Research, Funding, and Awards

  • Small Grant Competition in Aging Research

    UConn Center on Aging/CICATS Small Grant Competition in Aging

    Established in 1986, the core mission of the UConn Center on Aging (UCA) is to improve the lives of older adults through research, education and clinical care. In order to support and enhance its faculty’s research, the Center on Aging has established and continues to fund four Research Cores which all provide dedicated infrastructure and expertise involving key components of aging research. Through a recent Connecticut Institute for Clinical and Translational Science at UConn (CICATS) award, we are now able to solicit for the first time applications from the broad University of Connecticut community for the provision of selected services through these cores.  The overarching goal of this competition is to help encourage a significant growth in the size of the overall institutional portfolio in aging research as discussed at the UConn-Jackson Lab Symposium on Aging held in Storrs, CT on March 19-20, 2014.                                                                        (www.uconn-aging.uchc.edu/2014%20UConn-JAX%20Aging%20FINAL%20AGENDA.pdf).

    Eligibility: All full-time University of Connecticut faculty members are eligible. Investigators involved in clinical or preclinical basic research wishing to develop pilot or feasibility data involving questions related to aging for a future grant submission are encouraged to apply. Efforts to enhance an already funded project with the addition of an aging component will also be given the highest consideration.

    Requirements:  Interested applicants need to provide a NIH Style Biosketch together with a 2 page proposal outlining:

    -        A description of the proposed project, distinguishing between current ongoing studies and elements which would be enhanced through this award.

    -        The proposed contribution by one or more of the UConn Center on Aging Cores listed below.

    -        The manner in which the proposed work will improve the health of older adults or enhance our understanding of underlying aging processes.

    -        Nature and timing of future grant applications which would follow these studies.

    Deadline: All materials should be submitted, as a single PDF document, by 5 PM on April 20, 2015 to Robin Washington at addison@uchc.edu

    Further Information: Information on specific Core Activities is available at the following link: www.uconn-aging.uchc.edu/res_edu/center-on-aging-research-cores.html. Please note that for successful applicants the cost of all proposed core services will be funded directly through this award.

    Interested applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss potential ideas with the following individuals:

    1. Dr George Kuchel (Kuchel@uchc.edu) for UCA Recruitment Core (assistance with the preparation of IRB protocols and recruitment of healthy or frail older adults)
    2. Dr Richard Fortinsky (Fortinsky@uchc.edu) for UCA Clinical Data and Geriatric Outcomes Core (help in the selection, performance and interpretation of geriatric outcome and performance measures; assistance with data collection, management and analysis) 
    3. Dr Julie Robison (jrobison@uchc.edu) for UCA Evaluation and Population Assessment Core (surveys and needs assessments related to health, disability, services and quality of life). 
    4. Dr Laura Haynes (lhaynes@uchc.edu) or Dr George Kuchel (Kuchel@uchc.edu) for UCA Biomarkers and Preclinical Studies Core (blood samples from well-characterized older adults, tissue and blood samples from aged mouse models, assistance with clinical biomarker studies, assistance with geriatric outcome measurements in aged mice)
    For more information, contact: Robin Washington at 860-679-6796