty members to work closely with one or more UM senior investigators. The PESC, through rigorous external review, will fund 4 or more pilot projects per year. The RC's will support multiple externally funded projects, the Pepper Center pilot grants and RCDC junior faculty, and continue to develop and test new methods to be used in Pepper Center research.