# A framework for feasible translation to enhance foot and ankle function in aging and mobility

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $73,789

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
This supplement will support Ms. Paula Kramer, a doctoral student from an underrepresented minority, to
examine how new and modifiable targets to enhance mobility and restore independence affect balance and
stability in our rapidly aging population. The specific objective of the research is to examine the role of foot and
insole stiffness on gait stability in older adults. By extending the parent grant to examine measures of gait
stability, this proposal explores how manipulations of foot-insole stiffness affect the stability of walking; this
research complements and extends the mechanical power calculations described in the parent grant. This
research objective is embedded within training and career development objectives that allow Ms. Kramer to
explore biomechanical research in a collaborative and multi-institutional environment supported by the parent
grant spanning the University of Utah and the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. Ms. Kramer’s current
career stage enables maximum impact for the proposed supplement; she will benefit from multiple mentors
early in her graduate research career and develop skills and expertise to compete for future fellowships during
her doctoral studies. The proposed project is tailored to build off Ms. Kramer’s background in neuromechanics
and interest in understanding human movement while providing training in biomechanical considerations,
including joint mechanics and mechanical stability, during walking.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11075594
- **Project number:** 3R01AR081287-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Jason R Franz
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $73,789
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2024-09-20 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11075594

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11075594, A framework for feasible translation to enhance foot and ankle function in aging and mobility (3R01AR081287-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11075594. Licensed CC0.

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