Research Education Component

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – RESEARCH EDUCATION COMPONENT A priority of the 2016 National Institute on Aging report, Aging Well in the 21st Century: Strategic Directions for Research in Aging is to “attract and train more researchers from diverse scientific and cultural backgrounds.” Since 1997, the Center for Aging in Diverse Communities (CADC) at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) has been refining its highly successful mentoring program to increase the number of highly skilled, underrepresented investigators with successful and sustained careers in health disparities and aging research. Since receiving their CADC pilot study awards, our 25 CADC Scientists from the 2012-2017 cycle published a total of 167 peer-reviewed articles and obtained 44 new minority aging or health disparities grants as PI or co-PI (including 5 R01s, 2 R34s, 3 R21s, 1 R03, 1 diversity supplement, and 2 K awards), with 24 more pending. Our CADC maintains three integrated cores that support the Research Education Component (REC): the Administrative (AC), Analysis (AnC), and Community Liaison and Recruitment (CLRC). Our REC provides pilot study funding and comprehensive research and career mentoring of early stage minority researchers focused on health disparities among older adults, i.e., our CADC Scientists. CADC mentoring of CADC Scientists continues until they obtain a NIH R01, K, or equivalent award. Our AnC provides supplemental training and mentoring of CADC Scientists in research design, methods and analysis. Our CLRC mentors CADC Scientists to gain hands-on experience with community-engaged research, including methods for enhancing recruitment of diverse older adults. To expand capacity and enhance diversity among aging-related researchers, the CADC REC proposes the following specific aims: 1) select at least three CADC Scientists per year from underrepresented minority groups who have proposed innovative pilot research projects focused on the research theme of the Center: understanding mechanisms of health disparities and developing effective behavioral interventions to reduce those disparities among older adults; 2) deliver our comprehensive research and career mentoring program to our CADC Scientists to help them develop independent, sustained research careers focused on health disparities and aging issues. Mentor our CADC Scientists until they reach independent investigators status (e.g., PI of R01 or K01); and 3) deliver a robust education program to our CADC Scientists focused on topics and research methods relevant to health disparities and aging-related research. CADC will continue its strong track record of promoting diversity within the aging-related research workforce. Our goals are to ensure that workforce better reflects—and can meet— the needs of our nation's diverse aging populations, with the ultimate goal of eliminating health disparities among older adults.