# Advancing aging research through development of minority Gerontologists

> **NIH NIH R25** · HOWARD UNIVERSITY · 2023 · $367,888

## Abstract

Program Director/Principal Investigator (Last, First, Middle): Duttaroy, Atanu
Project Summary
Howard University's Advancing Diversity in Aging Research (HUADAR) initiative began in 2014 with
the goal of enhancing diversity of the biomedical and clinical research workforce on aging. The
institutional environment at Howard University perfectly justifies the rationales for developing a
HUADAR program at Howard University since it remains committed for more than a century in
training underrepresented minority students. Over the last five years we have successfully fulfilled this
goal by recruiting 44 high achieving students, 93% of them African American. We retained 89%
(39/44) of our initial recruits, with 24 completing their Bachelors degree through May 2019, with
another 15 remaining in the pipeline. So far, nine out of 24 have enrolled in advanced degree
programs in MSTEM (Ph.D., MD, DDS) and MSW, thus fulfilling the goals of NIA as outlined in PAR-
17-290. The remaining 15 graduates are currently pursuing MSTEM interests while preparing to
enter into an advanced degree program. Graduates remain continually in contact with HUADAR and
we are confident that they will pursue various aging related research careers upon completion of their
advance degrees. The proposed training is a structured, mentored, hands-on research and
educational experience over three years. Apart from enrolling in courses on aging, educational
experiences will include two new components: (1) through online forums HUADAR students will
engage in dialogue about latest developments in aging, and (2) discussion session on self-care
management. Aging related research experiences include (1) opportunities to engage in research
during the academic year with HUADAR mentors, (2) summer research apprenticeship opportunities
in leading research institutes on aging, including the National Institutes on Aging (intramural), the
Barshop Institute for Longevity Research, the University of Southern California, and Tulane University
Centre for Aging, (3) opportunities to publish and present at national meetings, and (4) one-on-one
mentoring to build a successful career path. All students and personnel will be required to obtain the
Responsible Conduct of Research certification. To assess our program's efficacy we invited a
third-party evaluation firm, as our External Evaluator. The evaluation plan for HUADAR will consist
of course evaluations, faculty efficacy surveys, summer research experience surveys, retention and
graduation rates, and acceptance rates of HUADAR graduates into graduate and professional
schools, and postgraduate involvement in aging research and geriatric specialties. In this competitive
renewal, we propose to continue our program to fulfill the goal of the NIA ADAR initiative to diversify
the research workforce focused on aging.
PHS 398/2590 (Rev. 06/09) Page Continuation Format Page

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10601016
- **Project number:** 5R25AG047843-08
- **Recipient organization:** HOWARD UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** ATANU DUTTAROY
- **Activity code:** R25 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $367,888
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-03-01 → 2026-02-28

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10601016

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10601016, Advancing aging research through development of minority Gerontologists (5R25AG047843-08). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10601016. Licensed CC0.

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