University of California, San Francisco

CADC, at the University of California-San Francisco (UCSF), supports the development of racial and ethnic minority scholars addressing research topics in minority aging through the provision of pilot grants in a supportive and intellectually rich environment with strong linkages to target communities to understand the mechanisms of health disparities and reduce them.

Call for Pilot

2022 Request for Applications for Pilot Study Grant

Center for Aging in Diverse Communities Scientist Program

Background: The UCSF Center for Aging in Diverse Communities (CADC) was established in 1997 with funding from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) as part of the Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR). CADC’s aims are to enhance aging research in minority populations and increase involvement of minority investigators in aging research. The ultimate goal of CADC is to understand and reduce persistent health disparities observed for racial, ethnic and sexual-gender minorities, and by social class among older people.  Information about CADC including prior CADC Scientists is available on our website (https://cadc.ucsf.edu).

A primary goal of the CADC is to mentor early-career, underrepresented researchers to become successful scientists focused on understanding and reducing health disparities in minority aging populations.  CADC provides pilot study funding, mentoring, and comprehensive training in minority aging and health disparities research.  CADC is now requesting applications for CADC Scientists who will conduct one-year pilot studies to investigate research questions within the scope of CADC’s goals among older Black/African American, Latinx, Asian American, Pacific Islander, Native American/American Indian populations, or sexual and gender minorities of any race/ethnicity. CADC will fund at least three Scientists with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2022 (pending IRB approval of the Scientist’s pilot study).

General Provisions: CADC Scientists will receive training on issues pertaining to minority aging research and feedback on manuscripts, grant proposals, and other academic products through monthly works-in-progress sessions with CADC faculty and fellow CADC Scientists. CADC Scientists will have the opportunity to interact with CADC faculty and enhance their skills and knowledge related to aging and disparities/equity research among minority populations. They will be encouraged to participate in training opportunities offered by the National Institute on Aging, and to present their work at the annual national RCMAR conference where there will be networking and mentorship opportunities. The main indicator of success will be the individual’s research career development as measured by publication of pilot study results, other publications related to aging and health disparities/health equity, and other grant applications and funding.

Eligibility: The applicant must be a postdoctoral fellow or an assistant professor 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. 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 funding from faculty development awards (e.g., K awards) are eligible. Assistant professors or postdoctoral fellows located in any academic or research non-profit institution in the San Francisco Bay Area, Northern or Central California 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. Here are examples of potential research areas and topics that we will fund:

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

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

• Cover Page: Include name, current position, institution, main research mentor name, telephone number, email address, and study title
• Research Plan: Using the following required format and page limits (5 pages maximum excluding

references):

1. a) Specific Aims (1 page)
2. b) Personal Statement and Career Goals (1 page) Include a summary of your background, preparation for research, and career objectives. Please include your racial/ethnic, SGM, or socioeconomically disadvantaged background in the personal statement.
3. c) Significance and Research Methods (3 pages) Include a discussion of research design, 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 $25,000 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, research supplies, and participant payments. If you are located outside UCSF, please note that we are not able to pay any 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 other institutions in order to fund pilot studies if this involves indirect costs.

5)  Letter of Support from your main research mentor.

6)  NIH Target/Planned Enrollment Table. Complete and submit this form. You can download the form in our website.

7) CITI Human Subjects Protection Training certificate

Applicants, we strongly encourage an email indicating an intent to apply with your name, position, and draft title to anita.ponce@nullucsf.edu by Friday, February 11, 2022.

The application deadline is 5 PM on Friday, March 4, 2022. Apply online at https://cadc.ucsf.edu/apply

Review Criteria: Pilot study proposals will receive priority scores based on the written reviews and a discussion by the CADC faculty. Selection of awards will be on the basis of the following criteria:

• 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
• Relevance to minority aging research in epidemiological, clinical, social, behavioral, translational, or implementation topics
• Feasibility of conducting the study in one year with funds allocated
• Scientific strength of the design, methods, and analytic plans
• Diversity in representation of disciplines conducting aging research, topics, or background of candidate

Funding: Funding decisions will be made by April 1, 2022.

Inquiries: Applicants may email Dr. Leah Karliner with programmatic questions at leah.karliner@nullucsf.edu. For general information or questions regarding the application process or this RFA, contact: Anita Ponce at anita.ponce@nullucsf.edu.