CSDE-eNews Bulletin

September 22, 2009
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CSDE ANNOUNCEMENTS & SPOTLIGHTS
CSDE AFFILIATE & FELLOW NEWS
CAMPUS SEMINARS & EVENTS OF INTEREST
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

CSDE ANNOUNCEMENTS & SPOTLIGHTS
Savery Hall Now Open – Open House Celebration

This fall, the Departments of Economics, Sociology and Philosophy will host a celebration and Open House in honor of their return to the newly renovated Savery Hall.  The much-needed update gives new life to this historic building and will allow the Departments of Economics, Sociology and Philosophy to continue their work there for years to come. To commemorate this momentous occasion, please mark your calendar for the Open House celebration on Friday, October 16, 2009 from 4:30 - 7:00 pm. The Open House will feature an interdisciplinary faculty panel, door prizes, tours, photos, architectural information, and a reception with faculty and staff from the three departments.

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CSDE AFFILIATE & FELLOW NEWS
Study Overseen by Mark Handcock Featured in New York Times

Mark Handcock served on the national advisory board for the study “Broken Laws, Unprotected Workers” mentioned in this New York Times article on September 1st.   

Read  the article here.

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Jennifer Romich Speaks about Poverty on the West Coast

Jennifer Romich and her poverty research were cited in the Seattle Times on September 10th.  She was also interviewed on KPLU 88.5 on September 11th.  She offers a short analysis of poverty in the West as opposed to general rates nationwide. 

Read the article here.

Listen to the interview here. 

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Study Co-authored by Richard Catalano Featured on P-I Blog

Research performed by the Social Development Research Group, of which Richard Catalano is a part, was featured on the P-I blog on September 1st.  The study examines the role of parents in adolescent smoking behavior. 

Read the post here. 

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Paul Waddell Quoted in Seattle Times

Paul Waddell was consulted as an expert source on mayoral candidate McGinn ‘s no-tunnel plan for Alaskan Way.  The Seattle Times article appeared on Tuesday, September 5th.

Read the article here. 

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CAMPUS SEMINARS & EVENTS OF INTEREST
Benedict Kiernan – Blood and Soil: Genocide in World History

Center for Global Studies
Benedict Kiernan, A Whitney Griswold Professor of History, Professor of International and Area Studies, Director of the Genocide Studies Program, Yale University
Blood and Soil: Genocide in World History

Tuesday, September 22, 2009
4:00 – 5:00 pm
Thomson Hall, Room 317

More information is here. 

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John Kantner – Costly Signaling and the Evolution of Pilgrimage Centers

IPEM IGERT Seminar Series
John Kantner, Director of Lobo Mesa Archaeological Project, School for Advanced Research
Costly Signaling and the Evolution of Pilgrimage Centers

Thursday, September 24, 2009
3:30 – 5:00 pm
Kane 019

More information is here. 

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Dr. Ross Donaldson – The Lassa Ward: One Man’s Fight Against One of the World’s Deadliest Diseases

Department of Global Health
Dr. Ross Donaldson, Medicine, UCLA; author of The Lassa Ward: One Man's Fight Against One of the World's Deadliest Diseases
The Lassa Ward: One Man’s Fight Against One of the World’s Deadliest Diseases

Tuesday, September 29, 2009
5:30 pm
Hogness Auditorium (Health Science Building  A-420)

More information is here. 

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FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Major Changes in NIH Application Forms, Page Limits, and Instructions Starting January 2010

Restructured Application Forms and Instructions for Submissions for FY2011 Funding
NOT-OD-09-149
Key Dates
Release Date: September 16, 2009
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

The application form and instructions for NIH applications are changing significantly in January 2010.

*         Please review the new guidance at http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-09-149.html.
*         Please send questions to grantsinfo@od.nih.gov.

Affects NIH applications with due dates on or after January 25, 2010
*         Shortened Page Limits
*         Alignment of the Application with Peer Review Criteria

This notice announces that new, restructured versions of the paper PHS 398 and electronic SF 424 (R&R) application packages and instructions will be available by December 2009.

Applicants must download and use the new application packages for submissions targeting due dates on or after January 25, 2010 (funding for fiscal year (FY) 2011 and beyond).  Changes include significantly shorter page limits and restructured application packages.  These changes will affect all competing applications submitted to NIH, as follows:

*   all applications (including individual Career Awards) electronically submitted using application packages that combine the SF 424 (R&R) with PHS 398 components (e.g, PHS 398 Research Plan Component and PHS 398 Career Development Supplement Form);
*   all electronically submitted Individual NRSA Fellowship applications using application packages that combine the SF 424 (R&R) with the PHS Fellowship Supplemental Form; and
*   all applications using the paper PHS 398 application package.

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Exceptional, Unconventional Research Enabling Knowledge Acceleration (EUREKA) (R01)

(RFA-GM-10-009)
National Institute of General Medical Sciences
National Cancer Institute
National Institute on Aging
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
National Institute on Drug Abuse
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research
National Institute of Mental Health
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Library of Medicine
Application Receipt Date(s): November 24, 2009

This FOA solicits Research Project Grant (R01) applications from institutions/organizations proposing exceptionally innovative research on novel hypotheses or difficult problems, solutions to which would have an extremely high impact on biomedical or biobehavioral research that is germane to the mission of one or more of the participating NIH Institutes. This FOA is for support of new projects, not continuation of projects that have already been initiated. It does not support pilot projects, i.e., projects of limited scope that are designed primarily to generate data that will enable the PI to seek other funding.

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Technology and Resources Access Grants

The "Institute of Translational Health Sciences" (ITHS) was funded through the NIH Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA). The  ITHS brings together scientists at the University of Washington, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle Children's, Group Health Research Institute, Benaroya Research Institute and other partner institutions in the Puget Sound region and in the WWAMI states to advance and transform clinical and translational research.

The  ITHS  is pleased to announce the opportunity to apply for modest "technology and resources access" grants. These grants will cover costs associated with the provision of services to you through an  ITHS-approved facility core, shared resource, or cost center.

The aims of the Technology and Resources Access grants are to:

    * Support the incorporation of new technologies into translational and clinical research.
    * Foster collaborations between approved applicants and technology service providers.
    * Encourage the utilization of the latest technologies and instrumentation into translational and clinical research.
    * Promote the career development of junior faculty members in the

Technology and Resources Access Grants information:

    * Up to $10,000 per accepted applicant will be directly applied to the costs of the
-approved facility core, shared resource or cost center.
    * Applications are due no later than Nov 2, 2009 11:59 PM.
    * The ITHS  will pay the service provider directly.

Further instructions can be found here. 

For more information contact Kathy Long at 206-616-9195  or apps@u.washington.edu.

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Travel scholarships to Upper Midwest Workshop in Population Studies

Registration is open for the Upper Midwest Workshop in Population Studies!  We are offering a limited number of travel grants (up to $500) for graduate  students from other institutions to attend the workshop.

Workshop mainpage
Registration
Travel grant application

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News From UW HSD and the IRB

URGENT: SHORT-TERM TRIAGE POLICY

The Human Subjects Division (HSD) and the UW Institutional Review Board (IRB) have received a flood of new applications and modification requests associated with ARRA funding (also called federal stimulus funding).   This is expected to continue for several weeks.  In addition, we are starting to receive urgent applications associated with the end of the federal fiscal year and the funding that federal sponsors must have awarded by October 1 (the end of the federal fiscal year).

This is occurring at a time when we have some vacant key positions, a new IRB committee that is still coming up to speed, continuing fall-out from our separation from the Seattle VA, and an expectation that the H1N1 flu will soon start to circulate on campus (including our office).

In sum, we are facing a temporary but extraordinary workload situation for the next 4-6 weeks.

In consultation with the Office of Research, we are adopting a short-term triage policy.  Our top priority will be the following:

• New applications and modifications required in order to receive new federal funding
• H1N1 flu-related studies (such as vaccine trials)
• Status reports (the annual renewal of existing IRB approvals)
• Truly urgent applications from student researchers

Action on all other applications and modifications is likely to be postponed for up to a month.  This will ensure that UW researchers will be able to receive their federal funding awards.

In addition, we have asked all HSD staff (including management) whose work does not directly involve IRB reviews to set aside everything that is not truly urgent in order to assist the IRBs and IRB support staff.

We appreciate your understanding and patience during this very unusual set of circumstances.  Please feel free to contact me (kemoe@u.washington.edu) if you have any questions or concerns.

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Assistant Professor – University of Washington, Sociology

The University of Washington Department of Sociology invites applications for one permanent full-time, tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the area of economic sociology or organizations to begin September 2010. We are especially interested in candidates whose research interests span two or more subfields in sociology. Applicants must demonstrate the potential for excellence in research, teaching, and service. Applicants should have the Ph.D. by the start of the appointment and will be expected to teach core graduate and undergraduate courses, conduct independent research, and engage in service activities. ABD candidates may be appointed on an acting basis.  Applications must be received by October 30, 2009. Applications received after October 30, 2009 will not be reviewed.

More information is here. 

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Assistant Director / Research Associate Professor – Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies, Population Research Center

The Population Research Center (PRC) is a program of the Institute of Portland Metropolitan Studies (IMS) within the College of Urban and Public Affairs. The PRC fulfills statutory requirements under the Oregon State Data Center program and the Oregon Population Estimates program. In addition, the PRC works with local and state government and nonprofit agencies to conduct demographic analysis that supports public and private decision making, such as school enrollment forecasts, analysis of trends and issues related to aging and public health, housing needs, and small geography population estimates. The PRC also illustrates these data using GIS and other spatial and statistical analytical techniques. The PRC works with other staff at the IMS to offer data analysis to a variety of public and private decision makers. Finally, the PRC supports research in other parts of the college and university by offering demographic analysis components of larger projects.

The principal duties of the successful candidate will be to lead demographic research in support of the missions of the IMS and the PRC. The successful candidate will also assist the IMS director in program development, human resource development and management, and strategic planning for the IMS and the PRC.

More information is here.  

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Tenure-Track Position – University of California at San Francisco, Social and Behavioral Sciences

The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences (SBS) announces a search for a tenure track faculty position to be filled by September 1, 2010 (preferred, but later start date may be negotiable). Appointment will be at the Assistant, Associate, or Full Professor rank, depending upon the finalist’s level of experience. We are seeking a sociologist with an established or promising research career who is academically prepared to teach classes in the sociology of aging, health policy, medical sociology, organizational theory, long term care, and quantitative research methods. Preferred areas of expertise include health policy, long term care and aging, health care organizations and quantitative research methods. Candidates should have a research program that will be synergistic with departmental teaching and research directions. Candidates at the senior level must be willing and able to contribute to the leadership of the department, through periodic rotation to the Department Chair position. For full consideration, applications should be received by January 31, 2010. Applicants must hold the PhD in sociology at the time of application.

More information is here. 

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Tenure-track position – Cornell University, Child and Family Policy

Tenured or tenure-track position in child and family policy. Research responsibilities (50%) include empirical research in child and family policy. Potential areas of focus include child welfare, policies affecting children and families, family contexts and child outcomes, child health and well-being, and/or education. Teaching and advising responsibilities (50%) are in the department’s undergraduate, masters, and/or doctoral programs.

Position is in an applied multidisciplinary department with a broad array of policy-oriented research interests, and with faculty members drawn from demography, economics, health services, psychology, public policy, sociology, and other disciplines. The department offers a bachelors degree and a 5-year masters degree in policy analysis and management, a masters degree in health administration, and a doctorate in policy analysis and management. Qualified faculty may also belong to the graduate field of economics, sociology, or human development and supervise students in these doctoral programs.

More information is here. 

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Assistant Professor – Whitman College, Economics

Tenure-track position in Economics, with expertise in International Political Economy, at the rank of assistant professor. Effective August, 2010. Ph.D. in Economics required. The successful candidate will offer courses in international political economy (including for example, International Trade, Development, Transitional Economics, and Immigration), and Principles of Micro- or Macroeconomics. Other possible teaching areas include economic statistics and areas that expand the department's course offerings. Whitman College wishes to reinforce its commitment to enhance diversity, broadly defined, recognizing that to provide a diverse learning environment is to prepare students for personal and professional success in an increasingly multicultural and global society. In their application, candidates should address their interest in working with undergraduates as teachers and scholars in a liberal arts environment that emphasizes close student-faculty interaction; how their cultural, experiential, and/or academic background contributes to diversity; and their interest in participating in the College's general education offerings.
Application Deadline: November 20, 2009

More information is here. 

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Assistant Professor – University of Oregon, Planning, Public Policy, and Management

The Department of Planning, Public Policy and Management (PPPM) at the University of Oregon invites applications for two tenure-track positions at the Assistant Professor level. We have a preference for candidates with primary research interests in environmental policy or health policy, although strong candidates with research interests in any applied public policy area will be considered. We seek candidates pursuing an applied policy-relevant research program with demonstrated scholarly potential and strong teaching skills. The successful candidate will be able to teach at least one course in the core curriculum of the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, as well as elective courses in their area of interest. Special consideration will be given to candidates who can teach public sector management. Candidates should have a commitment to excellence in research and teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels and a desire to work in an interdisciplinary setting. Opportunities for collaboration exist with colleagues in related departments and schools (e.g. Economics, Geography, Political Science, The Lundquist College of Business, School of Education) and research centers and programs (e.g. Conflict Resolution, Environmental Studies, Institute for Sustainable Environment). Minimum qualifications are a Ph.D. in public policy, public administration, economics, political science, or a closely related field. ABDs will be considered, but completion of the Ph.D. prior to fall 2010 is expected.
Application Deadline: November 1, 2009

More information is here. 

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Assistant Professor – University of Idaho, Sociology

Applications are invited for a tenure-track position at the Assistant Professor level beginning August 2010. We seek candidates who demonstrate the ability to pursue a strong research and publication agenda and a commitment to teaching excellence. A Ph.D. is required by time of appointment. Preference will be given to applicants with a degree in sociology, although applicants with a degree in a closely related field emphasizing social inequalities will be considered.  Apply by November 15.

More information is here. 

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Assistant Professor – Washington State University, International Politics

The Department of Political Science at Washington State University invites applications for a tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant Professor level in the area of International Politics. The position is located on the Vancouver, Washington campus in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. All Political Science faculty throughout the Washington State University system have opportunities to participate in graduate training at both the doctoral and master's levels. Research and teaching expectations are the same on all campuses. The Vancouver campus houses the Master of Public Affairs degree, an interdisciplinary program drawing from political science, criminal justice, sociology, and other disciplines. The Department is seeking a scholar with a background in the field of international politics. The Department is open to all areas of specialization, but additional consideration will be given to candidates with a research focus on security politics, conflict resolution or peace studies. The research specialization could be global or focused on a particular region. A Ph.D. in Political Science or a closely related field is required by the date of hire (August 16, 2010). The successful candidate will be expected to pursue an active research and publishing agenda, to teach two courses per semester, and to engage in service activities. Candidates should demonstrate the potential to provide mentorship to students from diverse backgrounds, to incorporate issues of diversity in curricular offerings, and to address research questions of relevance to underserved communities. Deadline for submission of applications is October 1, 2009.

More information is here.

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Assistant Professor – Reed College, Anthropology

Reed College Department of Anthropology invites applications for a tenure-track appointment at Assistant Professor rank in sociocultural anthropology to commence August 2010. We are seeking a scholar and teacher with research specializations in small-scale or "4th world" societies in regions other than North America, North Africa, the Middle East, and East Asia. Theoretical expertise should include both contemporary issues and broader historical contexts of the discipline and of Western social thought. Ongoing research and publication activity required. Research should demonstrate knowledge of relevant field languages and a rigorous integration of theory with ethnography. Reed is on the semester system with a teaching load of five courses per year; all students write a senior thesis. Ph.D or ABD required.  Applications must be received by October 14, 2009.

More information is here. 

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Assistant Professor – Pacific Lutheran University, Various Departments

Pacific Lutheran University invites applications for tenure-track positions at the assistant professor level, to start September 2010.  Faculty positions are available in philosophy, biochemistry, anthropology, psychology, sociology, business management, and other departments. 

More information is here. 

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Full-time Faculty Position – Evergreen State College, Public Administration and Tribal Governance

The Evergreen State College is seeking a full-time, continuing faculty member in Public Administration, with a specialty in Tribal Governance. The successful candidate will teach in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program, in the Tribal Governance concentration and, on a regular rotation, in the interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum. Within the MPA program the candidate will teach a variety of subjects in the public administration/public policy/tribal governance curriculum, which covers a full range of topics in the field of Public Administration, Nonprofit Administration, Public Policy, Tribal Governance and Intergovernmental Relations including federal, tribal, state, and local relationships. The MPA Tribal Governance concentration offers an MPA curriculum with an emphasis on the complex legal, cultural and political context of tribal governance.

The candidate hired will hold a doctoral degree in one of the following fields: Public Administration/Affairs, Public Management, Public Policy, Political Science, Anthropology (with an emphasis on Tribal/Indigenous Governance), or Law. In addition, the candidate may have a specialty within, but not limited to, the following subfields: Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Governance, Community Development, Community Planning, Economic Development Non-Profit Administration and Tribal Law.

The MPA program offers concentrations in Public and Non-Profit Administration, Public Policy and Tribal Governance. Faculty team-teach core and elective programs in both the tribal and non-tribal cohorts. All classes are offered in the evenings or in weekend-intensive formats; the Tribal Governance cohort meets exclusively in weekend intensives. Faculty members are also expected to regularly rotate out to teach in interdisciplinary undergraduate programs and to serve a rotational term as MPA Director. 

This is a Regular Faculty position, eligible for continuing appointment after two three-year, renewable contracts. Review of complete applications begins January 11, 2010 and will continue until finalists are selected.

More information is here. 

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TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES
2010-2011 Shorenstein Fellowship – Stanford University, Asia-Pacific Studies

Stanford University announced the 2010-2011 Walter H. Shorenstein Fellowships
Fellowships in contemporary Asia-Pacific studies for junior scholars

The Shorenstein Asia-Pacific Research Center in the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies announces its 2010-2011 Walter H. Shorenstein Fellowship. Made possible through the generosity of Walter H. Shorenstein, awards will be made to two junior scholars (recent Ph.D.s must have degree conferral by 31 August 2010) for research and writing on Asia.

The primary focus of the program is contemporary political, economic, or social change in the Asia-Pacific region (including Northeast, Southeast, and South Asia), or topics in international relations and international political economy. Fellows must be in residence for at least three academic quarters, beginning the fall quarter of the 2010 academic year. Fellows take part in center activities throughout the academic year and are required to present their research findings in center seminars. Fellows also participate in the center's publication program. Fellows receive a stipend of $42,000, plus $2,500 for research materials.

DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF ALL MATERIALS is 15 December 2009.

More information is here. 

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Graduate Fellowships – University of Hawai’i Manoa, East-West Center

The East-West Center administers a number of graduate fellowships for students from the United States, Asia, and the Pacific to participate in educational and research programs in residence at the East-West Center while pursuing graduate study at the University of Hawai'i Manoa.  Various opportunities available.  Eligibility and deadlines vary by competition.  

More information is here. 

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Fertility and Empowerment Post-Doctoral Fellow

ICRW is offering a post-doctoral fellowship for a social scientist with gender and population expertise at its Washington, D.C. office. This fellowship is geared toward early career Ph.D. professionals who would like to conduct research within an action research organization and network with a wide range of experts in gender and population in resource-poor settings. 

The fellow will make substantive contributions to a research project examining the impact of fertility decline on women's empowerment in developing countries. The fellow will work directly with the vice president for research, innovation, and impact and other D.C.-based research staff, as well as with experts in gender and population from other organizations and academic institutions.  Depending on interest and expertise, the fellow may also participate in other gender and population relevant projects at ICRW, including work on adolescents and son preference.

Applicants must have a recently completed their Ph.D. (within 3 years or less) in the social sciences with a specialization in demography/population studies. Strong preference for candidates with on-the-ground experience in practitioner or policy organizations in developing countries. Candidates with one or more peer-reviewed publications are preferred.  The term of the fellowship is one year, extendable to two years with mutual consent. The fellowship is a full-time commitment.

More information is here. 

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Research Opportunity for a Demography Gradate Student

The Portland research project is designed to measure the rate of change from Black to white residents in Portland's Albina (African American) neighborhood in Northeast Portland, just across the Willamette river from Portland's Pearl district, newly renovated and the northern end of downtown. The study also gauges the change in socio-economic characteristics including income and education, among other issues.  The study is modeled after a similar study of Seattle's Central Area, formerly 95% Black, but now probably around 30 percent Black and 30 percent white.  The project also will trace the rise of housing prices in Portland's Albina area, an increase which has effectually exiled African Americans to the eastern fringe of the city and beyond to its inner suburbs. Interested students should contact:
Henry W. McGee, Jr. Professor of Law
Seattle University
Tel: (206) 398-4026
Fax:     (206) 320-9848
Email: mcgee@seattleu.edu

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Javits Fellowship Program Seeks Applications

The Department of Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education invites applications for FY10 awards for the Jacob K. Javits Fellowship Program for graduate study in the social sciences, arts, and humanities.  Approximately $1.2 million is available; the department expects to award 27 new fellowships at an estimated average amount of $43,755.  Applications are due by October 5, 2009.

More information is available here. 

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NSF Supplemental Award for Graduate Research Fellows

NSF has announced that a Supplemental Award is available for Graduate Research Fellows (GRFs) to enable them to travel to Norway, Finland, or Denmark for up to 12 months for research opportunities.  Awardees will receive $5,000 to support travel and costs, in addition to funds provided for living costs by the Nordic countries’ partner agencies.  The deadline to apply is December 15, 2009; research stays overseas could begin as early as June 1, 2010.

More information is available here. 

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OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST
New Census Blog Debuts on Census Project Website

From a message from Phil Sparks, co-director of the Census Project:

As you know, final preparations for taking Census 2010 are now beginning in earnest.  Soon, hundreds of additional Census 2010 offices will be opening across the country.  Then, preliminary advertising for the next decennial census will start.  Mailings of an advance notice about the decennial census and the actual Census 2010 census forms will be completed.  Finally, more than a million temporary census takers will be recruited and then deployed across the country.  These are all complex and critical operations.

The Census Project will track all of these important benchmarks for Census 2010 in a new, weekly blog co-authored by the project's consultant, Terri Ann Lowenthal, and the project's co-director, Phil Sparks.  The first edition of the blog will be posted on the Census Project Web site (www.thecensusproject.org) every Tuesday for the next year.  The maiden edition is now available.

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Association of Population Centers – Government and Public Affairs Update , September 2009

At press time, Congress had recessed until September 8, 2009.  Prior to its departure in August, the House of Representatives passed all 12 of its appropriations bills. The Senate, on the other hand, has passed only four of its12 appropriations bills.  Given the fact that the fiscal year ends on September 30, 2009, and the daunting legislative agenda facing the U.S. Senate when it reconvenes, it is increasingly likely Congress will need to pass a continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded in October.
 
The below chart summarizes the amounts currently being debated for agencies of primary interest to the Population Association of America (PAA).
 
Agency FY 2010 President’s Budget FY 2010
House Mark FY 2010
Senate Mark
NIH $31.0 billion $31.2 billion $30.8 billlion
NIA $1.1 billion $1.1 billion  $1.0 billion 
NICHD $1.3 billion $1.3 billion  $1.3 billion 
Census Bureau $7.4 billion $7.3 billion $7.3 billion 
NCHS $138 million $138 million  $138 million 
NSF $7.0 billion $6.9 billion  $6.9 billion 
AID FP/RH $475 million $520 million  $628 million 
 
After the Senate passes versions of its appropriations bills, select members of the House and Senate will meet in conference committee to reconcile the final versions of each of the 12 appropriations bills.
 
One issue that will require bicameral negotiations is the fate of a House amendment, adopted on the floor, that rescinds or prohibits NIH from spending money on three currently-funded, peer-reviewed grants.  The three rescinded grants focus on HIV/AIDS prevention among vulnerable populations: Substance Abuse Use and HIV Risk among Thai Women, HIV prevention for Hospitalized Russian Alcoholics, and Venue-based HIV and Alcohol Use Risk Reduction among Female Sex Workers in China.  The amendment, sponsored by Congressman Darryl Issa (R-CA), was adopted by voice vote.  A roll call vote was not taken.
 
The Coalition to Protect Research (CPR) has organized a letter in anticipation of the Senate’s consideration of its version of the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education appropriations bill. The letter, which PAA signed, urges the Senate to reject similar amendments, if offered, on the Senate floor.
 
House and Senate Praise NIH demographic research programs
Both the House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Committee reports (which accompany the underlying funding bill) include language praising demographic and economic research programs at the National Institute on Aging (NIA) and Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).   This language helps inform people outside and inside the NIH about the important role population research programs play in furthering the NIH mission to improve public health and well being.

Senate Report 111-066 - DEPARTMENTS OF LABOR, HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, AND EDUCATION, AND RELATED AGENCIES APPROPRIATION BILL, 2010

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Demographic Research.-The Committee urges the NICHD to continue its support of trans-NIH behavioral and social research initiatives on disasters and health outcomes to develop more data on the consequences of natural and man-made disasters for the health of children and vulnerable groups. Further, the Committee encourages the NICHD to continue its investment in large-scale data sets, such as the New Immigrant Study and National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, because of their value and accessibility to researchers worldwide. Finally, the Committee urges the Institute to continue research on (1) how the structure and characteristics of the work environment affect child and family health and well-being and (2) how health and well-being in the early years (including before birth) affect health and well-being later in life.

National Institute on Aging
Demographic and Economic Research.-The Committee is aware that in 2010 the NIA will be making 5-year awards as part of its Demography of Aging Centers and Roybal Centers for Research on Applied Gerontology programs. The Committee urges the NIA, with support from the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research

and Office of AIDS Research, to fund at least the existing number of centers, and more if possible. In addition, the Committee encourages the NIA to substantially increase the minority sample size of the Health and Retirement Study to understand the impact of the economic downturn on pre-retirees and retirees.
 
Obama Administration Appointments
Census Bureau Director
On Monday, July 13, the United States Senate confirmed Dr. Robert Groves as the Director of the Census Bureau, overcoming objections of several Republicans more than three months after President Obama nominated the renowned survey methodologist and former Census Associate Director to head the nation's largest statistical agency. Senators voted 76 - 15 to end debate on the nomination and then proceeded to give final approval to the nominee by voice vote.  More information about Dr. Groves is available at: http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/releases/archives/directors_corner/
 
National Institutes of Health Director
On July 8, President Obama nominated Dr. Francis Collins to be the 16th Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  On August 7, the U.S. Senate unanimously confirmed him. From 1993-2008, Dr. Collins served as director of the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). Dr. Collins bio is located at: http://www.nih.gov/about/director/directorbio.htm.  Dr. Raynard Kington, who had been serving as the NIH Acting Director since mid-October, will return to his role as NIH principal deputy director.
 
National Science Foundation SBE Directorate
Myron Gutmann, director of the Interuniversity Consortium on Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the University of Michigan, has been selected to become the new Assistant Director for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Social, Behavioral and Economic Sciences (SBE) Directorate. Gutmann will replace David Lightfoot, who has served since 2005.  Dr. Gutmann is a PAA member and a former member of the PAA Board of Directors.  He will begin his NSF assignment in November 2009.
PAA in Washington, DC
Congressional Briefing--On June 5, 2009, PAA sponsored a congressional briefing, “Africa's Future:  Improving the Health of Mothers and Children.” PAA members John Bongaarts and Ann Blanc participated in this briefing, which highlighted the benefits of family planning programs for the health of mothers and children in Sub-Saharan Africa.  Over 70 congressional and Executive Branch staff personnel attended the briefing that was cosponsored by the Population Reference Bureau, Association of Population Centers, Population Action International, Population Council, Population Resource Center, and UCLA Bixby Center on Population and Reproductive Health.  A summary of the speakers’ presentations and a full webcast is posted at:  http://www.prb.org/Journalists/Webcasts/2009/africamaternalnewbornhealth.aspx
 
Congressional Briefing--On June 8th PAA and APC cosponsored a congressional briefing, “Getting Around in the 21st Century: Demographics and the Future of Transportation Policy.” PAA member Peter Morrison participated in the briefing, which covered dramatic demographics changes that are reshaping our nation and redefining our needs. Our senior population is projected to grow by 36 percent from 2010 to 2020. Members of minority groups are expected to constitute a majority of the population by 2042. In addition, U.S. household size continues to decrease and is projected to fall below 2.5 by 2020. To prepare for these changes, we need a visionary transportation bill that provides all Americans with options while reflecting the shifting composition of our population. Over 75 congressional and non-profit representatives attended the briefing that was cosponsored by the Population Resource Center, AARP and Transportation 4 America.  Speakers presentations are posted at: http://www.popassoc.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=3338.
 
COSSA briefing-- In January 2009 the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy issued the report Social, Behavioral and Economic Research in the Federal Context. On July 16, the Consortium of Social Science Associations (COSSA), brought four social and behavioral scientists to Capitol Hill to discuss their research and to highlight the report’s emphasis on the importance of these sciences to the national science and policy agenda.   PAA Member, Dr. Martina Morris, discussed “Modeling HIV and STI Transmission Dynamics: The Importance of Partnership Network Structure.” Her research focuses on the massive and persistent disparities in HIV prevalence. She illustrated that there are differences in prevalence rates by areas of the world, within regions such as sub-Saharan Africa, and even by population subgroups within a specific country.
Other News
The Energy and Environment Subcommittee of the House Science and Technology (S&T) Committee has reported out legislation to “establish a social and behavioral sciences research program at the Department of Energy.”
 
The bill, H.R. 3247, sponsored by Subcommittee Chairman Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), requires the Secretary of Energy to establish a program “to identify and understand social and behavioral factors that influence energy consumption and acceptance and adoption rates of new energy technologies, and to promote the utilization of the results of social and behavioral research to improve, the design, development, demonstration, and application of energy technologies.”

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