How to Become a CSDE Affiliate

Thank you for your interest in the Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology. CSDE is an interdisciplinary center for demographic research, with affiliates from a wide range of fields. Our external funding for research infrastructure comes from NICHD, with a mandate to provide support to, and encourage innovation in, demographic research.

To become an affiliate, a faculty member must submit an application statement and letters of nomination from two current CSDE affiliates. Applications are reviewed by the CSDE Executive Committee once a year during spring quarter. Following a positive vote by the Executive Committee, a letter of invitation is sent to the nominee by the CSDE Director. The applicant’s statement and nomination letters should address the applicant’s qualifications for affiliate status, as defined below.

Affiliates are expected to have an active program of scholarly research in the field of population studies (peer-reviewed publications, externally-funded research grants) and to contribute to the demography research community at the University of Washington and our regional affiliate institutions. We tend to interpret the population studies mandate broadly, but areas of research that would be appropriate for presentation at the Population Association of America or publication in the journal Demography provide a useful guide.

Use of core CSDE services is a benefit that comes with being an affiliate. These services include grants management support, some human resources and payroll support, computing resources and support, statistical consultations, assay services for biodemographic research, reference and translational support, and geo-spatial resources and support. The CSDE also administers a small seed grant fund to support new research initiatives. Finally, the CSDE staff and faculty run several courses and workshops to train graduate students. These courses and workshops are open to your students and provide a critical training ground and resource for your research assistants. Fostering a scholarly community is a critical role of the CSDE and a benefit to our affiliates.

In return for the receipt of these benefits, CSDE expects new affiliates to present at the CSDE seminar in the first year as an affiliate, if possible, and thereafter as appropriate, including serving as a panel member in sessions organized around your areas of expertise. We expect all affiliates to participate in the weekly seminar series and training activities as their interests and schedules permit, and to contribute fully to the NIH Center Grant renewal process and the production of required annual reports.

We also expect affiliates to regularly attend CSDE seminars, the annual "Demography Day", and other CSDE events such as brown bags and trainings (e.g., at least one-third of the seminars each year, and preferably more). We expect affiliates to work with CSDE students as appropriate and encourage students to be active in CSDE events and courses. We expect affiliates to respond to all requests for biographical information, information on publications and grants, etc., that are needed to maintain CSDE’s funding.

We strongly encourage affiliates within the College of Arts and Sciences to have their external grants administered by CSDE, since this results in indirect cost returns to both the center and your appointing department. Our continued core funding from the NICHD also depends on affiliates’ successful extramural grants, especially from NIH or NSF, because this is a strong indication of the productive returns on infrastructure investment from the NICHD. Extensive use of specific resources, such as statistical and programming support, project-specific computing, and website development and maintenance are typically handled through sub-budgets from an affiliate's research grant.

At the end of each five-year funding cycle (currently June 2012), affiliates can reapply for continued status by submitting the research and funding materials required for the center grant proposal.

For further information please contact Scott Sipes by clicking here or 206-616-7463.