September 2009, Volume 3, Number 8

News and Events

Thirteenth Annual Siciliano Forum - October 28 and 29, 2009

The 2009 Siciliano Forum, "Global Aging in the 21st Century: Challenges, Opportunities & Implications for the U.S.," will be held at the Dumke Auditorium, Utah Museum of Fine Arts, on October 28 and 29. The forum will focus on three overarching themes related to global aging and the implications for the United States: healthy aging, opportunities and challenges associated with an aging workforce, and shifting intergenerational relations. These three themes are cross-cut by other dimensions that are intertwined with the dynamic process of aging; such as, immigration, contrasting policy regimes, and economic forces. 

Utah Aging Alliance 18th Annual Fall Conference & Annual Membership Meeting

The Utah Aging Alliance has joined forces with the Utah Geriatric Society to present the 18th Annual Fall Conference on Tuesday, October 13 and Wednesday, October 14, 2009, at the Zermatt Resort and Conference Center. The theme this year is "Aging: Enlightening, Exciting & Empowering." For more information, click on the UAA website, utahagingalliance.org.

"Retirement and U" Survey to Go Online October 1

Individuals today are expected to shoulder ever-greater responsibility for insuring their financial well-being during retirement, a period of time that is getting longer as life expectancies rise. The recent financial meltdown has made this challenging task even more difficult. Professors Cathleen Zick and Robert Mayer in the Department of Family and Consumer Studies (with pilot grant funding from the Center on Aging) have teamed up with the University of Utah's Benefits Department to study how U of U faculty and staff have been affected by recent changes in the economic environment. The research project, titled "Retirement and U," involves a 15-20 minute online survey in which U of U employees will describe their knowledge, expectations, confidence, and financial behavior with respect to retirement planning. Analysis of the survey results will provide important research insights about how the economic downturn is affecting individuals' retirement attitudes and behaviors. It will also provide the Benefits Department with baseline information needed to develop retirement education materials. Immediately after completing the survey, U of U employees will be able to receive a personalized "Retirement Check-Up," a checklist that assesses their retirement planning and provides them with opportunities to improve their financial knowledge and retirement preparedness. Survey respondents will also be able to enter a drawing to win one of either five iPod Nano's or twenty $50 gift certificates for restaurants in the University area. 

Grant Opportunities

Applications Invited for 2010 Ellison Medical Foundation/AFAR Postdoctoral Fellows in Aging Research Program

The Ellison Medical Foundation, in partnership with the American Federation for Aging Research, created the Ellison/AFAR Postdoctoral Fellows in Aging Research Program to encourage and further the careers of postdoctoral fellows with outstanding promise in the basic biological and biomedical sciences relevant to understanding aging processes and age-related diseases and disabilities. Projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging will be considered. Projects investigating age-related diseases are also supported, if approached from the point of view of how basic aging processes may lead to these outcomes. Projects concerning mechanisms underlying common geriatric functional disorders also will be considered. Projects that deal strictly with clinical problems such as the diagnosis and treatment of disease, health outcomes, or the social context of aging are not eligible. For guidelines and application, visit the AFAR Web site.

Link to Complete RFP afar.org/ellisonpostdoc.html

American Federation for Aging Research Accepting Applications for 2010 Research Grants

The American Federation for Aging Research provides annual research grants to assist in the professional development of junior investigators committed to pursuing careers in the field of aging research. The awards support research projects concerned with understanding the basic mechanisms of aging. Projects investigating age-related diseases are also supported, especially if approached from the point of view of how basic aging processes may lead to these outcomes. Projects concerning mechanisms underlying common geriatric functional disorders are also encouraged, as long as these include connections to fundamental problems in the biology of aging. Projects that deal strictly with clinical problems such as the diagnosis and treatment of disease, health outcomes, or the social context of aging are not eligible.

Complete 2010 guidelines and application are available at the AFAR Web site. afar.org/afar99.html

2010 Brookdale Leadership in Aging Fellowship Program

The Brookdale Foundation is pleased to announce the 2010 Brookdale Leadership in Aging Fellowship Program. The Fellowship, which is open to all professionals in the field of aging, was created by the Foundation to encourage the emerging leaders in the field of aging.

The Foundation seeks applications from a broad range of disciplines related to the field of aging including, but not limited to, the medical, biological and basic sciences, nursing, social sciences, the arts, and humanities.

Each candidate must: (1) Demonstrate leadership potential; (2) Provide evidence of an ongoing commitment to a career in aging; (3) Have a mentor (or mentors) willing and able to provide meaningful professional guidance to the candidate; (4) Agree to commit at least 75% of his or her time for career development during each of the two years of the Fellowship; and (5) Propose a project related to the field of aging that will contribute to the candidates career development and also serve to enhance his or her leadership skills. Candidates should be between the first and tenth years of their graduate degree. Please refer to the website for more information. bf.ianet.org/bf

Membership

Have you checked your information on the CoA member page lately? Chances are, it needs to be updated. Send any updates; i.e., recent publications, CV's, bios, photos, to louise.tonin@utah.edu.

About our logo: The bristlecone pine tree (Pinus longaeva) the earth's oldest inhabitant with a life span of 4,000 years is found only in Utah and five other western states. Its extraordinary longevity and ability to adapt and survive in extremely harsh environmental conditions above 10,000 feet embodies the investigative spirit and mission of the Utah Center on Aging.

If you have questions about the University of Utah Center on Aging, please visit us online at http://aging.utah.edu 801-585-9540 or aging@hsc.utah.edu

Best,

Mark A. Supiano, MD
Executive Director - Center on Aging