Weekly News, December 19, 2023

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The Center on the Economics and Demography of Aging (CEDA) is issuing a new call for pilot research proposals for academic year 2024‐2025, continuing its long‐standing NIA‐funded pilot grant program to support promising new research. We are seeking proposals in areas related to demography and economics of aging, especially those aligned with CEDA’s signature themes: 

  • Mortality measurement
  • Policy and behavioral determinants of adult population health
  • Biodemography of aging
  • Macro consequences of global aging. 

The submission deadline is February 1, 2024. Funded proposals are typically in the range of $15,000 – $30,000 direct costs over one year.  See the attached call, or visit our website for details.

Save the date: On Wednesday, February 7th, 12pm, join us for our first brownbag of the spring semester 2024 with Aliya Saperstein, Professor of Sociology, Stanford University, who will present, “The Fluidity of Demographic Categories: Challenges and Opportunities.” Event details are here.

Save the date: We’re planning a Mini-conference on Economic Consequences of Negative Population Growth, scheduled for February 9th.

The Center for Effective Global Action at UC Berkeley will host its sixth annual Psychology and Economics of Poverty (PEP) Convening on April 26, 2024 bringing researchers, implementing partners, and policymakers together to share original work in this space. Registration is now open and the deadline for paper submissions is February 5, 2024. More details at event page.

Weekly News is now on winter hiatus, and we’ll be back in 2024. Wishing you all a wonderful, restful break, and a joyful holiday season.

See further announcements and opportunities below. 

OPPORTUNITIES

Call for Experts. Identifying Midlife Social Exposures That Might Modify Risk for Cognitive Impairment Associated with Early Life Disadvantage: A Workshop. The Committee on Population (CPOP) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine seeks nominations for experts to participate in the new workshop on identifying midlife social exposures that might modify risk for cognitive impairment associated with early life disadvantages. The workshop will identify key research gaps and priorities regarding the social pathways and related factors that connect early life exposures with later life cognitive outcomes, and identify key data needs in existing and new aging studies to support research and generate knowledge on mid-life social processes and related structural and institutional factors to address early life exposures driving Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) inequities. We are seeking experts in the fields of:

  • Economics
  • Demography
  • Sociology
  • Public health
  • Psychology

To receive full consideration, please submit nominations by December 22, 2023. Suggest an expert here.

MEETINGS, WORKSHOPS 

Register Now for the Next Work and Family Researchers Network Virtual Conference Series Event –  Work-Family Perspectives on Low Fertility in East Asia.

Dates/Times:

  • New York, USA – Thu, Jan 11, 2024 at 7:00 pm EST
  • Los Angeles, USA – Thu, Jan 11, 2024 at 4:00 pm PST
  • Shanghai, China – Fri, Jan 12, 2024 at 8:00 am CST
  • Seoul, South Korea – Fri, Jan 12, 2024 at 9:00 am KST

Panelists

  • Mary Brinton, Reischauer Institute Professor of Sociology, Harvard University, USA
  • Yen-hsin Alice Cheng, Professor/Research Fellow of Sociology, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
  • Yingchun Ji, Professor of Sociology, Shanghai University, China
  • Eunsil Oh, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA

The Event. This WFRN Virtual Conference Series panel session will focus on using work-family perspectives to understand low fertility rates in East Asian countries, covering topics including cultural and economic factors, policy approaches, and similarities and differences between countries. Expert panelists will share their initial thoughts on this topic, and then engage in a moderated panel discussion. Following the panel discussion, the conversation will open to questions and comments from event participants. This event is free and open to the public. Registration is required. Click here to register for the event or paste this URL in your browser: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/work-family-perspectives-on-low-fertility-in-east-asia-tickets-754720989797?aff=oddtdtcreator

Call for Papers: University of Maryland Time Use Conference, Due by Jan 12th, 2024. The Conference will offer in-person and virtual attendance to provide a more inclusive venue for the interdisciplinary time use research community to interact and share ideas. Abstract submission is open to all individuals with an interest in how patterns of daily time use affect child, adult, and family well-being. The deadline to submit is January 12, 2024. All authors will be notified by March 15, 2024. Authors are asked to submit:

• a brief abstract (150 words)

• a four-page extended abstract that includes information about the research methods and expected findings. The extended abstract must be sufficiently detailed to allow the organizing committee to judge the merits of the proposed paper. Abstracts may be submitted by email to: timeuse-2024@umd.edu. For more information, visit the conference website.

Call for Fellow Application: Annual Workshop on U.S. State Policies, Population Health, and Aging. The 2024 Annual Workshop on U.S. State Policies, Population Health, and Aging will be held on May 21, 2024 in person at Syracuse University. The workshop is cosponsored by the Center for Aging and Policy Studies, funded by the National Institute on Aging (P30AG066583), and the Center for Policy Research at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University.

Participants: The workshop is aimed at researchers who study, or are interested in studying, how U.S. state policies affect adult health. Advanced graduate students who are ABD, post-doctoral fellows, and early career researchers and faculty are encouraged to apply. We anticipate providing support for travel expenses (up to $2000) for ten Workshop Fellows. The application deadline is February 1, 2024. Please assemble the following materials into a single pdf:  (1) current CV, (2) a one-page statement describing your overall research interests. Highlight research that you have conducted, or plan to conduct, on the impact of U.S. states on health.  Applicants will be notified by March 15, 2024. Any questions, email caps@syr.edu.

Contextual Data Resources for Understanding the Role of the Exposome in Aging Workshop. University of Southern California (and online). The Workshop on Contextual Data Resources for Understanding the Role of the Exposome in Aging will be held on March 11-12, 2024 at University of Southern California in Los Angeles. This hybrid two-day workshop will have both in-person and online attendance options. The workshop is sponsored by the USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health (P30AG017265).  The workshop will build research capacity for using contextual data that can be linked to aging surveys (e.g., the Health and Retirement Study) to understand how the exposome is related to cognition and dementia (ADRD) as well as biological indicators of aging . Day one will provide an introduction to the exposome-focused Contextual Data Resource (CDR), including a detailed overview of data products and how they can be used, as well as step-by-step instructions on accessing the data. The day will conclude with presentations from invited speakers demonstrating the use of CDR data and discussions with workshop participants. Day two will be dedicated to hands-on training and personalized consultations to provide practical experience with the data and expert advice for both beginners and advanced users.  

How to Apply: The workshop is open to researchers of all levels (pre-doctoral students, post-doctoral fellows, junior and senior faculty or their professional equivalent) who are interested in pursuing or expanding their research within the field of the exposome and aging. Applicants should submit their CV and short description of how current or future work is related to their interest in the program and level of familiarity with contextual data. Applications are due January 8, 2024. To apply, visit this link. Funds are available to support travel expenses for workshop attendees. Participants will be chosen by a selection committee and notified by January 12, 2024. For inquiries email biodem@usc.edu. 

Call for Papers: NIA-Sponsored Biomarker Network Meeting.

Organizers: Jessica Faul, Colter Mitchell, and Eileen Crimmins

When: Wednesday, April 17, 2024—One Day Prior to the 2024 Population Association of America (PAA) Annual Conference

Where: Hyatt Regency Columbus, OH

The Biomarker Network at the Survey Research Center at the University of Michigan is soliciting abstracts for presentations at the Biomarker Network Meeting, which will take place in person on Wednesday, April 17, 2024 (one day before PAA 2024). Lunch will be provided. The Biomarker Network is a National Institute on Aging sponsored project to develop an interdisciplinary group of scientists dedicated to improved measurement of biological risk for late life health outcomes in large representative samples of populations.

We are developing sessions on methodological projects that focus on collection (e.g., comparison or assessment of collection methods), assay development, or analytic work (e.g., novel statistical methods, algorithms, etc.) related to biomarkers of aging. In addition, we are interested in other methods of collection such as apps, devices, cellphones, etc. Papers that focus exclusively on substantive research are of lower priority.

The presentation abstract should clarify the material to be presented, including topic, data, methods, and the overall results. Abstracts are limited to 300 words. The deadline for submitting abstracts is January 5, 2024. Abstracts should be sent to the Biomarker Network at biomarkernetwork@umich.edu. We will begin to notify individuals of their acceptance for program participation shortly after submission; everyone will be notified of our final decision by January 26, 2024. Please feel free to email the Biomarker Network (biomarkernetwork@umich.edu) with any questions and/or suggestions. In addition, feel free to share this call for papers/presentations with interested colleagues. Biomarker Network website.

Research Opportunity for Undergraduate Students: NextGenPop Undergraduate Program in Population Research. Application open for Summer 2024. Duke University, June 2-15, 2024. NextGenPop is an undergraduate program in population research that aims to increase the diversity of the population field and nurture the next generation of population scientists. Students from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply. NextGenPop Fellows will study population composition and change through the lens of pressing contemporary issues, including race and income inequalities, health disparities, immigration, and family change. The program includes a 2-week, in-person, on-campus summer experience and subsequent virtual components focused on research and professional development, as well as opportunities for mentorship and networking at the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America (PAA). The program provides a stipend, room, board, and travel support. NextGenPop activities are coordinated by PAA and supported by an expert Advisory Committee and consortium of population research centers from universities across the United States. Funding comes from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development of the National Institutes of Health (R25 HD105602, PIs Marcy Carlson and Kelly Musick). Submission deadline is February 5, 2024. Learn more and apply.

FUNDING 

NIH

Streamlining mental health interventions for youth living with HIV in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (R01 Clinical Trial Optional)

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/rfa-files/RFA-MH-25-140.html

There is a practical need to develop streamlined versions of mental health interventions for youth living with HIV (YLWH) that can be feasibly implemented and scaled up in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The purpose of this initiative is to use novel methods to streamline evidence-based mental health interventions for YLWH so that they require fewer resources to deliver while still leading to clinically meaningful improvements in mental health and HIV outcomes. Due August 12, 2024

Aging Research Dissertation Awards to Promote Diversity (R36 Clinical Trial Not Allowed)

https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-24-052.html

This Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) aims to promote diversity in the scientific research workforce engaged in research on aging and aging-related health conditions by providing R36 dissertation awards in all areas of research within the National Institute on Aging’s (NIA) strategic priorities. Due February 16, 2024; June 16, 2024; October 16, 2024.

OTHER FUNDING 

Policies for Action (P4A) program shares the exciting news of P4A’s latest Call for Proposals (CFP): Policy Research to Advance the Inclusion of Immigrant Families and Children. P4A is interested in research projects that will examine ways in which immigrants and their families can be valued and included most fully in all dimensions of life in the United States; and how policies can drive systemic change that broadens public acceptance and support of all families, especially immigrant children, and families. The deadline to apply is February 16, 2024 at 3 p.m. ET. Detailed information can be found at https://policiesforaction.org/call-proposals.

Grand Challenges Grants | Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Deadline varies). Multiple grants are available via the Grand Challenges family of initiatives, including focuses on climate change, health, education, AI, and more. Learn more and apply here.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Policy Research to Advance the Inclusion of Immigrant Families and Children. The deadline for the letters of intent is February 16, 2024 (3 p.m. ET). 

Evidence for Action: Indigenous-Led Solutions to Advance Health Equity and Wellbeing. Due March 1, 2024.

Pioneering Ideas: Exploring the Future to Build a Culture of Health. Rolling deadline.

Evidence for Action: Innovative Research to Advance Racial Equity. Rolling deadline.

WT Grant Foundation

Improving the Use of Research Evidence. Letter of intent due January 10, 2024.

Research grants on improving the use of research evidence fund research studies that advance theory and build empirical knowledge on ways to improve the use of research evidence by policymakers, agency leaders, organizational managers, intermediaries, and other decision-makers that shape youth-serving systems in the United States.  

Proposed studies must pursue one of the following aims: 

• Building, identifying, or testing strategies to improve the use of existing research evidence 

• Building, identifying, or testing strategies to facilitate the production of new research evidence that responds to decision-makers’ needs 

• Testing whether strategies that improve the use of research evidence in turn improve decision-making and youth outcomes.

  • Major Research grants are $100,000 to $1,000,000 over 2-4 years, including up to 15% indirect costs.
  • Studies involving secondary data analysis are at the lower end of the range (about $100,000-$300,000), whereas studies that involve new data collection can have larger budgets (typically $300,000-$600,000). Generally, only proposals to launch experiments in which settings (e.g., schools, child welfare agencies, justice settings) are randomly assigned to conditions are eligible for funding above $600,000.

Research Grants on Reducing Inequality. Letter of intent due January 10, 2024.

This program supports research to build, test, or increase understanding of programs, policies, or practices to reduce inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of young people ages 5-25 in the United States.Our research interests center on studies that examine ways to reduce inequality in youth outcomes. We welcome descriptive studies that clarify mechanisms for reducing inequality or elucidate how or why a specific program, policy, or practice operates to reduce inequality. We also welcome intervention studies that examine attempts to reduce inequality. Finally, we welcome studies that improve the measurement of inequality in ways that can enhance the work of researchers, practitioners, or policymakers.

• Major research grants: $100,000 to $600,000 over 2-3 years, including up to 15% indirect costs. 

• Officers’ research grants: $25,000–$50,000 over 1-2 years, including up to 15% indirect costs. 

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