The Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (OAIC) Program is an initiative cultivating the next generation of researchers in aging in order to help older adults boost their physical function, as well as prevent and mitigate physical disabilities. A recent commentary published on March 12 in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society shared how far the program has come in the few decades of its existence.
The program was named after US congressional representative Claude Pepper, who championed legislation for issues affecting older adults. The program launched in 1991.
The initiative includes OAICs at several institutions in the country including Johns Hopkins University, University of Maryland, Baltimore and Northwestern University. It started with three centers and now has 15 centers producing leaders in the aging research field.
OAICs have a leadership component, a pilot study component and a research initiative. The goal is to develop the next generation of researchers who explore concepts in aging. The centers expand knowledge, cultivate career skills and create opportunities for leaders in aging research.
In the past decade, investigators supported by OAIC have published 7,063 articles including 134 in high-profile medical journals and more than 900 in the top journals on geriatrics. Research has covered topics ranging from clinical findings to community interventions.
“The OAIC Program’s success can be attributed partly to the many advantages of center-based programs, including the following: enabling local leaders to identify and develop promising emerging investigators; creating a critical mass of investigators focused on a common theme; elevating the status of aging research within institutions; creating supportive environments and needed infrastructure; building networks; and facilitating collaboration,” the authors wrote.
“Together these features, particularly building collaboration, create synergy, which is an essential difference between a cohesive program compared to a collection of unconnected projects — the sum becomes greater than the parts,” the authors added.
