EVENTS
UC Berkeley Statistics and D-Lab R Bootcamp 2018, August 18-19, 2018. GPB 100, UC Berkeley. This workshop will be an introductory short course on the statistical/data science software R. The short course will be a thorough introduction to working with data, statistical analysis, and programming in R, with no prior knowledge assumed. Attendance is free of charge. Registration is required. If you have questions about the bootcamp, please email r-bootcamp@lists.berkeley.edu. 

NIH FUNDING
Prevention Research in Mid-Life Adults. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) seeks to stimulate research on mid-life adults (those 50 to 64 years of age) that can inform efforts to optimize health and well-being as individuals age and prevent illness and disability in later years. The R21 Exploratory/Developmental Grant, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-850.html, supports exploratory and developmental research projects by providing support for the early and conceptual stages of these projects. New data collection as well as analysis of existing data are supported by this FOA. There is also an R01 version, https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-849.html.

WORKSHOPS
R Bootcamp August 18-19, 2018, GPB 100, UC Berkeley. This workshop will be an introductory short course on the statistical/data science software R. The short course will be a thorough introduction to working with data, statistical analysis, and programming in R, with no prior knowledge assumed. Attendance is free of charge. Registration is required. If you have questions about the bootcamp, please email r-bootcamp@lists.berkeley.edu. Sponsored by UC Berkeley Statistics and D-lab.

OPPORTUNITIES
The first annual Bear Slam will take place Tuesday, September 18^th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM, in the I-House Chevron Auditorium. The event will be free of charge and complimentary drinks will be served. Science. Understandable. Entertaining. Sounds like fun? APPLY NOW, present your research and gain visibility as well as a cash prize of up to $1,000.00! Any postdoc, visiting scholar, student researcher or graduate student currently enrolled at UC Berkeley. Only original research can be presented. The Bear Slam strives to be a highly interdisciplinary, diverse and inclusive event. We therefore call upon individuals from all disciplines to apply! We are truly looking forward to many applications from the Population Sciences community at Berkeley. So spread the word! https://bearslam.berkeley.edu/.

CALL FOR PAPERS
The Impact of Natural Disasters on Systemic Political and Social Inequities in the US, Editors: Paul S. Adams, PhD; Geoffrey L. Wood, PhD. Please send brief biographical information, your proposed title, and a 500-word abstract of proposed content to gew23@pitt.edu by September 30, 2018. For more information, see the attached flyer.

Journal of Religion and Demography, a new, online, peer-reviewed journal (Brill Publishers), the deadline is October 30, 2018. The site is now live to accept submissions.

DATA
Social Explorer announces the release of Demographic Profiles, a new tool designed to provide an overview of the most popular demographic and socio-economic topics for a given geography. Suitable for geographic research, market research, researching a paper, or plain curiosity about a community, Social Explorer’s Demographic Profiles will help you find the quick facts about your community to understand basic demographics in your target area. Type in the name of the place you’re interested in and the tool will present data on the area’s population, education, economics, housing and more. All data come from the American Community Survey. Explore here.

Probability Samples. In addition to GSS there are a number of other probability samples available for analysis. These are (descriptions are provided by the organizations):
1. The KnowledgePanel at GfK Custom Research is at 55,000 members, with the full panel on-line. The panel is probability-based with the initial recruitment through ABS sampling with a Dillman 4-points of contact design. Non-internet households are recruited and given an IP and a tablet so they too can participate in the on-line surveys. The panel supports both English and Spanish surveys with a large component of the panel qualifying as Spanish only. https://www.gfk.com/products-a-z/us/knowledgepanel-united-states/.
2. SSRS probability based panel has approximately 10,000 respondents and is in the process of expansion. https://ssrs.com/probability-panel/. 
3. NORC’s AmeriSpeak Panel surpassed 30,000 households earlier this year with its on-going panel recruitment. Technical information is available at amerispeak.norc.org/research/..
4. The Understanding America Study (UAS) probability panel has more than 6000 members now, and we are growing to 10K over the next two years. We use ABS sample for recruitment, and we provide those who do not have internet access with internet-connected tablets. The data collected using our panel are made available for free to analyze on its own or along with your newly collected data. Besides the full set of demographics, it includes the HRS, behavioral and psych tests, and a vast array of financial, health, and political measures. More information, including details of our methodology (recruitment protocol, response rates, weighting, etc.), and the list of surveys already conducted, is available online https://UASdata.usc.edu. To get an idea of the cost of using our panel to collect your own data, check out the cost calculator we provide there. 
5. Life in Australia Panel: Australian probability sample panel – this is the only one in Australia (approx. n=3,000) – hosted/run by the Social Research Centre: https://www.srcentre.com.au/services/life-in-australia-panel.

ON THE WEB
This is a bit old, but what the hey: World Cup Population Bracketology. Test your knowledge of population data for the World Cup teams! Click on the name in each match-up that you think has the larger population. Green shows a correct answer, red indicates an incorrect answer. When you have opposing names picked for the next round, pick again. See how close you can come to a perfect score of 31. When you are finished, play again or mouse-over results to view the populations, in thousands, for each pair. https://www.census.gov/dataviz/visualizations/worldcup/. 

D-LAB
D-Lab offers training in Data Science this summer for students as well as pedagogical training for instructors. Visit the D-lab website for more information. D-lab regularly offers workshops and training in courses, one-on-one consulting for faculty, grad students and undergraduates, and working groups of focuses topics. One-on-one consulting also available. For more information and registration, visit http://dlab.berkeley.edu. You can now add D-Lab workshops to your bcalendar directly from D-Lab workshop description. 

JOBS
All jobs and postdoctoral fellowships are posted as we receive them on the Demography Department Jobs Listserv, http://lists.demog.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/jobs. This list advertises positions of all sorts relevant for social and behavioral scientists with advanced degrees.

MIGRATION MAILING LIST
Berkeley Interdisciplinary Migration Initiative (BIMI.berkeley.edu) is a research center for the study of immigrants and immigration. BIMI has a mailing list (immigration_group@lists.berkeley.edu), which is where a good deal of immigration and migration announcements are posted, and not all of that material is posted on the PopSciences Weekly News.

NIH 
Rigor and Reproducibility: 
Scientific rigor and transparency in conducting biomedical research is key to the successful application of knowledge toward improving health outcomes. The information provided on this website is designed to assist the extramural community in addressing rigor and transparency in NIH grant applications and progress reports. https://grants.nih.gov/reproducibility/index.htm. 
The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) and several other NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) funded the development of training modules to enhance data reproducibility, many of which can be found within an online clearinghouse.

Clarifying what is meant by scientific premise
Scientific premise refers to the rigor of the prior research being cited as key support for the research question(s). For instance, a proposal might note prior studies had inadequate sample sizes. To help both applicants and reviewers describe and assess the rigor of the prior research cited as key support for the proposal, we plan to revise application instructions and review criteria to clarify the language.

Under Significance, the applicant will be asked to describe the strengths and weaknesses in the rigor of the prior research (both published and unpublished) that serves as the key support for the proposed project. Under Approach, the applicant will be asked to describe plans to address weaknesses in the rigor of the prior research that serves as the key support for the proposed project. These revisions are planned for research and mentored career development award applications that come in for the January 25, 2019 due date and beyond. Be on the lookout for guide notices.

Mixed Methods Applications. The NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research has training resources for NIH investigators on how to rigorously develop and evaluate mixed methods research applications.