Research Development Core

Project Summary (Research Development Core) The central goals of the Research Development Core (RDC) of the UAB/IU Nathan Shock Center (NSC) are to stimulate cutting-edge research, provide one-on-one mentoring and other resources for early-stage career development of its pilot grantees, and spark new and continuing interest in the biology of aging. To achieve these goals, we will (i) attract and support emerging researchers into geroscience through a competitive pilot funding program; (ii) provide one-on-one as well as group mentoring in research and career development for our pilot grantees, and (iii) create opportunities for STEM students at all levels to learn about, and participate in, geroscience research. To accomplish these goals, the RDC will work very closely with the Administrative and Program Enrichment Core (Admin Core), other NSC Cores, the NSC Coordinating Center as well as other Nathan Shock Centers as necessary for optimal grantee career success. These goals will be achieved through the following specific aims. Aim 1. Maintain a nationally competitive pilot grant program to promote research related to bioenergetics, comparative biology as they impact the biology of aging. This aim includes attracting, consulting with, advising, and supporting researchers working in areas of the NSC expertise to optimize their research plans. Competitive pilot grant programs require excellent grant reviewers. So we will also identify and recruit expert grant reviewers to select fundable proposals and provide all pilot grant applicants valuable feedback. We will also monitor career progress of all RDC-funded grantees. Aim 2. Support the career development of postdocs and junior investigators with one-on-one and group mentoring as well as skill-building in areas of grantsmanship, mentoring, team building, ethics, and entrepreneurship in collaboration with the UAB Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS)’s “Training Academy.” An important aspect of this skill development is the availability of study panels and mock study sections, which historically have resulted in successful grant applications 3 times above the NIH norm. Aim 3. In collaboration with the Admin Core, we will increase public awareness of advances in geroscience. We will also partner with UAB undergraduate, graduate, professional school, and postdoctoral research internship and fellowship programs to provide education and research experience in geroscience with particular emphasis on programs focused on underrepresented groups. Throughout all our activities we will maintain attention to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion.