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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

*New* Center for Disaster Resilient Communities Event on Effective Collaboration (3/12/25)

On Wednesday, March 12th, the UW Center for Disaster Resilient Communities (CDRC) is hosting a Lunch-and-Learn to hear from Dr. Jen Davison and CSDE Affiliate Dr. Rachel Berney as they share their Insights for Building Effective Collaborations. This event will take place in-person at the UW’s Hans Rosling Center for Population Health, Room 101 from 12 – 1 p.m. Pacific.
Dr. Berney is a CSDE Affiliate and an Associate Professor in the Department of Urban Design and Planning, Director of Urban@UW. Dr. Davison is the Program Director of Community Engagement at the Strategic Initiatives Office. Both Dr. Berney and Davison are Co-Directors of the Urban@UW Research to Action Collaboratory.
Lunch will be provided. Come join us and help us count you in by submitting your RSVP. Faculty, staff and students are welcome!

American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Leading Edge Fellowship (3/12/25)

The American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) announced the seventh competition of the Leading Edge Fellowship program, which demonstrates the potential of humanistic knowledge and methods to solve problems, build organizational capacity, and advance justice and equity in society. Leading Edge Fellowships place recent humanities PhDs with nonprofit organizations promoting social justice in their communities. Fellows take on substantive roles that draw on the skills and capacities honed in the course of earning the humanities PhD, including advanced communication, research, project management, and creative problem solving.

For the purpose of the spring 2025 competition of the Leading Edge Fellowship competition, PhDs in any eligible field in the humanities or interpretive social sciences may apply. The humanities and related social sciences include but are not limited to American studies; anthropology; archaeology; art and architectural history; classics; economics; ethnic studies; film; gender studies; geography; history; languages and literatures; legal studies; linguistics; musicology; philosophy; political science; religious studies; rhetoric, communication, and media studies; sociology; and theater, dance, and performance studies. PhDs in interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary humanistic studies are welcome. This program does not accept applications from students receiving a PhD in any field of pre-professional or applied study, including in the fields of business, public policy or public administration, arts or arts education, creative writing, journalism, library sciences, law, social work, social welfare, urban planning, public health, filmmaking, and performing arts. Learn more here.

*New* ASA Law and Justice Committee Webinar on Criminal Justice Data (3/13/25)

The American Statistical Association’s Law & Justice Committee will host a webinar this Thursday March 13th at 10am PST featuring Greg Ridgeway, the Rebecca W. Bushnell Professor of Criminology, Department Chair of Criminology, and Professor of Statistics and Data Science.

Criminal justice research relies on a range of data sources, each offering insight into crime, victimization, law enforcement, and the courts. This talk, hosted by the American Statistical Association (ASA) provides an overview of datasets used in the field, spanning national, state, and local levels. Dr. Ridgeway will discuss major federal sources, including the FBI’s Summary Reporting System (SRS), National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) as well as the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS). In addition, Dr. Ridgeway will highlight city-level open data portals, which provide granular insights into local criminal justice patterns. Finally, the talk will present a few “specialty” datasets that capture critical aspects of the system, such as North Carolina’s adult conviction records, Florida court data, Pennsylvania Sentencing Commission data, and New Jersey’s use-of-force reporting. By exploring these resources, attendees will gain a deeper understanding of the strengths, limitations, and opportunities presented by modern criminal justice data.

*New* Applications Accepted for IIASA Summer School for Systems Modeling (3/13/25)

The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) invites applications for the Summer School for Systems Modeling will take place from 7-18 July 2025 in Laxenburg, Austria.

In this summer school, IIASA provides systematic guidance on the development and use of mathematical and computer models, addressing uncertainties in data and processes, exploring solution spaces, and distilling viable options for taking policy action. Our goal is to equip you with a solid understanding of modeling practices and limitations of models.

The two-week course is designed for Master’s and PhD students, as well as post-doctoral researchers who wish to use or develop models broadly related to the sustainability agenda. It is open to newcomers but also to those who have already been exposed to modeling and would like to add depth to their experience. It is also open to systems researchers who would like to gain a better understanding of the available tools. Many examples we will discuss are taken from IIASA’s portfolio of tools and methods, ranging from ecological models, socioeconomic systems, to integrated assessment tools of energy, air, water, biodiversity, and food. Learn more here.

Public Lecture: The Long Road to Equity in Research (3/17/25)

The Office of Research will welcome Dr. Evelynn Hammonds for “The Long Road to Equity in Research.” The lecture will take place on Monday, March 17th  at 9:30am in the Walker-Ames Room of Kane Hall. Dr. Hammonds is Harvard University’s Barbara Gutmann Rosenkrantz Professor of History of Science, Professor of African and African American Studies & Professor of Social and Behavioral Sciences in the T. Chan School of Public Health. In her lecture, Dr. Hammonds will explain how achieving equity in the scientific, technical and academic enterprises in the United States has been a long struggle. Learn more and register here.

Registration Open: 2025 Courses of the Barcelona Four Seasons School of Demography

The Barcelona Four Seasons School of Demography (Bcn4Seasons School) programme consists of short courses offering the opportunity to acquire essential knowledge of sociodemographic topics and associated techniques that are applicable to social sciences in general. This innovative educational programme is led by the Centre d’Estudis Demogràfics (CED – Centre for Demographic Studies), an internationally renowned sociodemographic research centre addressing population-related issues and affiliated with leading international networks and associations. The outstanding quality of its research work has been acknowledged both nationally and internationally. The CED brings together a research team that is well known for its contributions to the advancement of social sciences through highly relevant publications and projects funded by competitive calls at the European and national levels. Students will receive up-to-date, relevant training that will enhance their professional development under the guidance of lecturers who, through their research, significantly contribute to their field of study. The Bcn4Seasons School  also benefits from 40 years of experience of the CED in managing excellent postgraduate programmes. Additionally, the Bcn4Seasons School format is inspired by, and replicates the successful experience of the BaRcelona Summer School of Demography which teaches demographic techniques using the statistical package R.

Updating the Definition of Sexual and Gender Minority Populations in NIH-Supported Research

Purpose

This notice announces a revision to the definition of sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations for NIH-supported research.

Implementation Timeline

This Notice is effective upon its release date.

Background

SGM-Specific Health Disparities and Structural Barriers

Statistics indicate that as of 2024, nearly eight percent of the U.S. population identifies as LGBT, with much of this growth attributed to increases in LGBT identification among younger generations. In recent years, policies and laws have been enacted in support of LGBTQI+ communities and their well-being. For example, the 21st Century Cures Act included provisions for the NIH Director to encourage efforts to improve research related to the health of sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations, including to increase participation of SGM populations in NIH-supported clinical research and to facilitate the development of methods for conducting SGM research. SGM people were designated as a population with health disparities for NIH research in 2016 by the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities in consultation with the Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The NIH SGM health research portfolio has steadily grown and diversified since 2015.

However, members of SGM communities still face unique and significant disparities and barriers across domains such as physical, mental, and behavioral health; social and structural determinants of health; and healthcare access and quality. This includes higher SGM group-specific rates of and risks for some chronic health conditions (e.g., arthritis, asthma, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, certain forms of cancer, and HIV/AIDS), depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use, smoking, stigma, discrimination, bullying, using preventive health services less frequently, and negative experiences in healthcare settings.

Health disparities and structural barriers may be uniquely magnified for SGM individuals who are also in other marginalized social categories, such as racial and/or ethnic minoritized populations, people who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, people with disabilities (e.g., physical, hearing, and intellectual), older adults, people experiencing or who have experienced incarceration, veterans, people experiencing houselessness or housing instability, people with limited English language proficiency, people living in underserved geographical areas, and people living with HIV. SGM people may experience SGM-specific disparities and structural barriers in addition to those stemming from other facets of their identity and related systems of oppression. Intersectional factors can have complex synergistic effects on health and are important to consider for more holistically understanding and addressing SGM health and well-being.

The Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office and the NIH SGM Research Strategic Plan

The Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO) was founded in 2015 within the NIH Office of the Director’s Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. The office advances SGM health research by developing and coordinating health- and research-related activities at the NIH in collaboration with the agency’s institutes, centers, and offices. One of the office’s primary charges is to lead the implementation of the NIH-wide SGM Research Strategic Plan, the most recent of which is the NIH Strategic Plan to Advance Research on the Health and Well-being of Sexual and Gender Minorities FYs 2021-2025. This plan outlines key overarching considerations, scientific themes, and research opportunities. It also defines operational goals in the field for the entire agency across four areas:

  • Goal 1: Advance rigorous research on the health of SGM populations in both the extramural and intramural research communities
  • Goal 2: Expand SGM health research by fostering partnerships and collaborations with a strategic array of internal and external stakeholders
  • Goal 3: Foster a highly skilled and diverse workforce in SGM health research
  • Goal 4: Encourage data collection related to SGM populations in research and the health research workforce

Revised Definition

“Variations in sex characteristics” (VSC) is a term more commonly used by people with intersex traits and/or who identify as intersex. This has supplanted the term “differences of sex development” (DSD) which is a term coined by and primarily used by health professionals in a medical context. Health researchers and community advocates support the use of VSC instead of DSD. Thus, to better reflect current lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, and other SGM (LGBTQI+)-related terminology, the NIH definition of SGM populations for research is revised with this notice to read as follows:

Sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations include, but are not limited to, individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, asexual, transgender, non-binary, Two-Spirit, queer, and/or intersex. Individuals with same-sex or same-gender attractions or behaviors and those with a variation in sex characteristics are also included. These populations may also encompass those who do not self-identify with one of these terms but whose sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or biological traits are characterized by non-binary constructs of sexual orientation, gender, and/or sex.

NIH wants to make clear that this change in definition is intended to enhance inclusivity and does not exclude any person or population included under previous definitions of SGM populations for NIH.

Inquiries

Please direct all inquiries to:

Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office (SGMRO)
Email: SGMRO@nih.gov 

NSF: Proposals Impacting Tribal Nation Resources & Interests

As of 5/20/2024, NSF proposals that may impact the resources or interests of a federally recognized Tribal Nation will not be awarded by NSF without prior written approval from the official(s) designated by the relevant Tribal Nation(s).

Proposers must:

  • Seek guidance from the potentially impacted Tribal Nation on activities that require review and prior approval from that Tribal Nation’s authorized designee.
  • Submit a written request to the relevant Tribal Nation (based on their guidance), for approval to carry out the proposed activity that requires their review and approval.
  • Complete the checkbox for “Potential Impacts on Tribal Nations” on the Cover Sheet. Note, lead organizations are responsible for this on collaborative proposals & proposals with subawards considered a single unified project.
  • Upload one of the following into “Other supplementary documents” of Research.gov:
    • a copy of the written request to the relevant Tribal Nation to carry out any proposed activity/activities that may require prior approval from them
    • written confirmation from the Tribal Nation(s) that review and approval is not required
    • a copy of relevant Tribal Nation approval

Review NSF’s  Proposal & Award Policies & Procedures Guide (PAPPG) (NSF 24-1), CH2 E10, Seeking and Obtaining Tribal Nation Approval for Proposals that May Impact Tribal Resources or Interests.

Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025

This notice provides the research and research training community an overview of application and peer review changes impacting grant applications submitted for due dates on or after January 25, 2025, including:

  • Simplified Review Framework for Most Research Project Grant Applications
  • Revisions to the NIH Fellowship Application and Review Process
  • Updates to Reference Letter Guidance
  • Updates to NRSA Training Grant Applications
  • Updated Application Forms (FORMS-I)
  • Common Forms for Biographical Sketch and Current and Pending (Other) Support

Although each of these initiatives has specific goals, they are all meant to simplify, clarify, and/or promote greater fairness towards a level playing field for applicants throughout the application and review processes.

NIH will release additional details and guidance on these initiatives throughout 2024 which will be cross-referenced in this notice as well. For further information, visit this link: NOT-OD-24-084: Overview of Grant Application and Review Changes for Due Dates on or after January 25, 2025 (nih.gov)

Sykes Lead Authors Study of Shifting Mortality Trends in U.S. Prisons

Research about mortality rates in jails and prisons remains limited despite significant advancements in the availability of criminal legal system data in recent years. A recent study from CSDE External Affiliate Bryan Sykes (Cornell University) and co-authors attempts to fill this gap with analysis of prisoner mortality across 44 states from 2000 to 2014. Findings demonstrate a sharp decline in prisoner mortality, particularly among older men, with the most significant life-expectancy gains seen in Non-Hispanic Black men. However, the study also raises concerns about discrepancies in reported death data, suggesting that underreporting may obscure the true scope of racial disparities in prison mortality. Read the full study here.