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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Leverso and Hess Author Analysis of Street Gang Content, Culture, and Roleplay on TikTok

CSDE External Affiliates John Leverso (University of Cincinnati) and Chris Hess (Kennesaw State University) published a mixed-methods analysis of 397 publicly available TikTok videos associated with Latino gangs in Chicago. Leverso, Hess, and co-authors identify three genres of content: (1) place-based memorials that document gang geography; (2) traditional gangbanging performances that assert identity and provoke rivals; and (3) role-playing simulations of gang life in Grand Theft Auto V. These genres circulate unevenly: users tend to post within a single niche, and place-based and traditional gangbanging content receive disproportionately higher engagement than role-playing videos. Across genres, credibility is both central and contested, as symbolic fluency can substitute for verifiable street ties. Findings reveal how TikTok amplifies familiar gang repertoires while blurring insider–outsider boundaries, underscoring the limitations of content-level inference in algorithmically mediated publics.

UW Center for Human Rights Student Research Funds (03/19/26)

Doing human rights research or projects? We have funding for you! Every year the UW Center for Human Rights funds students doing human rights research and projects, promoting research in service of real-world social change. Our funds are open to students from all three UW campuses, regardless of U.S. residency status. The application cycle is open February 9 – March 19, 2026.

Abe Osheroff & Gunnel Clark Endowed Fund

  • Undergraduate & graduate students, up to $5,000 available
  • Supports projects that promote social change through direct action

Dr. Lisa Sable Brown Endowed Fund

  • Graduate students, up to $2,100 available
  • Supports research on abolition of modern day slavery in its many forms

Peter Mack & Jamie Mayerfeld Endowed Fund

  • Graduate students, up to $4,300 available
  • Supports studies & research about human rights

Join us for an upcoming info session:

  • Wed, Feb 11, 3-4 p.m., VIRTUAL
  • Thurs, Feb 26, 3-4 p.m., VIRTUAL
  • Mon, Mar 9, 10-11 a.m., VIRTUAL

Postdoctoral Researcher, Department of Demography – University of Vienna (03/22/26)

The Department of Demography (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Vienna) is seeking a Postdoctoral Researcher to replace an employee on leave. The contract duration is initially set to 5 May to 25 August 2026, but has a high likelihood of being extended until 30 June 2027 (depending on the incumbent employee’s absence). The successful candidate should have an excellent command of demography and its methods, and is expected to participate in the Department’s research and teaching activities.

William T. Grant Scholars Program 2026 (03/18/26)

Organization: William T. Grant Scholars Program 2026 (Limited Submission Opportunity)
Award amount:  Each Scholar receives exactly $425,000 over five years, including up to 7.5% indirect costs. Awards begin July 1 of the award year and are made to the applicant’s institution.
UW internal deadline:03/18/2026
Description: The William T. Grant Scholars Program supports career development for promising early-career researchers. The program funds five-year research and mentoring plans that significantly expand researchers’ expertise in new disciplines, methods, and content areas.
Application Instructions: Please submit as one combined pdf labeled with PI’s Lastname, Firstname to limitedsubs@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Wednesday, March 18, 2026, including:
  • A one‐page letter of intent with a description of proposed aims and approach.
  • If the final application requires a statement of broader impacts, please summarize your plans to address the specific requirements on an additional page.
  • CV (not biosketch) of the PI.
More Information: 
Applicants should have a track record of conducting high-quality research and an interest in pursuing a significant shift in their trajectories as researchers. We recognize that early-career researchers are rarely given incentives or support to take measured risks in their work, so this award includes a mentoring component, as well as a supportive academic community.
Proposed research plans must address questions that are relevant to policy and practice in the Foundation’s focus areas:
  • Reducing inequality in the academic, social, behavioral, or economic outcomes of young people ages 5–25 in the United States, along dimensions of race, ethnicity, economic standing, sexual or gender minority status, language minority status, or immigrant origins, and
  • Improving the use of research evidence in ways that benefit young people ages 5-25 in the United States.
In 2026, the funder will prioritize funding applications that:
  • Investigate and test strategies to improve the use of research evidence to benefit young people concerning politically charged and contested issues, particularly in highly polarized contexts. Prior studies of decision-makers’ use of research evidence during school board deliberations (Asen & Gurke, 2014), in legislative sessions (Bogenschneider, Day, & Parrott, 2019; Yanovitzky & Weber, 2020), and by advocacy coalitions (Scott et al., 2017) provide a strong evidence base for designing and studying strategies.
  • Propose experimental tests of strategies to improve research use in policy and practice to improve youth outcomes.
Pre-Proposal Instructions:
Please submit as one combined pdf labeled with PI’s Lastname, Firstname to limitedsubs@uw.edu by 5:00 PM Wednesday, March 18, 2026, including:
  • A one‐page letter of intent with a description of proposed aims and approach.
  • If the final application requires a statement of broader impacts, please summarize your plans to address the specific requirements on an additional page.
  • CV (not biosketch) of the PI.
Eligibility:
Faculty & PIs, Early-Career
  • Applicants must have received their doctorate within seven years of submitting their application, calculated by adding seven to the year the doctorate was conferred. In medicine, the seven-year maximum is dated from the completion of the first residency.
  • Applicants must be employed in career-ladder positions. For many applicants, this means holding a tenure-track position in a university.

*New* IAPHS Annual Meeting: Call for Abstract Reviewers (03/20/26)

IAPHS is currently in need of additional abstract reviewers for the IAPHS Annual Meeting Program. The review period will run from March 20 through April 6, 2026. IAPHS membership is required to participate. Sign up to review abstracts here. Why Volunteer as an Abstract Reviewer? You will shape the annual meeting program, advance your professional profile, support equity and inclusion, access cutting-edge research–all in the context of a flexible, time-bounded commitment.

Why Volunteer as an Abstract Reviewer?

  • Shape the Annual Meeting Program
    • Your evaluations directly influence which research is showcased at the conference. By reviewing abstracts, you help ensure sessions reflect the most innovative and impactful work in population health science.
  • Advance Your Professional Profile
    • Serving as a reviewer is recognized scholarly service. It strengthens your CV, demonstrates engagement with interdisciplinary science, and signals leadership in the field.
  • Get Early Access to Cutting-Edge Research
    • Reviewers see emerging ideas before they are presented—an excellent way to stay ahead of trends, identify collaborators, and spark new research directions.
  • Support Equity and Inclusion
    • Your thoughtful scoring helps IAPHS maintain a diverse and balanced program that represents multiple disciplines, perspectives, and career stages.
  • Develop Transferable Skills
    • Applying structured criteria sharpens your ability to assess clarity, rigor, and relevance—skills that translate to manuscript reviewing, grant panels, and mentoring.
  • Flexible, Time-Bounded Commitment
    • Reviews are completed online during a defined window (e.g., past cycles targeted late March to early April). You can plan around your schedule and workload.

What Reviewers Do

  • Log in to the IAPHS website and access assigned abstracts via the review dashboard
  • Score submissions using clear criteria (1 = most favorable, 10 = least favorable)
  • Flag conflicts of interest and opt out if necessary
  • Complete reviews by the published deadline (typically 2–3 weeks)