Core B - Program Development Pilot Core

REVISED ABSTRACT – CORE B: PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT CORE (PDC) The Program Development Core (PDC) supports the overarching mission of the USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health (CBPH) by providing pilot funding to support the development of innovative research advances understanding of how social, behavioral, economic, environmental, and healthcare factors interact with biology to influence health, aging, and health disparities across populations. The PDC has a strong track record of supporting groundbreaking research that has advanced biodemographic methods and substantive knowledge. The PDC funds two types of pilot projects: those supporting emerging scholars to foster the development of early-stage researchers in the field of biodemography, and innovation pilots designed to generate cutting-edge methods and preliminary data to advance the broader research community. Planned pilot projects for the next funding cycle include projects that will deepen understanding of molecular and cellular processes in population health trends and explore how aging processes differ across contexts and subpopulations. Examples of pilots include projects that will address epigenetics in Black and Latina/o/e populations, socioeconomic and racial disparities in transcriptomics, and inflammation and social relationships in Brazil. To provide enhanced research career development support to emerging scholars, the PDC will implement a new Grant Incubator and Mentoring Program. This structured initiative will guide emerging investigators through a two-year process of training, pilot project implementation, and grant preparation, culminating in competitive applications for K- or R-series NIH grants or other external funding opportunities. By focusing on mentoring and outreach to scholars at Research-Active Institutions (RAIs), the PDC will broaden participation in the field and enhance career development for a broad group of researchers. The PDC’s objectives are to: 1) implement a strategic process for soliciting and selecting pilot projects from scholars at different career stages and institutions, with targeted outreach to emerging scholars and RAIs questions in biodemography and generating preliminary data for subsequent funded research; and 3) establish the CBPH Grant Incubator and Mentoring Program to support early-stage investigators in advancing their careers and achieving successful outcomes from their pilot projects. Through these efforts, the PDC will expand the scope and impact of biodemographic research, develop new methods and tools in population health and aging. By broadening participation and fostering innovation, the PDC will continue to advance the CBPH’s mission to transform the study of biodemography, population aging, and health disparities globally.