The Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (MPIDR) is inviting applications from qualified and highly motivated students for a Summer Research Visit. The goal of the Population and Social Data Science Summer Incubator Program is to enable discovery by bringing together data scientists and population scientists to work on focused, intensive and collaborative projects of broad societal relevance. For a period of 3 months (June 3rd – August 23rd, 2024) participating students will work in small teams, with support from experienced mentors, towards a common research goal. For the summer of 2024, the focus of the program will be on three main areas:

• “Climate Change and Population Dynamics” mentored by Matt Hauer (Florida State University), Risto Conte Keivabu and Emilio Zagheni
• “Network and Gender Dynamics on Mobility and Migration” mentored by Aliakbar Akbaritabar, Jisu Kim and Daniela Perrotta
• “Estimation and Forecasting of Health Indicators in Data-scarce Contexts” mentored by Monica Alexander (University of Toronto), Ugofilippo Basellini and Irena Chen
• Participating students will be exposed to best practices across the social sciences and data sciences while contributing to a hands-on project experience that will result in a scientific journal article. All participants will also have access to lectures and will be able to participate in other scientific activities taking place at the MPIDR.Participating students will be exposed to best practices across the social sciences and data sciences while contributing to a hands-on project experience that will result in a scientific journal article. All participants will also have access to lectures and will be able to participate in other scientific activities taking place at the MPIDR.

Participating students will be exposed to best practices across the social sciences and data sciences while contributing to a hands-on project experience that will result in a scientific journal article. All participants will also have access to lectures and will be able to participate in other scientific activities taking place at the MPIDR.

Applicants must be enrolled in a doctoral, master’s or undergraduate university program (at the time they visit the MPIDR). Selected candidates must obtain approval to participate in the program by their supervisor / administrator. The Incubator program values research teams that include early-career scientists from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, with complementary skill sets. Priority will be placed on bringing together a diverse pool of students. The total number of attendees will be defined based on resources and quality of applications. The mentors will provide seed projects and data ideas, with flexibility for students to put forward their own ideas as well.

Successful candidates will have demonstrated ability to work on research projects independently and in interdisciplinary teams, and an interest in research problems related to both data science and the social sciences, broadly defined.  

Applications must be in English and submitted online via this survey and include the following documents in one single PDF:

1. Curriculum Vitae
2. Cover letter (Max 2 pages)
   – Please state why you are interested in spending the summer at the MPIDR, and in which ways you would benefit from participating in the Incubator program.
   -Please articulate your research interests and briefly describe a project you have worked on, the motivation for it and your contribution.
   -Please describe your technical skills, as well as what you would like to learn over the course of the Summer visit.
3. Copies of academic transcripts for undergraduate and, if applicable, graduate education
4. Names and contact information for 2 academic referees (no recommendation letter is required at this step)

CSSS will be hosting a seminar by Michelle O’Brien on Wednesday, Jan 10th at 12:30 PM. The talk will take place in 409 Savery Hall and on Zoom (register here). Dr. O’Brien is Senior Research Scientist in the Institute for Disease Modeling (Gates Foundation).

Title: Agent-based modeling in women’s health: Building Fpsim

Abstract: Modeling epidemiological and social phenomenon in global health can have tremendous impact on policy-makers. Modeling to improve women’s health, especially sexual and reproductive health, have been underrepresented, in part due to data scarcity and complex social constraints. We built an agent-based model to better understand individual heterogeneity, life course dynamics, and women’s empowerment vis-à-vis family planning and reproductive health. This seminar will discuss building FPsim, as well as challenges and opportunities for modeling reproductive health as a critical component of global health.

The William T. Grant Foundation updated 2024 application guidelines are now online and detail what applicants need to know to develop a strong letter of inquiry for the Foundation’s research grants on reducing inequality and improving the use of research evidence. The next deadline to submit a letter of inquiry is January 10, 2024.

On January 10 (5pm, HUB 332), the Simpson Center is hosting Dr. Dorothy Roberts who will be speaking on the “The Urgency of Reproductive Justice after Dobbs.”  To learn more and join, visit the Jan 10th event page here. On January 11 from 3-6pm (HUB Lyceum), Dr. Roberts will also join a panel with moderation by CSDE Affiliate Oliver Rollins and with contributions from CSDE Affiliates LaShawnDa Pittman & LaTonya Trotter, along with Dr. Monica McLemore.  For more information about that event visit the Jan 11th event page (here).

The conference committee is currently accepting abstracts for the 2024 University of Maryland Time Use Conference on June 13-14 in College Park, Maryland. Submissions are due by January 12, 2024, at 11:59 PM ET. For more information, please view the Call for Papers. Time is a critical but under-researched aspect of racial and ethnic disparities in daily life, including social and public interactions, health and well-being. The focus of the 2024 University of Maryland (UMD) Time Use Conference will be using time use and well-being data to investigate temporal dimensions of racial and ethnic inequities and structural racism.

The purpose of this tier of grants is to support faculty and PI-eligible staff to develop preliminary data or proof-of-concept needed to pursue follow-on funding to scale one’s efforts. Awards of up to $50,000 per project – or $65,000 per project for teams proposing meaningful partnerships with community-based organizations – will be available with a project period of up to 12 months. One award during the winter 2024 cycle will be reserved specifically for an internationally-focused project through our partnership with the UW Office of Global Affairs. Applications will be accepted once per year in January in a two-stage process: submission of a brief letter of intent, with the most compelling ideas then invited to submit a full application. Letters of intent are due on January 12, 2024. Learn more here.

Join CSDE for a seminar by Dr. Rick W. A. Smith on Friday, January 5th in PAR 360 and on Zoom (register here). There will be several opportunities to meet with Dr. Smith throughout the day. Interested individuals can sign up for 1-1 meetings here. CSDE Trainee Delaney Glass will also facilitate a graduate student discussion from 1:30-2:30 in Raitt 221. RSVP to Delaney (dglass1@uw.edu) to join the student discussion.

Dr. Smith is a geneticist and critical science scholar. He is an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at George Mason University (GMU). He is also an affiliate of the Women and Gender Studies Program at GMU, The Indigenous Science and Technology Studies Program at The University of Alberta, and SING Canada. Prior to his current appointment as an Assistant Professor, he received his PhD from The University of Texas – Austin and worked as a post-doctoral scholar at the Neukom Institute for Computational Science and the Department of Anthropology at Dartmouth College. His work examines intersections of genomics, feminist, queer and Indigenous science to understand how power becomes molecular. His recent work involves understanding population histories and urban/ruralism, and colonial sex, kinship, and family in the American South.

CSDE will be hosting its regular seminar series on Fridays from 12:30-1:30. Check out our full winter schedule here! 

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