Southern Population Aging Research Center (SPARC)

Univ Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

The Southern Population Aging Research Center (SPARC) is a multi-institutional research center in the U.S. South, co-led by the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). SPARC’s mission is to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and provide the infrastructure necessary to improve population aging through innovative research and robust dissemination. SPARC will focus on four themes: 1) geographic differences in population aging, 2) social, economic, and environmental determinants of healthy aging, 3) health disparities, and 4) life course pathways that shape population aging. By leveraging existing research centers and networks, SPARC will foster multidisciplinary research to address these complex issues. Focusing on the U.S. South, the Center's specific aims are to: 1) build infrastructure to support population aging research, particularly for early-career scholars; 2) promote innovative research through an Emerging Scholars pilot and mentoring program for early-career scholars; and 3) disseminate research and resources through public platforms to inform scientists, including emerging scholars and external stakeholders. SPARC will achieve these aims through three Cores. The Administrative and Research Support Core (Core A), co-led at UMD, provides the Center’s organizational and governance structure and oversees its strategic vision, scientific direction, and administrative functioning and reporting. It also offers shared data and statistical support services for investigators and pilot awardees across the three institutions that serve as its hub. In addition, Core A coordinates Center-wide professional development programming for all affiliates, including a hybrid speaker series as well as annual webinars, networking events, and virtual grant proposal reviews. The Program Development Core (Core B), co-led by UAB and UMBC, focuses on training and mentorship for awardees of Emerging Scholars Pilot Projects, including organizing and leading SPARC Pathways: Preparing Your R or K Grant, a summer workshop in which early-career and new investigators receive structured support and feedback as they develop and draft their own competitive NIA grant proposals. The Communication and Dissemination Core (Core C), co-led by UAB and UMD, develops and maintains the SPARC website, social media, a listserv, and other public resources, promoting the Center’s achievements and activities to a wide range of audiences including emerging scholars and external stakeholders. The infrastructure, resources, and training developed through SPARC will provide a new level of coordinated support to scholars across the U.S. South, thereby advancing the field of population aging science.