Boards of Advisors on Aging

As the U.S. population grows older, supporting healthy aging becomes even more important. Yet older adults are often underrepresented in health research, even among studies on issues that most often affect them.

To increase health researchers’ understanding of aging and health experiences, CARE coordinates two community advisory boards. These are called the Boards of Advisors on Aging (BOAAs). BOAA meetings are co-facilitated by CARE and the Wisconsin Network for Research Support.

Madison BOAA members predominantly identify as Black, with diverse personal and professional backgrounds. Rural BOAA members identify as white, and include military veterans, farmers, and residents of under-resourced communities.

Researchers meet with one or both BOAAs to get their input throughout the research process, from study design to recruiting materials to data analysis to dissemination strategies.

Meeting costs cover services provided by CARE (co-creating a strategic meeting agenda and packets, managing all meeting logistics, facilitating meetings, and providing a written report and meeting audio), as well as payment to BOAA members. 

BOAA meeting costs: 

• $2,300 when scheduling a single meeting 

• $2,000 when scheduling multiple meetings 

Thanks to support from the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research (OVCR) at UW–Madison, CARE can offer meetings at reduced or no cost to graduate students, post-doctoral fellows, and early-stage investigators. 

To learn more about bringing your research questions to the BOAAs, contact Diane at farsetta@wisc.edu or 608-265-9542.

The Rural and Madison BOAAs were launched with support from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) Eugene Washington PCORI Engagement Award (#EACB-22560).