CSDE-eNews Bulletin

July 15, 2008

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CSDE ANNOUNCEMENTS & SPOTLIGHTS: Research Scientist/Engineer Assistant
CSDE AFFILIATE & FELLOW NEWS: Brooke Scelza sails on; Jennifer Stuber Lead Editor of Stigma, Prejudice, Discrimination and Health, the Journal of Social Science & Medicine
CAMPUS SEMINARS & EVENTS OF INTEREST: Washington Global Health Alliance Discovery Lecture Series -- Robert Sinden
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES & NOTICES: Research on Causal Factors and Interventions that Promote and Support the Careers of Women in Biomedical and Behavioral Science and Engineering (R01)
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES: Senior Associate for Research and Analysis -- Center for Health and Gender Equity; Bioethicist -- National Children's Study Program Office; Professor -- Northwestern University, Social Disparities and Health; Assistant Professor -- Providence College, Sociology; Faculty Position -- Northwestern University, The Center on Social Disparities and Health; Applied Demographer -- Bowling Green State University, Center for Family and Demographic Research
TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES: Dissertation Fellowships -- West Coast Poverty Center; Post Graduate Fellowship -- Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation; Post Doctoral Fellowship -- Tilburg University, Department of Sociology, The Netherlands; Post Doctoral Fellowship -- Tohoku University, The Center for the Study of Social Stratification and Inequality, Sendai, Japan
OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST: Washington Post Article on the 2010 Census; More Kudos for Jeff Eaton; Department of Global Health -- King Holmes, Chris Elias, Ken Stuart, Penny LeGate

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CSDE ANNOUNCEMENTS & SPOTLIGHTS

Research Scientist/Engineer Assistant

Req #: 45500
Department: CTR FOR STUDIES IN DEMOGRAPHY & ECOLOGY
Job Location: Seattle Campus
Posting Date: 06/26/2008
Closing Info: Open Until Filled
Salary: Salary is commensurate with experience and education
Notes: This is a 50-100% FTE position for a term one year, with the possibility of extending, contingent upon funding. The successful candidate will be responsible for a wide variety of tasks associated with efficient daily operation of a high-throughput biosafety level 2 laboratory. Competitive candidates will have some experience in lab research (either as a student or employee), with a proven record of careful attention to detail and conscientious work habits.

Under direct supervision of the Biodemography core director, the Research Scientist Assistant will:

Perform routine enzyme immunoassays

Prepare buffers, solutions, and reagents

Process biological specimens to prepare them for assay

Assist in grant and contract lab work, including calculating lab supplies costs for determining budgets, sending supplies to client labs, performing assays, cleaning and preparing data; sometimes including basic analyses and preparing and sending an invoice for the work, and monitoring whether invoices have been paid

Manage ordering and supplies inventories. This includes monitorint inventory of general supplies and reorder as needed, maintaining records of orders placed and received and routinely updating a database of ordering history and expenditures by budget number

Housekeeping, including washing glassware and following the cleaning and decontamination schedule specified in the Lab Safety Manual

Assist in recording and monitoring assay quality control data for all assays

Equipment maintenance, including routinely defrosting large freezers (24 freezers in the lab and archive facility need to be emptied and defrosted regularly), managing regular maintenance for automatic pipettes, including tracking which are due for calibration, decontaminating and packing them for shipment to calibration shop, and performing daily decontamination and maintenance tasks for equipment, including robotic pipettor, autoclave, still, and plate readers

Assist in maintaining a large archive of biological specimens (about 125,000), including managing limited fridge and freezer space in both Denny Hall and in the off-site archive facility (houses 20 alarmed freezers), visiting the archive facility weekly to check on the freezers and the alarm system and moving specimens between the lab and the archive

Assist in maintaining adherence to UW EHS rules for chemical handling and waste removal for all lab work; maintain Laboratory Safety System database and the Lab Safety Manual

Assist in maintaining adherence to UW EHS rules for biosafety level 2 lab operations and biohazardous waste removal

Attend annual bloodborne pathogen exposure control training

As an employee you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please view this page.

Requirements:
BA or BS degree, preferably with training in basic biology and/or the social sciences and at least three to six months of experience. Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel and proficiency in other Microsoft Office software.

Ability to work to high standards both alone and as an integral and active member of a close-knit research team. Commitment to a quality of work that meets CSDE high standards for excellent research and excellent service is critical.

Desired:
Experience in UW procedures for ordering supplies and in adhering to UW EHS rules.

Condition of Employment:
Must be willing to work with potentially infectious biological specimens from humans and non-human primates.

This is a 50-100% FTE position for a term one year, with the possibility of extending, contingent on funding.

For full details, you can find the official HR listing online.

CSDE AFFILIATE & FELLOW NEWS

Brooke Scelza sails on

Congratulations to Brooke Scelza (Biocultural), who successfully summarized and "defended" her dissertation on "Extended Parental Investment Among Martu Aborigines". Her parents were there (presumably continuing their investment), and attended the festivities that followed (graciously hosted by Andi Duncan).

The members of Brooke's PhD committee include Rebecca Bliege Bird (Stanford), Steve Goodreau, Donna Leonetti, and Eric Smith as chair.

From here, Brooke goes on to a tenure-track faculty position in Anthropology at UCLA. It won't be the same here without her...

Jennifer Stuber Lead Editor of Stigma, Prejudice, Discrimination and Health, the Journal of Social Science & Medicine

Jennifer Stuber, Assistant Professor School of Social Work and CSDE Affiliate, is the lead editor of Stigma, Prejudice, Discrimination and Health, a special issue of the journal Social Science & Medicine. Dr. Stuber, who is a prominent scholar in the field of stigma, especially stigma related to mental health, also co-authored the issue's introduction and two of its articles. The August 2008 issue is online at http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/02779536.

An article on Professor Stuber and the special issue is in the current University Week. See the article here.

CAMPUS SEMINARS & EVENTS OF INTEREST

Washington Global Health Alliance Discovery Lecture Series -- Robert Sinden

Robert Sinden, PhD, Senior Dean, Department of Life Sciences, Division of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Imperial College London
"Understanding Malaria Development in the Mosquito, and its Pivotal Role in the Formulation of Effective Control Strategies"

Monday, July 28
6:00 PM
Foege Auditorium S-060, Genome Sciences Building
Reception to follow in the Vista Cafe

FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES & NOTICES

Research on Causal Factors and Interventions that Promote and Support the Careers of Women in Biomedical and Behavioral Science and Engineering (R01)

Request for Applications (RFA) Number: RFA-GM-09-012

NIH anticipates making 6 to 8 awards through this announcement.

Direct costs are limited to $250,000 per year for a four (4) year period.

The purpose of this funding opportunity is to support research on:

causal factors explaining the current patterns observed in the careers of women in biomedical and behavioral science and engineering and variation across different subgroups and

the efficacy of programs designed to support the careers of women in these disciplines. Causal factors include individual characteristics, family and economic circumstances, disciplinary culture or practices, and features of the broader social and cultural context. Research on variation among underrepresented minority women and socioeconomically disadvantaged women is encouraged.

Description:
While women earn more than half of all bachelor’s and master’s degrees and nearly half of all doctoral degrees (NSF Science and Engineering Indicators 2008), these gains have not translated into a similar degree of representation among college and university faculty, especially at more senior levels. Women hold disproportionately fewer academic faculty and senior leadership positions in biomedical and behavioral science and engineering than men.

As described earlier, the purpose of this funding opportunity is to support research on causal factors and on the efficacy of interventions with regard to the career patterns of women in biomedical and behavioral science and engineering. Causal factors of interest include, but are not limited to:

individual characteristics, including family and economic circumstances,

institutional/departmental environment,

organizational structure,

disciplinary culture or practices, and

features of the broader social and cultural context.

In studies both on causal factors and interventions, research on variation across different subgroups such as underrepresented minority women and socioeconomically disadvantaged women is also of interest.

While the focus of this funding announcement is biomedical and behavioral research, defined broadly to include science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, it is also meant to include basic, clinical and interdisciplinary research that integrates physical and life sciences in academic, governmental, or corporate settings. Applicants should state their specific aims, objectives, and goals, and in particular, the expected generalizability of the proposed research. Since the focus of this FOA is on women (minority and non-minority), proposed research involving men (minority and non-minority) should be comparative, rather than addressing men in biomedical and behavioral science and engineering exclusively.

This FOA likely will result in grants supporting individual and possibly multi-site interdisciplinary research projects.

To be considered responsive to this announcement, the proposed research must:

include an explicit theoretical basis for the hypothesis to be tested;

demonstrate an appreciation of the unique socio-cultural qualities and issues of the population(s) selected for study;

incorporate appropriate comparison or control group(s);

adequately describe the data, measures, and proposed statistical analyses to be used; and

discuss the expected outcomes and/or lessons to be learned. To foster rigor, validity, generalizability, and integration of these elements, a collaborative effort among researchers, administrators, and educators, as well as among various disciplines, such as psychologists, sociologists, biostatisticians, economists and others is encouraged.

Possible research topics considered responsive to this FOA include but are not limited to the following:

Studies that focus on the educational pathway: What factors influence the decision to enter and persist in undergraduate and graduate programs in biomedical and behavioral science and engineering? Why are women more equally represented in some fields, such as psychology, sociology, and veterinary medicine, than in other science and engineering fields? Can targeted financial incentives attract talented women to academic research careers? What is the impact of financial factors on the decision to enter academic science majors or careers? What educational challenges are faced by women who are also members of underrepresented minority groups? What is the role of bias, prejudice and stereotype threat in choosing a career in biomedical and behavioral science and engineering? How do social and cultural factors (including availability of community resources, marital status, and cultural attitudes) impact educational choices?

Research on institutional factors: How does the institutional or departmental environment influence the decision to enter a graduate program or accept an academic position? Are there institutional arrangements/expectations that help or hinder the professional development of women, especially underrepresented minority women? Does the proportion of women in faculty and leadership positions within an institution, department or program influence the sex/gender distribution of applicants for graduate study and/or academic jobs? Do institutional policies and programs to address sex/gender biases in recruiting, hiring, promotion and tenure matter? What is the role of leadership in achieving sex/gender equity?

Research on individual factors: What role do financial and time factors play in recruiting and retaining women in biomedical and behavioral science and engineering research careers? Can targeted financial or time incentives/benefits attract high quality female candidates to narrow sex/gender disparities? What role do time and money costs play, specifically, in the decision to enter academic versus non-academic jobs in science and engineering? What is the role of marital status and family composition in shaping careers across various disciplines? How do social and cultural expectations regarding family responsibilities affect career patterns? Do factors like child-care and caregiving arrangements vary significantly among disciplines, institutions or programs? Is part-time employment compatible with or an impediment to the career advancement of junior scientists?

Causal factors explaining current career trajectories: Are there substantive differences between men and women scientists in their day-to-day activities and time use both within and outside the academic and research environment? If differences exist, how do they interact with characteristics of the academic and research environment and do they contribute to differences in patterns of career success between men and women? Do these differences explain tenure outcomes? What activities are associated with promotion from assistant to full professor? How should further analysis of these patterns inform the development of interventions and strategies?

Cross-national analyses: To what extent are there cross-national variations in sex/gender disparities in graduate degree awards and tenure positions? What can be learned from cross-national comparisons of sociocultural factors and institutional differences? Applicants must demonstrate that the proposed research is relevant in the U.S. context.

Research on intervention strategies: How effective are intervention strategies in addressing barriers for women in biomedical and behavioral science and engineering? What strategies are effective in recruiting, retaining and promoting women scientists and engineers in faculty positions? Are existing interventions effective in addressing attitudes and beliefs which discourage women from pursuing careers in these enterprises? Which programs or policies designed to reduce sex/gender disparities are cost-effective, feasible, and reproducible?

These questions and the assumptions underlying them are complex in nature and their study will require interdisciplinary collaborations. Interdisciplinary collaborations refer to scientific endeavors in which a variety of disciplines work together closely from the outset to form a shared conceptual framework to address a problem. Interdisciplinary research is distinct from multidisciplinary research in that the latter refers to a process in which researchers in different disciplines work relatively independently, each from his or her own disciplinary perspective with limited direct interaction and little cross-fertilization among disciplines. The NIH encourages interdisciplinary studies that cross the traditional boundaries within and between disciplines.

Key Dates
Release/Posted Date: July 14, 2008
Opening Date: September 22, 2008 (Earliest date an application may be submitted to Grants.gov)
NOTE: On time submission requires that applications be successfully submitted to Grants.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. local time (of the applicant institution/organization).
Letter of Intent Receipt Date(s): September 21, 2008
Application Submission/Receipt Date(s): October 22, 2008

For more details click here.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Senior Associate for Research and Analysis -- Center for Health and Gender Equity

Reports to: Deputy Director

Job purpose: The Senior Associate for Research and Analysis plays a major role at the Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE), providing critical support to the development of the intellectual and political capital of the organization. CHANGE seeks to promote accountability of U.S. international policies around sexual and reproductive health and rights objectives, through informed and evidence-based advocacy, media work, and grassroots engagement. The Senior Associate for Research and Analysis will work with senior management and relevant staff to oversee the planning, implementation and tracking of research and analysis for the organization.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

Conduct ongoing, in-depth research and analysis of U.S. foreign policies, policy guidance, and U.S.-funded international programs related to sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls in developing countries

Provide ongoing research and monitoring of international studies, programs, policies and activities related to the sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls, particularly in the areas of maternal health, family planning, HIV and AIDS, and violence against women

Work with staff to monitor and track RFAs, RFPs, budgets, grants and other relevant programmatic and implementation processes by relevant U.S. agencies (e.g. USAID, OGAC, CDC, etc)

Collaborate on the development of new research initiatives to support the strategic mission of the organization

Define the scope of research projects in collaboration with senior management

Create detailed work plans, with timelines and deliverables, and determine resources (time, funding) required to complete research projects

Create and maintain all research archives and files

Assist with editing and writing of publications, documents, and other related products

Assist with identification and recruitment of consultants in the U.S. and internationally

Manage and oversee interns

Qualifications:

Bachelors degree; graduate degree strongly preferred in public health, international affairs or related field

At least three to five years experience in research and policy analysis in related field

Demonstrated and strong skills in research (qualitative and quantitative), investigation, and analysis

Experience with U.S. government funding mechanisms and agencies strongly desired

Ability to synthesize complex information and present in clear and concise manner

Strong and effective written and oral communication skills

Knowledge and experience of program management

Excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple projects at once

Ability to function in fast paced, demanding environment

Broad working knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights issues, including HIV and AIDS and human rights issues

A demonstrated commitment to women’s rights and public health and a strong commitment to the organization’s mission and to high-level performance are essential

Salary and benefits: We offer competitive salaries (commensurate with experience) and an excellent benefits package.

How to apply: Please send a cover letter including a summary of relevant past experience and qualifications for and interest in this position, current résumé, two writing samples and three references. No phone calls please!

Send application materials to:
Human Resources
Center for Health and Gender Equity
6930 Carroll Avenue, Suite 910
Takoma Park, MD 20912
Fax: 1.301.270.2052

Email applications can be sent to careers@genderhealth.org (Please put "Senior Associate for Research and Analysis" in subject line.).

Open until filled.

To learn more about CHANGE, please visit www.genderhealth.org.

Bioethicist -- National Children's Study Program Office

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Department of Bioethics, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center, are announcing a new vacancy for an exciting position as a research bioethicist. The position is available for the Medical Officer or the Health Scientist Administrator category.

The incumbent will provide leadership regarding human subjects' protections and bioethics for the National Children's Study, a large epidemiological longitudinal cohort study of the effects of the environment on child health and development. The incumbent will also devote 30 percent of their time working directly with the Department of Bioethics at the NIH Clinical Center, providing bioethics expertise and performing related research. Additional information about this position, located in Rockville and Bethesda, MD, will be posted by approximately June 30, 2008 on http://www.USAJobs.opm.gov.

The position will be open for application for eight weeks. Announcement numbers: Health Scientist Administrator # NICHD-08-273950-CR-DE; and NICHD-08-273950-MP. Medical Officer # HHS/NIH-2008-2704. Applicants should apply through http://www.USAJobs.opm.gov.

Professor -- Northwestern University, Social Disparities and Health

Northwestern University invites applications for an open rank position jointly held between Cells to Society: The Center on Social Disparities and Health at the Institute for Policy Research and one of the following departments: Anthropology, Psychology, or Sociology. Social and cultural contexts are critical determinants of physical and psychological health, and we seek a scholar with an active research program that integrates social, behavioral, and biological/biomedical perspectives to illuminate pathways linking social contexts and health, with implications for understanding socioeconomic and race/ethnic disparities. Applicants should have outstanding records of scholarly publication and externally-funded research, and be interested in applying their work to social policy issues. To promote policy-relevant research activities, the appointment carries a one-half reduction in teaching responsibilities. Candidates could specialize in one or more of the following fields: biodemography, population health, gene-environment interplay, biocultural or biopsychosocial perspectives on human development and health, psychobiology, and other related areas.

For more information on the Cells to Society Center, see http://www.northwestern.edu/ipr/c2s and for the Departments of Anthropology, Psychology, or Sociology, see http://www.wcas.northwestern.edu/. Northwestern is located in an attractive lakefront community adjacent to Chicago.

Please mail a statement of research, teaching/training, vita, representative reprints, and names of three references to Thomas McDade, Search Committee Chair, Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208. Review of application materials will begin on September 15, and will continue until the position is filled. Minorities and women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Assistant Professor -- Providence College, Sociology

The Department of Sociology at Providence College invites applications for a tenure-track assistant professor position commencing fall 2009.

Providence College is a Roman Catholic four-year liberal arts institution conducted under the auspices of the Dominican Friars and seeks candidates who can affirm and contribute to its Mission. An AA/EOE, the College especially encourages the applications of women and persons of color.

Preferred specializations are in demography with emphases on migration studies and the family; and sociological ethnography with specializations possible in work, culture, the environment, deviance, or other substantive fields.

Applicants must possess a Ph.D. in sociology and demonstrate excellence in undergraduate teaching, the ability to establish a scholarly research program, and a willingness to be active in service to the college and the community.

Interested applicants should submit on-line a cover letter, curriculum vitae, and three letters of recommendation that address the applicant's teaching ability or teaching potential and suitability for the position.

Application deadline is September 30, 2008.

Transcript is REQUIRED (see Special Instructions)

Original transcript(s) should be sent via US mail to:
Chair, Search Committee
Department of Sociology
Providence College
Providence, RI 02918

To view this ad and to apply online, click here.

Faculty Position -- Northwestern University, The Center on Social Disparities and Health

Northwestern University is seeking an experienced scholar in social epidemiology, population health or related fields, who has done extensive, theory-grounded work in demography, incorporating biological outcomes and covariates. The scholar will join the multidisciplinary faculty of Cells to Society (C2S): The Center on Social Disparities and Health at the Institute for Policy Research. C2S includes faculty in multiple departments across several of Northwestern's schools, providing rich opportunities for collaboration. Applicants should demonstrate outstanding records of scholarly publication, teaching, and externally-funded research. The successful candidate will help to lead C2S as it matures to become a full population research center.

This position will be jointly held across at least two schools: Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, School of Education and Social Policy, Feinberg School of Medicine. The following departments could be involved: Anthropology, Economics, Human Development and Social Policy, Preventive Medicine, Sociology, or Statistics.

Please mail a statement of research, vita, representative reprints, and 3 names of references to P. Lindsay Chase-Lansdale, PhD and Katherine Kaufer Christoffel, MD, MPH, Search Committee Co-Chairs, Cells to Society, Institute for Policy Research, Northwestern University, 2040 Sheridan Road, Evanston, IL 60208. We will begin reviewing application materials on August 1 and will continue until the position is filled. Minorities and women are strongly encouraged to apply.

Applied Demographer -- Bowling Green State University, Center for Family and Demographic Research

Position Summary
The applied demographer is a critical position for the success of a five-year grant funded Center. The theme of the Center is the health and well-being of children, youth and families. The Applied Demographer produces oversees the research support of the Center.

Essential Duties, Tasks and Responsibilities

Provides research support.

Supervises data analyst and students workers.

Prepares Ohio Population News report.

Conducts workshops and training.

Develops and maintains a public use data archive.

Assists users in accessing and analyzing data.

Oversees dissemination of data information for the web site.

Manages secure data contracts.

This list of essential duties, tasks and responsibilities is not all-inclusive; individual will perform other related duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills or Abilities

Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a record of producing article-length technical manuscripts, internal data management documents, and training documents as well as user-friendly informational reports and fact sheets.

Training and education skills – ability to teach diverse audiences with varying backgrounds how to select and manipulate data, use statistical and spreadsheet computer software to conduct research.

Experience and skill using SAS as well as other statistical software (GIS, Stata, and SPSS).

Develop and maintain a public use data archive.

Assist users in accessing and analyzing data.

Oversee dissemination of information on the webpage.

Supervisory experience.

Ability to take a high degree of responsibility and apply individual initiative and judgment.

Ability to be an active and effective member of a multidisciplinary research team.

Ability to multi-task and prioritize projects.

Minimum Qualifications
Masters degree in Demography is required. The position requires training and certification in applied demography. Experience required; two years in analysis of social science data – specifically census data, two years in exposure to a Center-based research environment in a social science filed (e.g., psychology, sociology), two years in communicating with diverse groups of people – e.g. academics, policy makes, community organizations, and students, one year in writing reports for academics and broad based audiences.

Salary
Full-time grant funded administrative staff position. Administrative grade level 16, minimum salary $45,702. Salary is commensurate with education and experience. Full benefit package available.

To Apply
Submit cover letter w/email address, resume, and contact information of 3 professional references to:
Office of Human Resources (Search L-61169)
100 College Park Office Building
Bowling Green State University
Bowling Green, OH 43403-0201

Review of applicants will begin on July 25, 2008 and will continue until the position is filled.

For full details, click here to download the PDF.

TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES

Dissertation Fellowships -- West Coast Poverty Center

Applications due August 15, 2008, 5:00 PM

The West Coast Poverty Center, jointly sponsored by the U.W. School of Social Work, the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs, and the College of Arts and Sciences, invites applications from U.W. doctoral students for the 2007-2008 West Coast Poverty Center Dissertation Fellowships.

The Center will award one quarter of support for up to three doctoral students conducting outstanding research on poverty, poverty-related issues, and anti-poverty policy in the U.S.

AWARD: The one-quarter Dissertation Fellowships will provide tuition and a stipend for Fall 2008 or Winter, Spring, or Summer 2009.

ELIGIBILITY: Quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method approaches are all encouraged as are submissions from scholars in any discipline. Applicant must be Ph.D. student in good standing at the University of Washington. Applicant must have advanced to candidacy and have an approved dissertation plan at the start of the funding period. Priority will be given to applicants finishing their dissertations within 12 months of the start of funding.

For more information please see online Call for Proposal or go to wcpc.washington.edu/funding/grantannounce.shtml

Post-Graduate Fellowship -- Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington is accepting applications for the Winter 2009 cohort of the Post-Graduate Fellowship program.

The vision of IHME is to make available high-quality information on population health, its determinants, and the performance of health systems for all countries. We seek to achieve this directly, by catalyzing the work of others and by training researchers and policy makers. Our goal is to improve the health of the world’s populations by providing the best information.

The IHME Post-Graduate Fellowship Program provides a unique opportunity for individuals with graduate-level training and a strong quantitative background to conduct in-depth, methodological research on a variety of global health topics with the mentorship of faculty and senior researchers. Through research, training workshops and mentorship, the program is intended to enhance the analytical skills of future academics and professional leaders in the field of global health measurement and evaluation.

Post-Graduate Fellows will contribute directly to the overall research agenda of IHME and will be involved in all aspects of projects including analyzing and synthesizing existing data, catalyzing new data collection, building statistical models and validating new analytical methods, interpreting of findings, and reporting and disseminating results. Post-Graduate Fellows will be involved in research in one of five key areas of work: health outcomes, health services, resource inputs, evaluations and decision analytics. Examples of ongoing research projects in these areas are listed below.

Health outcomes:

Estimation of child mortality levels for each country since 1970, forecasted 10 years into the future and updated every six months.

Development and testing of new methods for estimating adult mortality and estimation of levels for each country.

Assessment of major causes of death for each country every three years.

Development of cross-country comparable methods for the estimation of healthy life expectancy, including methods to arrive at valuations of health states.

Estimation of the global burden of disease for 1990 and 2005.

Health services:

Measurement of the effective coverage of the twenty most important health-improving technologies by country every year, with the selection of priority interventions varying by regional epidemiology.

Estimation of the quality of inpatient and outpatient care, including the development and refinement of standardized methods for undertaking risk-adjusted outcomes measurement.

Resource inputs:

Annual assessment from 1990 to 2006 of resource flows for global health, including an estimation of the gap between commitment and disbursement.

Systematic review of the quality of available data on public expenditures on health.

Estimation of household health expenditures and proportion of households that incur catastrophic health payments.

Landscape analysis of sources of data and methods for tracking human resources for health.

Decision Analytics:

Measurement of the costs and benefits of health interventions, service delivery platforms and research and development in order to guide resource allocation decisions.

Development of statistical models for missing data, internally consistent epidemiological parameter estimation and forecasting.

Measurement of within- and across-country inequalities in coverage, health outcomes and health expenditures.

Development of methods for local area estimation of health outcomes and coverage.

Assessment of statistical methods for analyzing program effectiveness in non-randomized settings.

Evaluations:

Development of guidelines for prospective impact evaluation.

Impact evaluation of global health initiatives and strategies.

Assessment of the performance of national health systems for countries with sufficient data.

Evaluations of selected national health system reforms.

Post-Graduate Fellowships are appointed at IHME for one year with the possibility of renewal for a second year upon mutual agreement. The salary is $50,000 during the first year and subject to a UW merit driven increase during the second year. As a UW-paid employee you are eligible for an insurance benefits package that includes a choice among several medical and dental insurance plans, life insurance, and long-term disability. Please note that there is no retirement package included with this appointment.

The winter cohort begins on February 1 of each year.

Qualifications:
In order to be considered for a Post-Graduate Fellowship, candidates must have the following:

MD or PhD in the fields of quantitative methodology, statistics, health economics, health policy, demography, epidemiology, biostatistics, health services or other related field. Candidates with an MSc/MPH degree and at least three years of related research experience will also be considered.

Strong quantitative background.

Research experience, especially with data analysis and statistical methods.

Proficiency in the English language.

When and how to apply
Applications must be received by September 1, 2008. Interviews with selected applicants will occur in September. Candidates will be notified in October and will begin the fellowship on February 1, 2009.

All application materials must be received at IHME by the deadlines stated.

Application requirements:

One copy of the following non-returnable materials must be submitted to IHME.

A cover letter. Please ensure that your cover letter includes:

your full contact information (address, phone number and email),

the name, affiliation and full contact information of three references,

which of IHME’s five areas of work you are most interested in,

how you became aware of the program.

Curriculum Vitae or Resume

Personal statement describing your interest in IHME and your professional and academic interests and objectives. Please explain how participation in this program would advance these objectives and contribute to the goal of IHME. Refer to the specific area of work that you are most interested in and discuss how your background qualifies you to contribute to IHME’s research agenda in this area. Please limit this statement to 1000 words.

Three sealed letters of recommendation which address the quality and originality of your work, and your potential for an academic, research or policy career.

Educational transcript from your highest degree attained. If your transcripts are not in English, please also provide a listing of all coursework with grade and credit hour information.

One reprint of your most significant research paper, including a description of your role in the research. If the paper is not in English, please provide an English translation.

Proof of proficiency in English for candidates whose native language is not English. Candidates who have completed a degree wholly in English can provide a copy of their degree as proof of proficiency. All other candidates should send a copy of their scores in an approved English Language Test. Details of the English tests accepted by IHME are as follows: (i) Princeton Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) – for the paper-based test, minimum overall score of at 600 including a minimum score of 5.0 in the test of written English; for the computer-based test, minimum overall score of at least 250 including a minimum score of 5.0 in the test of written English; for the internet-based test, a minimum overall score of at least 100 including a minimum score of 24 in the test of written English. (ii) British Council International English Language Testing System (IELTS) - a minimum score of 7.0 overall, including a minimum score of 7.0 in the written component.

Complete applications should be mailed to:
Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation
Attention: Post-Graduate Fellowship Program
2301 5th Avenue, Suite 600
Seattle, WA 98121
USA

For more information, please contact us by email or visit http://www.healthmetricsandevaluation.org - No phone inquiries please.

Post Doctoral Fellowship -- Tilburg University, Department of Sociology, The Netherlands

Post Doctoral position - fulltime, 3 years (January 2009 - January 2012)

Vacancy number 400.08.22

The post-doc will do research on the project "Evaluation of welfare state performance by the European public"

Job Description
The main task of the candidate is to carry out empirical studies describing and explaining the perceptions that people in European countries have of the performance of the welfare state they live in. Unique features of the project are that welfare state performance evaluations are not yet studied as a dependent variable, and that the project will analyse data from the first EU comparative module on welfare attitudes, which will be part of the 2008 wave of the European Social Survey (ESS). An additional specific feature is that explanatory models will include country level variables (notably welfare relevant socio-economic and socio-cultural indicators, as well as variables of welfare state institutional design), which implies a strong emphasis on the application of techniques for multi-level data-analyses.

The candidate will cooperate with Prof. Wim van Oorschot and Dr. Ruud Luijkx of the Department of Sociology, and will work in an internationally demanding and stimulating environment with partners from 7 EU countries. The study is part of a wider EU project on "Welfare Attitudes in a Changing Europe" which was granted by the European Science Foundation in the framework of its EUROCORES/HUMvib programme (for details on HUMvib see: www.esf.org/activities/eurocores/programmes/humvib.html).

Requirements
We look for a social scientist who:

has successfully completed (or is about to complete) a PhD-thesis of high quality

has substantial (EU) comparative knowledge of welfare state institutions and of social policies

has substantial knowledge of and expertise in the application of techniques for the analysis of large-scale survey data, especially in multi-level analyses

has a track record of very good study results throughout his or her academic career

has articles published (or accepted for publication) in international, refereed journals

Terms of Employment
Tilburg University belongs to the top of the best employers of the Netherlands and is known for her good terms of employment. The post-doctoral researcher’s position offers a three-year full- time contract, commencing preferably January 1, 2009. The salary for a full-time contract ranges between € 2330,- and € 4284,- gross a month (UFO scale researcher 4-3).

Applications and information
Additional information about Tilburg University and the Department of Sociology can be obtained from: www.uvt.nl. Specific information about the vacancy can be obtained from Wim van Oorschot, Professor of Sociology ( w.v.oorschot@uvt.nl, +31 13 466 2794), or Dr Ruud Luijkx, Associate Professor in Sociology ( r.luijkx@uvt.nl, +31 13 466 2738).

A copy of the full project description can be obtained from the secretary of the Department of Sociology, Ms Els Kusters (els.kusters@uvt.nl).

Application letters, including a curriculum vitae, a letter of motivation, the abstract of the phd- thesis, and if available a copy of max. two publications should be send, before August 1, 2008 to M. van Ieperen, Managing Director, Faculty of Social Sciences, Room P 2.127, P.O. Box 90153, 5000 LE Tilburg, The Netherlands or by email: pz-fsw@uvt.nl. Please refer to vacancy number 400.08.22.

Interviews with selected candidates will take place in September, at Tilburg University.

Post Doctoral Fellowship -- Tohoku University, The Center for the Study of Social Stratification and Inequality, Sendai, Japan

The Center for the Study of Social Stratification and Inequality
Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan

http://www.sal.tohoku.ac.jp/coe/index-en.html

The Center for the Study of Social Stratification and Inequality (CSSI) invites applications from excellent scholars for five postdoctoral positions. The center pursues development of new theories and methodologies on social stratification and inequality with emphasis on studies of rational choice theory, minorities (including gender stratification and inequality), East Asia, transnational migration (especially focusing on “newcomers” in Japan), and fairness. Faculty members of the center are sociologists, social psychologists, cultural anthropologists, religious anthropologists, a historian, and economists, and they study social stratification and inequality from various viewpoints. In addition, the CSSI conducts comparative studies of absolute poverty with the Stanford Center for the Study of Poverty and Inequality.

Applicants should hold doctoral degrees or show academic performance equivalent to holders of doctoral degrees. They should have a good command of English. Postdoctoral fellows of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science are not eligible for this application.

The successful candidates will be expected to work under the supervision of the faculty members of the center for a 6-month period from October 1, 2008. (The date is negotiable.) Though the initial contract is 6 months period, the contract will be extended for one more year. The salary of a successful candidate will be 270,000 – 350,000 yen per month depending on his/her academic career. Travel and housing allowances will be paid to those who are eligible for them. Grants for excellent research projects proposed by the successful candidates will be provided. The center also academically and financially supports their presentations at international conferences.

Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, a list of their presentations and publications, a research plan at the CSSI (less than 1,500 words), each copy of three major publications at most, and a letter of reference to:

Dr. Yoshimichi Sato, Director
Center for the Study of Social Stratification and Inequality
Graduate School of Arts and Letters, Tohoku University
27-1, Kawauchi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8576 JAPAN
Phone: +81-22-795-6036 Fax: +81-22-795-5972

The deadline for completed applications is August 15, 2008.

All inquiries concerning the application should be addressed to Yoshimichi Sato at ysato@sal.tohoku.ac.jp.

OTHER NEWS OF INTEREST

Washington Post Article on the 2010 Census

The Washington Post recently published an informative and very disturbing article on the status of planning for the 2010 Census, noting that independent experts are especially worried that the nation's racial and ethnic minorities, immigrants, and the poor are likely to be undercounted. A PDF of the article is here.

More Kudos for Jeff Eaton

Jeff Eaton, who studied and worked with CSDE Affiliate Sam Clark on the affect of male circumcision on HIV infection rates in South Africa, has received another well-deserved academic honor, a College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Medal. Jeff, who graduated in June, earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and sociology and a master’s degree in statistics, with a minor in music. He will be attending the Imperial College in London next year with the goal of earning a doctorate in infectious disease epidemiology from the department of mathematical epidemiology. His graduate studies will be supported by a prestigious Marshall Scholarship.

Read the current A&S Perspectives article on this year’s Dean’s Medal recipients here, and a prior article on Jeff’s Marshall Scholarship here.

Department of Global Health -- King Holmes, Chris Elias, Ken Stuart, Penny LeGate

King Holmes, Chair, University of Washington Department of Global Health
Chris Elias, President, PATH
Ken Stuart, Director and President, Seattle Biomedical Research Institute
Penny LeGate, Journalist, KIRO 7 News

"Seattle as a Center for Global Health: Why Here and Why Now?"

Thursday, July 24
11:30 AM - 1:30 PM
Town Hall, Eighth and Seneca, Seattle OFF CAMPUS

Register at http://www.seattlecityclub.org/events.php#global
$35/CityClub members, $40 guests and members of co-presenting organizations $45/general public/$8 coffee only (limited seats)

Mention the Department of Global Health, a co-presenting organization, for the $40 price.