for Core D: External Research Resources and Dissemination Core The overarching objective of the External Research Resources Support and Dissemination Core (hereafter ?Dissemination Core?) is to advance scholarship related to CAPS signature and cross-cutting themes by providing external research resources and disseminating scientific information that promotes the development and translation of population-based aging research. Specifically, the Dissemination Core will enable scientists to amplify the impact of their research by offering multiple avenues to share findings; encouraging the use of new data resources; enhancing the competitiveness of external grant applications; and communicating research findings to researchers, practitioners, decision makers, and the public. It will also facilitate CAPS community building, stimulate collaboration among affiliates, and recruit new scholars into population-based aging research. The Dissemination Core will accomplish its objective through three specific aims.
Aim 1 is to support CAPS affiliates? efforts to disseminate their research findings and data resources. CAPS will provide the infrastructure to facilitate this aim, including an annual conference to showcase the innovative research of CAPS affiliates and provide a key opportunity for them to intellectually engage with each other and invited guests. Furthermore, in addition to hosting a dynamic website, CAPS will develop a Bulletin Series for distributing research findings of its affiliates as single-page Data Briefs with infographics, Research Briefs, and op-ed Issue Briefs. As part of this effort, CAPS will offer expert instruction on how to write effective briefs and provide editorial assistance. To build infrastructure that is beneficial to the broader research enterprise, CAPS will promote new databases for population-based aging research being developed by CAPS affiliates (e.g., a contextual data catalog and repository, the Longitudinal Study of Generations) by coordinating with other NIA-funded Centers to host the resources and by sponsoring sessions at national conferences to promote their use.
Aim 2 is to nurture the next generation of intellectual leaders and support their efforts to develop high-impact research programs in the demography and economics of aging. The annual CAPS Grant Writers Workshop will provide expert instruction on successful grant writing for NIA as well as individualized mentoring to participants. The grants workshop will prioritize participation by CAPS pilot-project investigators, thereby complementing Pilot Core activities and well as Administrative Core activities such as the CAPS Teaming Program. Additionally, CAPS will advertise the grants workshop beyond CAPS sites, particularly to other NIA-funded centers and networks, in order to include non-affiliates as approximately one-half the participant group each year.
Aim 3 is to advance understanding of the latest population-based aging science by disseminating findings and data resources to researchers, practitioners, decision makers, and the public. Drawing on the communications expertise at its three sites, CAPS will publish attractive and accessible research bulletins on a regular cycle, maintain an active website, and utilize its extensive social media reach to widely distribute research findings.
