Administrative and Research Services Core (AR): Abstract The overall goal of the Administrative and Research Services Core (AR) is to promote and support outstanding population-based research on aging through management of all Center activities and resources. The AR Core will provide scientific leadership, consult with the Center?s Advisory Committee and Faculty Council to refine the Center strategic vision, coordinate all center activities, and serve as the communications hub for the Center (between Center Cores, as well as among CAPS, NIA, and the Coordinating Center). The AR Core will share administrative resources with the highly successful Population Research Center (PRC) at UT Austin. The extensive experience and expertise of PRC administrators and staff will be leveraged to efficiently manage, plan, and coordinate CAPS AR Core support for exceptional population-based research on aging. The Administrative and Research Support Core has 4 Specific Aims: 1) Refine the Center strategic vision, 2) Build a vibrant, interdisciplinary community of scholars to advance population-based research on aging, 3) Manage Program Development and Pilot (PD) Core programs and activities that lead to inventive pilot projects and future NIA funding, and 4) Provide outstanding administrative and research services to support large-scale funded research projects that advance population-based research on aging. To achieve these aims, the AR Core will form an internal Faculty Council and an external Advisory committee to advise and support the AR Core Director in the refinement of the Center?s strategic vision, programmatic priorities, and pilot project program. The AR Core will also design and manage activities to build a scientifically stimulating research culture that fosters collaborations within CAPS, across UT, and with the wider network of Centers on the Demography and Economics of Aging (e.g., speaker series, conferences and workshops). The AR Core Director will work with UT leadership to leverage hiring and institutional resources to support and expand CAPS faculty, and will work closely with the PD Core to design and manage activities to support a successful pilot project program. The AR Core will manage logistics for all phases of pilot projects (e.g., solicitation, review procedures, monitoring research compliance, tracking outcomes, meeting reporting requirements) and organize activities that cultivate pilot development and success indicated by consequential publications, impact on the field, and NIA grant submissions. The AR Core will provide comprehensive administrative services to facilitate successful scale-up of CAPS pilot projects to the next level of funded research and support all large-scale research projects of CAPS faculty. Sharing resources with the Administrative and Scientific and Technical Cores of the Population Research Center (PRC) significantly enhances the AR Core?s capacity to provide outstanding administrative and research services to the new Center on Aging and Population Sciences at UT Austin.
