The overall goal of the JHRC Pilot Core will be to solicit, facilitate, and support the development of novel and innovative translational research programs that are consistent with the focus areas of the Roybal Centers and the central themes of the JHRC. We anticipate broad interest in our pilot program from across the Schools of Medicine, Nursing, and Public Health at Johns Hopkins and a breadth of pilot proposals that extend our expertise in building an evidence base for strengthening the informal support resources of targeted older adult populations. The Director of the JHRC Pilot Core will be Dr. Laura N. Gitlin, a Professor in the Schools of Nursing and Medicine and the Director of the Center for Innovative Care in Aging at Johns Hopkins. Dr. Joseph J. Gallo, a Professor in the Department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins, will serve as a senior Associate Director of the Pilot Core. These leaders will work in concert with the leaders of the the Management and Administrative Core to 1) coordinate yearly calls for new pilot proposals, 2) evaluate such proposals and select meritorious proposals for further review by NIA, 3) ensure that the pilot projects comply fully with regulations and policies, 4) monitor the scientific progress of the pilot projects, and 5) facilitate coordination between pilot investigators and JHRC resources. The ultimate goal of the Pilot Core will be to further the development of promising research programs and enhance their potential for subsequent competitive extramural funding.
The specific aims of the Pilot Core will be 1) to support the development of innovative new ideas that translate basic research findings in the caregiving and social support literatures into new products and services that strengthen the informal support resources of older adults; 2) to organize yearly calls for pilot proposals of new translational studies that address the growing needs to better understand, strengthen, and mobilize informal caregiving and other informal support resources for older adults; 3) to establish and implement review procedures that evaluate the pilot proposals; and 4) to monitor the progress of funded pilot studies and facilitate subsequent applications for extramural funding.
The JHRC Pilot Core aims to identify and then fund studies that translate basic research findings in the caregiving and social support literatures into new products and services that strengthen the informal support resources of older adults. This Core will initiate a new generation of theory-based studies that target some of the most promising and relevant mechanisms for improving the lives of older adults.
