The Research Education Core (REC) of the Wake Forest Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center seeks applications from early career faculty to support their development into independent scientists with an interest in aging, diseases that affect physical function in older adults, interventions that integrate pathways affecting physical function for new approaches to disability prevention, and clinical or community implementation of programs to preserve independence. Faculty with an interest in basic, clinical, translational, or population research are invited to apply. View RFA.
Information sessions will be held on Tuesday, December 9th at Noon ET and Wednesday, December 10th at 4:00 pm ET via MS Teams. RSVP to Elizabeth Owens (sarah.simpsonowens@advocatehealth.org) by December 5th to confirm your attendance at one of the information sessions and receive a calendar invite.
Scholar Support:
- Protected research time (2-3 years of support is typical)
- A formal mentoring team
- Priority access to Pepper Center Research Support Cores and resources
- Travel funds
Qualifications:
- Faculty appointment at the Instructor or Assistant Professor level at the time of application. Physicians are encouraged to apply
- A proposed research project relevant to pathways to physical disability, muscle function, body composition, neurologic substrates of physical function, translation of insights from biology of aging, or novel applications of functional assessments to improve patient care
- Commitment to a research career with an aging focus
- Sufficient protected time (≥50%) dedicated to research and career development activities
- Letter of support from Department Chair / Section Head
Selection Process:
- Applicants whose proposed project aligns with the Wake Forest Pepper Center research themes (based on LOI) will be invited to submit a full application
- Applications are reviewed by three reviewers
- Endorsement by the Pepper Center Executive Committee
Please upload a letter of intent by 5 pm, December 19th - upload here. Your LOI should include a brief summary of your training plan and your proposed research project along with its relevance to Wake Forest’s Pepper Center theme.
Interested candidates are encouraged to contact Denise Houston, PhD (denise.houston@wfusm.edu) or Heidi Klepin, MD, MS (heidi.klepin@wfusm.edu) to discuss their application prior to applying.
Deadlines:
- Letter of intent due: December 19, 2025
- Application deadline: March 6, 2026
- Anticipated start date: July 1, 2026