Project Grant K24AG093226

Grant Award Summary

The University of Pennsylvania received a $214,223 Project Grant award from the National Institute on Aging under the Aging Research program (CFDA 93.866), effective March 5, 2026 through February 28, 2031. This K24 mentorship award supports the development of a comprehensive mentorship program designed to train the next generation of research leaders focused on improving clinical care delivery for older adults. Primary deliverables include recruitment and mentorship of individual mentees conducting patient-oriented research (POR) to enhance care delivery; provision of research support infrastructure and protected time for mentees; expansion of geriatric knowledge through collaborations with an advisory board of gerontologists and geriatricians; and development of evidence-based mentoring skills through structured feedback mechanisms. The award also supports continued and expanded patient-oriented research activities examining optimal implementation of improved care delivery and payment models that align with older adults' care priorities.

The project specifically emphasizes identifying and addressing goals of care for older adults at high-risk and high-cost points in their care trajectory, with a focus on aligning care delivery and payment structures accordingly. Through five core activities—mentee recruitment, individual research support, knowledge building in geriatric principles, mentor skill development, and research program expansion—the University of Pennsylvania will establish a sustainable platform to support mentee research while advancing implementation science related to evidence-based care models for aging populations.