# Long-Term Care Research Network

> **NIH NIH K07** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2020 · $87,775

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
The candidate, a Professor of Medicine and Clinical and Translational Research at the University of
Pittsburgh, is applying for a K07 to establish a new and novel program, the Long-term Care Research
Network (LTCRN). Long-term care (LTC) residents are the most frail and immobile, have the greatest
co-morbidity and cost burden to the health care system -- yet little clinical research involves these
residents, and practice guidelines for healthy elderly may not be relevant. The long-term objective of
this comprehensive program of clinical investigation and training is to enhance the health of older
adults residing in long-term care facilities by engaging researchers in relevant and collaborative,
multidisciplinary research programs across the University of Pittsburgh. The short-term objective of
the program is to build the infrastructure necessary to accomplish the following four interrelated
specific aims: 1) Establish a centralized and integrated program at the University of Pittsburgh and
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) bringing together multidisciplinary collaborative
investigators who focus on LTC research to improve health for these patients, 2) Develop a dual
recruitment model to facilitate access to both LTC residents and facilities in the greater Pittsburgh
area who are willing to participate in clinical research, 3) Provide a LTC mobile laboratory to enhance
clinical research that will be performed on site at each LTC facility, and 4) Promote recruitment and
training for young investigators interested in LTC research to provide a better understanding of
specific LTC research needs. She will accomplish these goals by developing the LTCRN at the
University of Pittsburgh, leveraging the considerable resources of the UPMC Aging Institute, The
Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, The Clinical Translational Science Institute and Institute for
Clinical Research Education, The Claude Pepper Older American Independence Center (of which
she is the PI), the many training programs at the university including her own T32 in Geriatrics and
Gerontology, UPMC Senior Communities and the many established senior investigators who are
currently engaged in clinical research in the LTC setting. Novel components of this K07 include the
development of an umbrella program to bring multidisciplinary investigators together to collaborate, a
LTC participant and facility registry, a mobile laboratory to allow investigators to provide on-site
evaluations and a personalized training program for both mentees and mentors. The candidate's
background as the PI of the Pepper Center and Director of the Pepper training core, NIA funding in
LTC research, institutional support, and 10 years of a K24 mentoring award, provides her with the
leadership skills, research expertise and experience for a successful and sustainable program.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9926795
- **Project number:** 5K07AG052668-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** SUSAN L GREENSPAN
- **Activity code:** K07 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $87,775
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-15 → 2021-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9926795

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9926795, Long-Term Care Research Network (5K07AG052668-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9926795. Licensed CC0.

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