PESC Summary/Abstract The goal of the Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core (PESC) of the Pittsburgh OAIC is to promote and fund innovative multidisciplinary pilot research in the topic areas of mobility, balance and aging and their interfaces. A new particular focus is to help spur collaboration and integration between basic and clinical approaches to the Pepper Center’s scientific emphasis. The Specific Aims of the PESC are to: 1. Promote innovative multidisciplinary research on mobility, balance and aging. 2. Act as a bridge to foster interactions between the basic geroscience, clinical and community-based research enterprises. 3. Encourage supplements to leverage ongoing basic, translational, clinical and community-based studies. 4. Promote innovative techniques and methods for research on mobility, balance and aging. 5. Partner with other University of Pittsburgh groups (e.g. Clinical and Translational Science Institute and Aging Institute) that also offer pilot study awards to increase overall funding for individual pilot projects. 6. Promote, evaluate, and select for funding Pilot projects ($40,000 per year), Small REC pilots (up to $10,000), and Developmental projects ($35,000-$70,000 per year). 7. Conduct post-award processes (e.g., monitor adherence to ethics, safety, privacy, tracking of subsequent productivity and other related matters) for Standard, Small REC pilot projects, and Developmental projects. In year one of the renewal, we propose to fund four standard Pilot research projects and one small REC Pilot demonstrating the Pittsburgh OAIC’s growth areas (fostering basis/translational/clinical interactions and multidisciplinary approaches to mobility, balance and aging research).