Core A - Administrative and Research Support Core

Univ Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

REVISED PROJECT SUMMARY – ADMINISTRATIVE AND RESEARCH SUPPORT CORE (CORE A) The Administrative and Research Support Core (ARC) provides effective governance and operational infrastructure for the Southern Population Aging Research Center (SPARC). By uniting its three hub institutions–the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD), the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) – the ARC fosters collaboration and builds research infrastructure in population aging in the U.S. South, a region with comparatively limited NIA support for center-based research infrastructure. ARC advances SPARC’s mission by supporting research in four thematic areas: geographic differences; social, economic, and environmental determinants; health disparities; and life course pathways. ARC’s overall aims are to 1) establish and sustain collaborative leadership and governance structures, 2) provide comprehensive logistical, administrative, and research support to SPARC’s affiliates and cores, and 3) equip researchers with the technical resources needed to conduct cutting-edge population aging research. Through its governance structures, ARC coordinates an Executive Committee and Advisory Board to ensure SPARC’s mission addresses the needs of its hubs and affiliates, tracks metrics across all cores to monitor progress, and submits reports to the NIA and the Demography and Economics of Aging Coordinating Center. ARC also enhances research productivity of its affiliates by offering specialized services such as data and computing resources and one-on-one grant advising sessions, while fostering collaboration among affiliates across the three hubs through a hybrid speaker series as well as annual webinars, virtual proposal reviews, and networking events. ARC collaborates closely with SPARC’s other cores to ensure seamless integration of activities. For the Program Development Core (PDC), ARC facilitates informational sessions for pilot grant applicants, tracks awardees’ progress, and supports funded PIs in preparing R- and K-series proposals. This includes coordinating with the PDC to deliver SPARC Pathways: Preparing Your R or K Grant, a summer-long workshop that mentors pilot PIs and selected early career researchers in proposal development, fosters interdisciplinary collaborations, and strengthens the pipeline of external grant submissions. Additionally, ARC works with the Communications and Dissemination Core (C&DC) to disseminate research outputs, ensuring findings reach key stakeholders. By leveraging the strengths of UAB and UMD—two institutions with strong research infrastructure—and UMBC, a Research Active Institution (RAI), ARC incorporates the perspectives and challenges of RAIs into its governance and operations. By expanding research capacity across SPARC’s three hubs, ARC positions SPARC as a leader in population aging science, dedicated to improving the health of older adults regionally, nationally, and globally.