This is an application to renew the Texas RCMAR, initially funded in 2018 based at the University of Texas
Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston with the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) as a collaborating
institution. A major innovation of the proposed RCMAR’s second cycle is that we will use a Multiple PI
arrangement, and partner with the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), a Hispanic Serving Institution.
We propose to maintain the organizational structure of two Cores: Leadership and Administration (LAC) and
Analysis Core (AnC), in addition to the Research Education Component (REC). The overall RCMAR leaders
serve as leaders of the LAC as well. The other components have leaders from both UTMB and UTSA. UT-Austin
will remain an affiliated institution, contributing in particular with REC activities for networking and program
dissemination. The Texas RCMAR’s objectives, and the affiliated faculty expertise and proposed mentoring
program, are consistent with the NIA Health Disparities Research Framework. The Aims of the Texas RCMAR
overall, as described in the three components are: Create the infrastructure to support rigorous research in
behavioral and social research on aging and health disparities in older adults, with an emphasis on diversity,
equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA); Support the AnC and REC in their mentoring, education, and research
activities; Evaluate Center progress toward continuous improvement; Provide measurement, statistical, and
methodological support for pilot research projects; Collect, disseminate, maintain, and update infrastructure on
sources of data relevant to minority aging, and measurements of social determinants of health to all Texas
RCMAR investigators and Scientists; Develop, present, and disseminate instruction in advanced analytical
methods for our Scientists and other affiliates; Identify, recruit, and retain RCMAR Scientists, qualified
candidates who have the potential to develop successful careers in minority aging and health disparities
consistent with the mission and theme of the Texas RCMAR; Create and monitor an Individualized Career
Development Plan for each Scientist; and Implement and monitor a Structured Program of Mentoring and
Research Education, with activities targeted for the scientists in the program. We have assembled a group of
multidisciplinary faculty who will form the Mentoring teams of the RCMAR Scientists, representing social and
behavioral sciences as well as epidemiological and biomedical sciences. We will leverage our existing resources
including from P30’s, K12, KL2, and individual R01’s to support the program of activities. The Texas RCMAR
theme of migration, aging, and health draws on multidisciplinary strengths, and the combined expertise of the
RCMAR participating faculty, including long-standing large population-based longitudinal studies that support
Hispanic aging research, and a goal to incorporate in-depth measures and approaches to contribute to research
on aging of minority populations. UTMB and UTSA have a long tradition of training under-represented scholars
and will now collaborate to expand the impact and reach of the Texas RCMAR.