University of Texas at Austin has secured a six-year renewal of a flagship center grant from the National Institute on Aging, reinforcing the institution’s standing at the forefront of research on longevity, inequality and population health.
The funding continues support for the university’s Center on Aging and Population Sciences (CAPS), one of just 15 U.S. hubs backed by the institute to advance the demography and economics of aging. University officials say the award will deepen research infrastructure, broaden interdisciplinary collaboration and expand training pathways for emerging scholars.
Inequality at the center of inquiry
“Americans are living longer than ever before, but not everyone has the same chance to age in good health,” said Debra Umberson, CAPS director and professor of sociology. “This renewal allows us to deepen our work on the factors that create inequalities in aging and to produce evidence that can guide policy, practice, and daily life for older adults and their families.”
CAPS researchers have built an international profile through studies that connect social conditions to biological outcomes. Their portfolio spans work on how bereavement influences dementia risk, real-time analyses of older adults’ daily social experiences, and investigations into how genes and environments interact to shape cognitive decline. Clinical projects addressing depression and suicide risk in later life also feed into public health strategies.
Statewide partnerships
The center’s reach extends well beyond campus. CAPS collaborates with the Dementia Prevention Research Institute of Texas to translate discovery into prevention and care. With more than 400,000 Texans estimated to be living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, researchers say coordinated science is vital to easing future burdens on families, health systems and public finances.
By linking sociologists, economists, psychologists, demographers and health scientists, CAPS aims to generate evidence that informs everything from caregiving models to retirement security and community design.
Training the next generation
A central pillar of the renewal is workforce development. Leaders say the grant will increase opportunities for graduate students and early-career investigators to access data resources, pilot funding and mentorship across disciplines, strengthening the pipeline of experts prepared to address rapid population aging in Texas and nationwide.
As global life expectancy rises, the challenge is no longer simply adding years, Umberson noted, but ensuring those years are healthy and equitable. With sustained federal backing, UT Austin intends to remain a key engine of the research shaping that future.
