Population Science News

Weekly News — June 26, 2019

EVENTS
No Demography Brown Bag Seminars till the Fall. To view past brown bag presentations: http://www.vimeo.com/berkeleypopscience

Friday, June 28 | 2-3 p.m. What should future statisticians, CEOs, and senators know about the history and ethics of data? with Chris Wiggins: Columbia University and NY Times. 1011 Evans Hall.

EVENTS
No Demography Brown Bag Seminars till the Fall. To view past brown bag presentations: http://www.vimeo.com/berkeleypopscience

Friday, June 28 | 2-3 p.m. What should future statisticians, CEOs, and senators know about the history and ethics of data? with Chris Wiggins: Columbia University and NY Times. 1011 Evans Hall.

FUNDING
National Survey of Internet- and Technology-Facilitated Child ExploitationWith this solicitation, the National Institute of Justice (NIJ) seeks proposals for funding to conduct a national study of internet- and technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation. The award recipient will be expected to develop, test, and administer a national data collection from law enforcement agencies to produce accurate and reliable national estimates of, and information about, arrests for internet- and technology-facilitated child sexual exploitation crimes. This study will allow for the identification of new threats, problems, and concerns encountered by law enforcement in the changing technological environment; improved tracking and monitoring of new and abating threats; and a better understanding of which investigative strategies are associated with more favorable outcomes in protecting children from online victimization. This solicitation is competitive; therefore, NIJ staff cannot have individual conversations with prospective applicants. Any questions concerning the solicitation should be submitted to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service: 1-800-851-3420; TTY at 301-240-6310 (for hearing impaired only); email; or fax 301-240-5830. See also NIJ.gov’s solicitation FAQ pageAll applications are due by 11:59 p.m. eastern time on August 20, 2019. https://nij.gov/funding/Documents/solicitations/NIJ-2019-16572.pdf 

RWJF: Equity-Focused Policy Research – Building Evidence on Access to Early Care & Education for Low-Income Families. Release Date: June 20, 2019 | Brief Application Deadline: Thu, 25 Jul 2019; Full application Oct 10 2019. The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support action-oriented research that advances health equity, builds the knowledge base, and informs policymaking to increase access to early care and education (ECE) for low-income families. We define ECE as formal and informal nonparental care for children birth to age 5. Families have access to ECE when they are able to find affordable ECE that supports their child’s development and meets the families’ needs. Award information: We will make approximately 10 awards through this funding opportunity, totaling $1.5 million. We expect that awards will range from $50,000 to $500,000 each. For projects that involve primary data collection through surveys, interviews, focus groups, observations, and other methods (or a combination of methods), applicants may request up to $250,000, for a project duration of up to 24 months. For projects that rely solely on secondary data analyses, applicants may request up to $75,000, for a project duration of up to 12 months. For projects that involve implementing and testing innovative strategies to expand access to ECE, participatory research methods, and/or substantial community partnerships, applicants may request up to $500,000, for a project duration of up to 30 months. The Foundation intends to make up to one award of this size. For more information visit the grant website.

RWJF: Healthy Eating Research, is funding grants for research that will help reduce inequities in access to healthy foods and beverages and the underlying factors that contribute to those inequities, to ensure that all families and young children (0-8), particularly those from lower-income communities and communities of color, can build healthy eating habits. A total of $2.7 million in funding is available for approximately 11 research projects spread across three award types. All studies must have the potential to impact groups at highest risk for poor health and well-being, and nutrition-related health disparities. Learn more about eligibility and selection criteria:https://www.rwjf.org/content/rwjf/en/library/funding-opportunities/2019/healthy-eating-research.html

Environmental Influences on Aging: Effects of Extreme Weather and Disaster Events on Aging Processes (R01 Clinical Trial Not Allowed). https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PAR-19-249.html. The purpose of this funding opportunity announcement (FOA) is to support research to explore the impacts of extreme weather and disaster events on the basic biology of aging. Together with the companion FOA (PAR-19-250) that focuses on how extreme weather and disaster events impact older adults, these complementary FOAs will help to explicate the behavioral, biological, epigenetic, genetic, neurological and socioecological processes that affect the aging process. Through integration of this and the companion population studies FOA, the ultimate goal is to improve the health and well-being of older adults via increased knowledge about extreme weather and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

Russell Sage Foundation Computational Social Science LOI Due August 19, 2019. Social science research on many topics is often hampered by the limitations of survey data, including relatively small sample sizes, low response rates and high costs. However, the digital age has increased access to large, comprehensive data sources, such as public and private administrative databases, and new sources of information from online transactions, social-media interactions, and internet searches. New computational methods also allow for the extraction, coding, and analysis of large volumes of text. Advances in analytical methods for exploiting and analyzing data, including machine learning, have accompanied the rise of these data. The emergence of these new data and methods also raises questions about access, privacy and confidentiality. The Russell Sage Foundation’s initiative on Computational Social Science (CSS) supports innovative social science research that brings new data and methods to bear on questions of interest in its core programs in Behavioral Economics, Future of Work, Race, Ethnicity and Immigration, and Social Inequality. Limited consideration will be given to research that focuses primarily on methodologies, such as causal inference and innovations in data collection.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Research in Transforming Health and Health Care Systems
More information here. Due July 2, 2019. The 2019 RTHS call for proposals (CFP) seeks to fund research studies that examine how state Medicaid programs are using managed care payment and contracting strategies to address enrollees’ social needs; the ways MCOs are responding; and the effect of these activities on enrollees, plans, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders. We strongly encourage applicants to consider how these activities affect health equity, meaning that everyone has a fair and just opportunity to be as healthy as possible. The goal of this funding opportunity is to generate timely evidence on the experiences of states, MCOs, Medicaid enrollees, and community-based organizations in order to inform future decision-making by state and federal policymakers and other key stakeholders.

CONFERENCES
2019 UC Berkeley Aging Research & Technology Summit: Disrupting Neurodegenerative Diseases
Tuesday, September 17, 2019, taking place on the UC Berkeley campus. Register now by clicking on this link: https://ucberkeley-artsummit2019.eventbrite.com by August 16 to take advantage of early bird pricing. Add to your calendar by clicking here. Note: Updates will be sent through email and social media, not the calendar invite.
The Second Asian Population Forum, Shanghai, China, 11-12 October 2019. Hosted by the Asian Demographic Research Institute (ADRI), Shanghai University. Deadline for submitting abstracts or full papers: 15 July 2019. For more information, visit the ADRI website: http://adrishanghai.org/infow2.asp?id=182.
CALL FOR PAPERS
Environment and Population Dynamics in South Asia International Journal of Population Studies (Deadline: 9/30/2019) (sorry, no URL provided).

ANNOUNCEMENTS
Input Sought: Second National Research Summit on Care, Services, and Supports for Persons with Dementia and Their Caregivers.  Please respond to ourRequest for Information (RFI) by June 28, 2019. Millions of Americans and their caregivers are living with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and that number will continue to grow. In addition to seeking effective treatments, we must build the evidence base to improve care, services, and supports for persons with dementia and their caregivers. We welcome your ideas and questions to help set the agenda for this high-priority area of research. We would welcome your input in our planning for the upcoming Summit, to be held March 24-25, 2020, on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Please read the RFI, feel free to share it with others, and send your response to DementiaCareSummit2020@NIH.gov by June 28, 2019.

DATA
The US CENSUS 2019 Planning Database (PDB) is now available: https://www.census.gov/topics/research/guidance/planning-databases.2019.html. The 2019 PDB is a database of U.S. housing, demographic, socioeconomic, and operational statistics based on select 2010 Decennial Census and select 2013–2017 5-year American Community Survey (ACS) estimates. Data are provided at both the census block group and tract levels of geography. These data can be used for many purposes, including survey field operations planning. New on the 2019 PDB:
*The ACS 2013–2017 5-year Self-Response Rates (at the tract level)*
*New ACS 2013–2017 5-year tract person and household internet/technology variables
*Additional ACS 2013–2017 ACS tract variables related to the coverage of young children 
*The Low Response Score (LRS) is also provided on the PDB. The LRS is a model-based prediction of mail return rates by block group and tract that may be used separately or in conjunction with other PDB variables. A discussion of the LRS is found here. The Planning Database is updated annually. The files are available in a CSV format. For questions or comments, contact census.pdb.questions@census.gov.

WEBINAR
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Applications in the Social Sciences: Maps, Mappable Data, July 11, 2019, Noon – 1:30 PM CDT. Presented by Ned English, MS. Register now for the July 11th AAPOR Webinar. This webinar is designed for those with minimal GIS knowledge who want a practical introduction to learn the basics of presenting social scientific data on a map and conducting simple geospatial analyses. An underlying message will be how maps and geospatial analyses can be used to facilitate and enhance current research programs. Our webinar will include an introduction to basic cartographic principles and GIS in general, as well as examples of how survey responses and demographic data can be visualized using GIS maps, both static and interactive. We will also discuss how single and multi-variate maps are used in the social sciences, in addition to specific geospatial analyses. We will use examples in ArcGIS, a popular proprietary GIS package software, and GeoDa, an open source free GIS programs. 
Learning Objectives
•             Understand how maps and mappable data are commonly applied in the social sciences
•             Discuss how GIS can be used to enhance analysis and presentation
•             Understand the utility of specific geospatial analyses such as cluster and hot-spot maps
Ned English is a Senior Research Methodologist with considerable experience in geographic information systems (GIS), spatial analyses, sample design, global positioning systems, and data analysis. Ned is responsible for the Geographic Information GIS capacity at NORC, in addition to project management, sample design, and analysis on numerous studies across disciplines. Formally trained as a geographer, Ned has diverse theoretical and applied experience in the areas of GIS and extant data analysis with regard to survey methodology, sample design, data linkage, and data visualization.

GRADUATE STUDENTS
Schmidt Science Post-Doctoral Fellows Schmidt Science Fellows program, in partnership with the Rhodes Trust (Deadline: 7/15/2019). For more information, visit:https://schmidtsciencefellows.org/

RELATED LISTS
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.

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC HEALTH MAILING LIST 
Tue$day Top Tip$ for SPH Research is a listserv with research funding opportunities and other information pertinent to public health researchers who are not necessarily population researchers. To subscribe, write to Dr. Lauren Goldstein, lhg@berkeley.edu

Posted in Newsletter.