With a growing chronic disease burden, rapid growth of health care costs, and the increasing fragmentation of care delivery, aging Americans are increasingly finding that high quality care is not available, accessible, or affordable. This proposed Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn)?the Center for Improving Care Delivery for the Aging (CICADA)?aims to train emerging scientists from underrepresented backgrounds in the interdisciplinary science of Health Services Research (HSR). HSR is the scientific field studying the organization, financing, and delivery of health care, which is central to addressing issues of health care quality, access, affordability, and equity. Advancing that science is fundamental to the health, wellbeing, function, and independence of aging Americans. HSR is critical to addressing disparities in health and health care at a system level; yet, Blacks and Hispanics account for only 6.9% and 3.7% respectively of the HSR workforce. Developing a representative cadre of researchers who can undertake studies to address these challenges is an absolute priority. Providing the evidence base for innovative health practice and policy will require a diverse research workforce developed within a collaborative, interdisciplinary environment focused on research addressing quality, access, and value in the health system. Thus, CICADA?s overall aims are (1) to enhance the diversity of the aging research workforce by mentoring promising scientists from underrepresented groups for careers dedicated to improving health care delivery for the aging; and (2) to develop infrastructure to promote advances that improve the health, wellbeing, function, and independence of older Americans?particularly minority elders? through transformation in health care delivery for the aging. CICADA?s Administrative (Admin) Core will unite and lead a diverse team of experts from various schools and centers across Penn to achieve its overall aims. It will oversee the Research and Education Component (REC) and Analysis Core, and the leaders of these three components will function as the Center?s Executive Committee. The Admin Core will establish and draw upon institutional partners (e.g., through the Internal Advisory Board) as well as an External Advisory Board for guidance and evaluation of progress toward meeting the overall Aims of the Center and the Specific Aims of each Core. The Admin Core has three Specific Aims:
