The UCSF OAIC RCDC will identify, support, and nurture talented junior investigators who will become national leaders in aging research and provide mentorship that will accelerate pathways to independence. Our primary mechanisms of achieving this aim will be through the RCDC Scholars Program and Advanced Scholars Program. The RCDC Scholars Program targets early career faculty and seeks to accelerate their path towards NIA K awards. The Advanced Scholars Program targets current K award recipients and accelerates the path towards their first ROI. RCDC Scholars will be provided generous levels of support designed to protect their time as they develop a portfolio of manuscripts and research that will make them competitive for K-awards. RCDC Advanced Scholars will receive program support that will support additional work that will be essential to a successful ROI application, but cannot be done with the limited project resources of their K-award. Both will also receive extensive mentoring and participate in an innovative series of seminars designed to develop skills essential to success in aging research, facilitate interdisciplinary communication, build knowledge and relationships that will stimulate translation between basic and clinical research, and accelerate their productivity. The RCDC leadership will also work with leaders ofthe Resource Cores to provide scholars access to additional support.
The specific aims are to: 1. Identify junior faculty candidates with exceptional promise for careers in aging research. We will put a particular focus on candidates who can contribute to our focus area. 2. Provide salary support that will protect the time of RCDC Scholars, allowing them to develop essential skills and to compete for K-awards. 3. Provide program support for RCDC Advanced Scholars that will be focused on facilitating research that will lead to their first ROI or equivalent grant (e.g., VA merit review). 4. Provide structured mentoring focused on each scholar's scientific area, principles of aging, development of knowledge in translational research, and career development skills. 5. Sponsor a grant incubator program to provide pragmatic hands-on mentorship for grant applications. 6. Promote increased diversity among researchers in Geriatric Medicine, through the RCDC diversity supplement program and by encouraging application from candidates from diverse backgrounds. 7. Facilitate access to the OAIC Resource Cores and other relevant UCSF programs. 8. Provide a structured educational experience through a series of seminars and lectures.
The future of aging research is dependent on the successful mentoring and development of the next generation of investigators. The RCDC will support and mentor talented junior faculty who will be future leaders in aging research. RCDC support will accelerate development along key milestones of academic success.
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