# Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research - RESEARCH CORE (REC)

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR · 2024 · $183,808

## Abstract

RESEARCH COR (REC) ABSTRACT
There is a severe shortage of ethnic minorities at all levels of the bio-medical and social and behavioral
sciences workforce. African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans have a lower likelihood of entering and
completing college, graduate school, and professional schools. Additionally, ethnic minority faculty members in
the social and bio-medical sciences are less likely to receive tenure or move to the highest levels of academic
positions. Mentoring is one of the major issues identified in the literature that may substantially facilitate
diversifying the academic and biomedical workforce. We propose to build upon a proven method of
“integrative” mentoring which has allowed pilot investigators in the MCUAAAR to become productive
researchers and obtain NIA/NIH funding. The three specific aims of the Research Education Component
(REC) include: 1) Recruit and select 15 new junior researchers who propose pilot studies using a
biopsychosocial life-course framework for behavioral and social science studies of aging and health disparities;
2) Coordinate the short- and long-term mentoring, retention, and follow-up of this set of ethnic minority junior
investigators whose research focuses on the social and behavioral aspects of physical and mental health and
health disparities; and, 3) Conduct year-round training sessions and implement curricula for pilot scientists;
conduct intensive three-day summer workshops for pilot investigators and a national audience of minority
doctoral students, junior faculty, and postdoctoral fellows; and conduct auxiliary mentoring groups for doctoral
students in our three partner universities and HBCU partners. We have developed a structured mentoring and
education process, which includes an individualized development plan, monthly integrative and individual
mentoring sessions, and an educational series in research fundamentals and health disparities. Our mentoring
approach is enhanced through the integration of the Research Education Core with the Administrative,
Community Liaison and Outreach, and Analysis Cores. The MCUAAAR faculty have developed a proven
strategy to successfully mentor junior researchers, and the MCUAAR faculty are active major researchers in
the field of African American life-course development and aging. Based upon this proven track record, the
Michigan Center for Research on Urban African American Aging Research is clearly well-suited to contribute to
the development of the next generation of RCMAR scientists.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10912058
- **Project number:** 5P30AG015281-27
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN AT ANN ARBOR
- **Principal Investigator:** Amanda Toler Woodward
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $183,808
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1997-09-30 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10912058

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10912058, Michigan Center for Urban African American Aging Research - RESEARCH CORE (REC) (5P30AG015281-27). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-02 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10912058. Licensed CC0.

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