(REC) The UTMB Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) will continue to promote development of the next generation of research leaders in geriatrics and gerontology through direct financial support for salary, structured mentoring, participation in interdisciplinary conferences, didactic training, and networking activities. Scholars will have access to infrastructure support from the Research Education Component (REC) and other cores, from the Institute for Translational Sciences (CTSA), and from other OAICs as appropriate.
Specific aims of the REC are to: 1. Identify, recruit and retain qualified candidates who have the potential to develop successful careers in translational science consistent with the mission and theme of the University of Texas Medical Branch OAIC. 2. Create Individualized Career Development Plans for each scholar that identify a lead mentor and mentoring team with defined roles. 3. Develop, conduct and evaluate education and training activities integrated with mentoring and research experiences based on the Individualized Career Development Plan. Develop the skills necessary to establish an academic career that will lead to productive team science and external funding.
These aims will allow us to continue our success. The UTMB OAIC has trained 31 scholars including 45% women, 26% minority, and 55% clinicians. External funding was obtained by 85% of the REC scholars on their pathway to becoming independent investigators. The theme for the 2020-2025 cycle is: Translate Pathways of Function Loss and Gain into Interventions to Optimize Functional Recovery in Diverse Geriatric Populations. The theme guides a career development program in which early career faculty acquire capabilities in scholarly communication, scientific leadership, and the translation of research findings to effective interventions, with a new emphasis on Hispanic aging.
The aims will be achieved by integrating the REC scholars with teams conducting research relevant to the OAIC goal of identifying pathways of physical function and developing interventions that will improve functional recovery and enhance independence in diverse older adults. The teams are multidisciplinary and led by experienced mentors with demonstrated research expertise and documented external funding. The REC leadership includes senior faculty with both research and administrative experience related to career development, e.g., directors of training programs, T32s, K12s. In addition, the REC includes clinician-scientists as members of each research team to ensure that the mentoring experiences are high quality and include appropriate translational opportunities related to diversity, aging and geriatric research.
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