DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This U13 conference grant application titled "Physician Scientists in Aging: Developing and Activating Specialty Investigators," is submitted on behalf of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM) in collaboration with the National Institute on Aging (NIA). As the US population rapidly ages, the number of older adults with acute and chronic health conditions will significantly grow, increasing the number of older patients needing care from specialty providers. Accordingly, there is a vast need to develop a coherent strategy to infuse gerontology and geriatrics into the research agenda of specialists, to identify areas of highest research priority, and to refine approaches to aging research that enhance collaboration across different specialties. This conference series proposal targets all awardees of the NIA RFA (Request For Application) entitled "Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR)", who consist of a group of early career clinician-scientists who have completed specialty clinical training and who are focusing their research on bridging a pertinent aspect of aging/geriatric care with their specialty. The GEMSSTAR Award supports a R03 small research project plus an individualized career development plan over two years. This U13 conference grant will provide a forum for past and current GEMSSTAR awardees to interact with innovators in aging research and to further develop both research and leadership skills at a formative time in their career development. The goals of this conference grant are: 1) Identify cross-cutting themes and strengths in research methodology from the fields of gerontology and/or geriatrics that can be applied and integrated into research studies involving older adults across specialties; 2) Foster collaboration between transdisciplinary scholarly teams, highlighting shared research methods to be utilized across studies focused on aging research in various specialties; and 3) Develop and cultivate leadership skills for the next generation of leaders melding aging and geriatric focused research into specialty medicine. Proposed topics for the conference series include: 1) Integrating Frailty Research across Specialties; 2) Models of Aging: From Single Cell to Networks across Specialties; and 3) The Impact of Cognitive Impairment across Specialties. These three proposed conferences will build upon one another, with feedback from participants from the initial meetings helping to fine-tune the program and structure of subsequent meetings. The conference series will be led by an Oversight Board and Advisory Committee consisting of members from the NIA, AGS, AAIM, John A. Hartford Foundation, T. Franklin Williams Scholar program, and Dennis W. Jahnigen Scholar program. Each conference will have a leadership team that will be responsible for the content and delivery of the conference, as well as dissemination of the findings.

PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This U13 conference grant, entitled "Physician Scientists in Aging: Developing and Activating Specialty Investigators," will provide a forum for past and current NIA RFA "Grants for Early Medical/Surgical Specialists' Transition to Aging Research (GEMSSTAR)" awardees to interact with innovators in aging research and NIA/NIH staff and further develop both research and leadership skills at a formative time in their career development. The goals of this conference grant are to: 1) identify cross-cutting themes and strengths in research methodology from the fields of gerontology and/or geriatrics that can be applied and integrated into research studies involving older adults across specialties; 2) foster collaboration between transdisciplinary scholarly teams, highlighting shared research methods to be utilized across studies focused on aging research in various specialties; and 3) develop and cultivate leadership skills for the next generation of leaders melding aging and geriatric focused research into specialty medicine.