Core B: Program Development Core

CAF PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT CORE: REVISED PROJECT SUMMARY The Program Development Core is at the heart of the Center for Aging Families (CAF). This core leverages human and institutional resources across our three Midwest institutions to advance economic and demographic research on aging families through a first-of-its-kind national center. The aim of the Development Core is to foster collaboration and strengthen applications for NIA funding among our world-class community of aging family scholars. Drawing on the complementary strengths of our three institutions as well as the already well-established connections among the MPIs, we will implement comprehensive and integrative programming to support junior scholars and seed new research across our three research themes: the changing demography of aging families, aging family health, and health disparities in aging families. This large, multidimensional Core will be co-led by MPIs H. Liu and Reczek, long-time collaborators and established mentors; a co-lead management structure is advantageous due to the expansiveness of our programming. There are two central activity hubs in the CAF Development Core: (1) CAF Emerging Scholars Program, which provides seed grant funds of $75,000, integrated wrap-around mentorship and grant-writing training programs for our Emerging Scholars, with some components available to the entire CAF community; 2) CAF Innovation Program, which provides support for innovative pilot data collection projects or the testing of novel methodologies to support future R- and K-series NIA proposals for scholars of all career stages. Our approach allows us to provide general programming for our community of aging family scholars, while also offering a tailored experience for our Emerging Scholars. All aspects of these activities align with the three CAF research themes. The Program Development Core is central to CAF’s mission, supporting innovative research in population-based aging studies. Programming in the Core will spark groundbreaking research and stimulate collaboration among a multidisciplinary network of affiliates across the three institutions and the broader field of aging families. By introducing new initiatives and building successful programs, the Core will advance innovative science and stimulate collaborations among a multidisciplinary network of affiliates across the three institutions and beyond. Core activities prioritize junior scholars while also including opportunities for scholars across all career stages.