Project Summary – Leadership and Administrative Core This proposed renewal of the Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn)—the Center for Improving Care Delivery for the Aging (CICADA)—aims to train emerging scientists from minoritized and underrepresented backgrounds in the interdisciplinary science of equity- integrated health services research (HSR), an interdisciplinary scientific field focused on improving organization, management, financing, and delivery of high-quality care and improving health equity. Over the initial funding cycle, CICADA’s Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) has united and led a diverse team of experts to achieve the Center’s overall aims: (1) to enhance the diversity of the aging-focused research workforce by mentoring promising scientists from underrepresented and minoritized groups for careers dedicated to improving health care delivery and health equity for older adults and (2) to develop and sustain infrastructure to promote science that improves the health, wellbeing, function, and independence of older adults—particularly minoritized older adults—through transformation in health care delivery, with the goal of achieving health equity. To accomplish this, the LAC will continue to oversee the Center’s Research Education Component (REC) and Analysis Core, and to ensure that we achieve the Specific Aims of each core. The LAC will work closely with the leaders of these three components (CICADA’s “core faculty”), who comprise the Center’s Executive Committee, to ensure success. The LAC will also continue to work in close partnership with Penn’s institutional partners (through the Internal Advisory Board), and with national experts in aging and equity-integrated HSR (through the External Advisory Board). These groups will meet regularly with CICADA leadership and provide guidance and evaluation of progress toward meeting the overall Aims of the Center. The LAC will also leverage the resources of Penn’s Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics to ensure CICADA’s success. In this renewal application, the LAC will build on our prior successes and establish and build on an existing strong relationship between Penn and Meharry Medical College, an Historically Black College and University. With Meharry as an affiliated institution and partner, the LAC will oversee CICADA as it takes an equity-first approach to recruiting and selecting a diverse and talented group of scientists and then training and mentoring them during their time with CICADA and beyond, so that they may become future leaders in equity-integrated HSR focused on aging. The LAC has three Specific Aims (1) To advance CICADA’s goals by overseeing, managing, and coordinating Center activities; (2) To provide leadership to advance discoveries in equity- integrated HSR at Penn, focused on improving health care delivery and health for aging adults; (3) To foster and integrate diversity, equity, inclusion, an...