The basic approach to this project involves a multi leveled strategy to identify, recruit, support and train ethnic minority psychologists in aging research. The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has offered minority dissertation fellowships for aging research that have been under subscribed for many years. The APA has implemented a minority aging research fellowship for four years. During that time, they have supported a total of 12 trainees, from an applicant pool of fewer than 40. They feel that there is a need to increase the number of young minority investigators in aging research. Therefore, they plan to concentrate their efforts on the field of psychology, where they have the greatest access, extensive networks and widest visibility and influence. The association plans to have a multi leveled approach that will focus on undergraduates who are seniors with good academic records, graduate students with an interest in aging research and junior faculty who have both experience and interest in aging research. They feel that the overall task is to expose young ethnic minority research psychologists who have potential to opportunities and interesting issues in adult development and aging research, and to support and nurture those more advanced persons in research opportunities and career possibilities. In brief, their plan is to 1) develop a focused summer experience at an ongoing gerontology center at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) where students, doctoral trainees and new Ph.D.'s can come for specialized exposure to aging research issues; 2) develop electronic, print, telephone and small group networks of aging researchers and would-be researchers; and 3) establish a series of ongoing public meeting activities at national meetings of the APA and the Gerontological Society of America (GSA). They envision a total of 22 participants at various levels of the network (a total of 110 over the five years of requested support). They will recruit ten participants to attend a summer aging research workshop at the gerontology center at PSU. The association will provide travel awards to another 12 to attend either the APA or the GSA annual convention, where a series of programmed activities will be conducted in collaboration with Division 20 on Adult Development and Aging, APA's Committee on Aging, and the advisory committee for this project. This project will recruit potential participants from a wide network of colleagues and associates who have been involved with the minority fellowship program for over two decades.
