Center for Aging in Diverse Communities

• The applicant must be at the level of a postdoctoral fellow or an assistant professor at UCSF or UC Merced at the time of applying and must be from a racial/ethnic minority group, or a member of a sexual and gender minority group (SGM) of any race/ethnicity as defined by self-identification, or from a socioeconomically disadvantaged background of any race/ethnicity as defined by NIH or have a disability as defined by NIH. If funded, the CADC Scientist will receive pilot funds and will be Principal Investigator (PI) of the pilot.  
• Applicants must not have received a previous independent research award of the R01 type from the NIH or similar funding agencies. Investigators who have received previous/current funding from faculty development awards (e.g., K awards) are eligible.
• We will consider applications from previously funded CADC Scientists or Scientists previously funded by other RCMAR centers, but will give preference to new applicants. Scientists may not concurrently hold two RCMAR pilot awards.   
• Proposed pilot studies may be analyses of secondary data sets or primary data collection that is feasible within one-year. Pilot feasibility and acceptability studies will be considered, but no clinical trials. Here are examples of potential research areas and topics that we will fund:

1. Health promotion and healthy aging topics;
2. Research projects with older minorities that engage community-based organizations; 
3. Cognitive function among minority older adults;
4. Studies of aging and the arts (e.g., music, dance, art);
5. Proposals using secondary data that include minority participants and are focused on aging;
6. Studies on the health and well-being of ethnically diverse informal caregivers;
7. Studies on the determinants, outcomes, and palliation of disability in older minority persons;
8. Studies to improve the quality of health care delivery for older minority patients.

An application (single-spaced, 0.5 margins, and in Arial 11 font) must include the following:

1. Cover Page: Include name, current position, institution, main research mentor name, and study title. 
2. Research Plan: Using the following required format and page limits (6 pages maximum excluding references):

a) Specific Aims (1 page) Include a brief background, significance, overview of the study, long-term objectives, and specific aims.

b) Personal Statement, Career Goals, and Significance for Health Disparities/Health Equity and Aging Research (1-2 pages) Include a summary of your background, preparation for research, and career objectives.  Also address 1) how you and your pilot project are a good fit for this program that aims to diversify the research workforce; please consider including your racial/ethnic, SGM, disability, or socioeconomically disadvantaged background; 2) how your pilot study will contribute to the elimination of health disparities and health inequities, and improve the health and well-being of older adults from diverse populations; 3) how your pilot study is relevant to social, behavioral, psychological, and/or economic research on aging and/or aging-relevant health disparities/health equity; 4) how the proposed pilot study is in alignment with your research career objectives; and 5) how your pilot study findings will contribute to the submission of a future NIA research grant application (e.g., K award, R21, R01).

c) Research Methods (3 pages) Include an overview of research design and methods, and detailed discussion of: setting, participants and sources of participants, recruitment methods, measures/variables to be used, sample size calculation as appropriate for your research design, and analytic plan. Include at least one paragraph on expected findings and implications of your study.  You may include preliminary studies here, if applicable.

3. NIH biosketch
4. One-year budget not to exceed $50,000 and a budget justification using NIH forms.  These budgets will need to be approved by NIA if selected for funding. Expenses may include salary and fringe benefits for the PI and research staff (but not for mentors), research supplies, and participant payments. Do not include institutional indirect costs on these pilot study grants; this is a condition of award. Please note that we will not enter into a subcontract with UC Merced in order to fund pilot studies if this involves indirect costs.
5. Letter of Support from your main research mentor (1-page).
6. NIH Target/Planned Enrollment Table
7. CITI Human Subjects Protection Training certificate

Pilot study proposals will receive priority scores based on the written reviews and a discussion by the CADC faculty and input form the CADC Community Advisory Board. Selection of awards will be on the basis of the following criteria:

1. Potential for applicant to develop as an independent investigator and viability for the pilot study to contribute to an independent research proposal within two years after completion 
2. Relevance to diverse aging research in epidemiological, clinical, social, behavioral, translational, or implementation topics 
3. Feasibility of conducting the study in one year with funds allocated  
4. Scientific strength of the design, methods, and analytic plans 
5. Diversity in representation of disciplines conducting aging research, topics, or background of candidate

Funding decisions will be made by April 8, 2024.

• Applicants may email Dr. Leah Karliner with programmatic or eligibility questions at [email protected].
• For general information or questions regarding the application process or this RFA, contact: Anita Ponce at [email protected].