Core B - Program Development (Pilot) Core

REVISED PROJECT SUMMARY – PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT CORE (CORE B) The Program Development Core (PDC) of the Southern Population Aging Research Center (SPARC) fosters innovative research in population aging by supporting emerging scholars at our three hub institutions. Early-career researchers often face challenges, including limited access to mentorship and resources, which impede their ability to develop independent research careers. These challenges limit the region’s capacity for innovative aging science. The PDC is designed to address these barriers by leveraging its team’s expertise to support preliminary projects that generate essential data for securing external funding in SPARC’s thematic areas: geographic differences, social, economic, and environmental determinants, health disparities, and life course pathways. The PDC has three key aims: 1) Establish and sustain a competitive Emerging Scholars Pilot Grant Program focused on supporting early-career researchers; 2) Provide a structured mentoring program to support the career development of Emerging Scholar PIs; and 3) Develop and deliver SPARC Pathways: Preparing Your R or K Grant, a center-wide, 12-week virtual summer workshop consisting of asynchronous materials and interactive sessions that guide participants through the structured development of competitive NIA grant proposals. The Emerging Scholars Pilot Grant Program supports early-career investigators across SPARC’s hubs through a two-year mentoring initiative designed to advance their career development and prepare competitive R-/K-series proposals. Each year, one to three mentee-mentor dyads will receive tailored guidance and research support. As part of this mentoring initiative, all Pilot awardees are required to participate in SPARC Pathways. This summer workshop is also open by application to NIH-defined Early Stage and New Investigators from SPARC’s hub institutions. Participants engage in structured drafting, peer feedback, and targeted mentoring, and are expected to complete a working draft of their NIA proposal by the end of the program and commit to submitting in the subsequent fall NIH cycle. Through these efforts, the PDC builds the research capacity of emerging scholars and new investigators, supports innovative work in SPARC’s thematic areas, and contributes to strengthening the regional infrastructure for population aging research in the U.S. South.