NIH has announced PAR-21-350 an R01 Mechanism to investigate biopsychsocial factors of social connectedness and isolation on health, well-being, illness and recovery. Research areas of interest include understanding differences and similarities between objective social isolation and loneliness, how complex biopsychosocial processes are regulated in the body, what occurs in response to dysregulation, and antecedent processes that influence responses to the trajectories of social relationships. Studies that involve neurobiological approaches—for example, how social or isolated settings influence neurobiological systems, brain function, and/or behavior are welcome. Projects designed to study how changes in the quantity and/or quality of social connections influence health behaviors and outcomes are encouraged. This FOA also encourages projects that incorporate aims to promote methods and measures needed to support a cumulative and integrated approach to the study of social connectedness and isolation. The terms “social connection” and “social connectedness” often are used interchangeably in research. For the purposes of this FOA, “social connectedness” encompasses both perceived and actual connections to others, as well as an individual’s perception of belongingness to a social environment.
Title NIH Announces Call for Research on Biopsychsocial Factors of Social Connectedness and Isolation on Health, Wellbeing, Illness and Recovery (Due 6/21/23, 6/21/24, 6/21/25)
NIH has announced PAR-21-350 an R01 Mechanism to investigate biopsychsocial factors of social connectedness and isolation on health, well-being, illness and recovery. Research areas of interest include understanding differences and similarities between objective social isolation and loneliness, how complex biopsychosocial processes are regulated in the body, what occurs in response to dysregulation, and antecedent processes that influence responses to the trajectories of social relationships. Studies that involve neurobiological approaches—for example, how social or isolated settings influence neurobiological systems, brain function, and/or behavior are welcome. Projects designed to study how changes in the quantity and/or quality of social connections influence health behaviors and outcomes are encouraged. This FOA also encourages projects that incorporate aims to promote methods and measures needed to support a cumulative and integrated approach to the study of social connectedness and isolation. The terms “social connection” and “social connectedness” often are used interchangeably in research. For the purposes of this FOA, “social connectedness” encompasses both perceived and actual connections to others, as well as an individual’s perception of belongingness to a social environment.
Summer Research Assistant
The Center for Education Data & Research (CEDR) is an education policy research center at the UW School of Social Work. They are seeking a Graduate Research Assistant to join our team this summer. More information about CEDR and our work can be found HERE. The position would begin June 16 2023, with opportunities for 20-40 hours per week. Additional quarters of funding are likely available, depending on fit.
The RA will work on a range of projects focused on key education policy issues such as: impact of education programs in correctional facilities, analysis of long- and short-term outcomes of PK-12 students in Washington, labor market outcomes of students in different academic settings (e.g., entry into postsecondary programs, workforce, etc.), and much more.
Under the direction of CEDR’s director, Dr. Dan Goldhaber, the RA will be assisting with the collection and cleaning of administrative longitudinal K12 data. The RA will also perform statistical and econometric analysis of data, as well as assist with dissemination of results (e.g., help prepare figures, tables, and slides). Lastly, the RA will likely have opportunities to contribute to academic journal articles and policy briefs.
They are looking for applicants who have a strong quantitative background with experience in a statistical programming language, preferably Stata, though other programs (e.g., R and SAS) are acceptable.
Please send a cover letter, CV, and contact information for three professional references to cedr@uw.edu.
The work schedule in the CEDR office is flexible, and there will be opportunities for remote work. However, some projects will entail working at our office located in Wallingford but easily accessed from the UW via the Burke Gilman trail or bus route 31 or 32.
Louie and Colleagues Publish Articles in JAMA and Society and Mental Health
CSDE Affiliate Pat Louie (Sociology) has just published research in two high impact journals. With Laura Upenieks and Terrence Hill, Louie examines how the cumulative impact of pandemic stressors affects mental health outcomes, including evaluating the relative importance of psychosocial resources as moderators of those impacts. Published in Society and Mental Health, their research makes a novel contribution in its assessment of multiple and cumulative pandemic stressors. In a second paper, published in JAMA Network, Louie (with Cary Wu, Alex Bierman, and Scott Schieman) assesses how inflation-related stress is distributed across the population, using the Household Pulse Surveys, which were implemented during the pandemic. Congratulations to Pat Louie and her team of colleagues!
CSDE Open House – Successful Despite the Weather!
CSDE hosted its first open house on May 5. CSDE staff enjoyed meeting affiliates and trainees. Everyone enjoyed the refreshments. In preparing for the event, we developed new brochures outlining CSDE services for sharing with visitors. You can download a brochure about the following: All Services Brochure Spring 2023; Biodemography Lab Services Brochure Spring 2023; Development Core Services Spring 2023; Managing and Accessing Secure Data Brochure Spring 2023; and, Training Program and Services Brochure. For a glimpse of a few pictures from the event (and what you missed!)
CSDE Seminar: The Role of Academic Research in the Pursuit of Accountability for Climate Damages
Join CSDE as we host Dr. Sarah E. Myhre for her talk “The Role of Academic Research in the Pursuit of Accountability for Climate Damages” on May 19th! Dr. Sarah E. Myhre is a climate and environmental scientist turned philanthropic professional. Her work sits at the intersection of legal scholarship, scientific advancements, and political power. She is a fifth generation Washingtonian. She received her B.S. from Western Washington University and her Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis. Her talk will speak to the pursuit of compensation for material damages due to climate change is an emergent area of corporate accountability law. More broadly, national and international law is building strength and force to address climate accountably: this legal movement is supported by an evidentiary basis that is built by academic researchers. This talk will examine the role that social and physical scientists can play in supporting the fair and equal application of these laws. We will discuss fraudulent action by oil and gas corporations, the consequences for communities and municipalities, and the potential opportunities for repair and repatriation.
CSDE Seminar: The Role of Academic Research in the Pursuit of Accountability for Climate Damages
Join CSDE as we host Dr. Sarah E. Myhre for her talk “The Role of Academic Research in the Pursuit of Accountability for Climate Damages” on May 19th! Dr. Sarah E. Myhre is a climate and environmental scientist turned philanthropic professional. Her work sits at the intersection of legal scholarship, scientific advancements, and political power. She is a fifth generation Washingtonian. She received her B.S. from Western Washington University and her Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis. Her talk will speak to the pursuit of compensation for material damages due to climate change is an emergent area of corporate accountability law. More broadly, national and international law is building strength and force to address climate accountably: this legal movement is supported by an evidentiary basis that is built by academic researchers. This talk will examine the role that social and physical scientists can play in supporting the fair and equal application of these laws. We will discuss fraudulent action by oil and gas corporations, the consequences for communities and municipalities, and the potential opportunities for repair and repatriation.
Interested in GIS? Read About CUGOS Spring Fling Recap to Learn and Network!
The Cascadia Users of Geospatial Open Source (CUGOS) is a Pacific Northwest group with members who are users and promoters of open source geographic information system (GIS) software and applications. Members come from all walks of life, including a large spectrum of business and academia, and active Open Source Geospatial Foundation (OSGeo) members (board members, charter members, and active project participants). CUGOS meetings take place the third Wednesday of every month at 6:00 PM.
The CUGOS 2023 “Spring Fling”, a conference showcasing recent research and applications using open source GIS technology, took place on April 21 (main conference) and 22 (OpenStreetMap Hackathon-OpenSidewalks Project) at the UW Bill & Melinda Gates Center for Computer Science and Engineering. The keynote speaker was Paul Ramsey, one of the original and lead developers of the PostGIS spatial data storage and analysis extension for the free and open source SQL database application, PostgreSQL.
CSDE research scientist Phil Hurvitz presented a talk, “Using R Markdown to create self-documenting research reports, including geospatial analysis and tabular, graphical, and map outputs” that included an overview of using R and PostGIS analytic approaches with code and results contained within HTML documents generated with R Markdown. Presentation materials are available at http://gis.washington.edu/phurvitz/presentations/2023/cugos_2023/, with slides and results of a simple demonstrative analysis of race and poverty combining US Census and City of Seattle GIS data. The web site includes downloadable code including R Markdown for generating slides and web pages and parallel analytic code using R’s sf package and spatial SQL with PostGIS.
CSSS Seminar: Isaiah Andrews, Professor of Economics at Harvard University (5/17/23)
Please join the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences for their next speaker in the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences Seminar Series. On Wednesday, May 17 at 12:30 pm, Isaiah Andrews, Professor of Economics at Harvard University, will give a seminar titled, “Inference on Winners.”
This seminar will be offered as a hybrid session. Below please find the abstract and information about joining in-person or on Zoom.
Abstract:
Many empirical questions concern target parameters selected through optimization. For example, researchers may be interested in the effectiveness of the best policy found in a randomized trial, or the best-performing investment strategy based on historical data. Such settings give rise to a winner’s curse, where conventional estimates are biased and conventional confidence intervals are unreliable. This paper develops optimal confidence intervals and median-unbiased estimators that are valid conditional on the target selected and so overcome this winner’s curse. If one requires validity only on average over targets that might have been selected, we develop hybrid procedures that combine conditional and projection confidence intervals to offer further performance gains relative to existing alternatives.
This seminar will be located at 409 Savery Hall
To join by Zoom, please use the information below.
CSSS Seminar: Isaiah Andrews, Professor of Economics at Harvard University (5/17/23)
Please join the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences for their next speaker in the Center for Statistics and the Social Sciences Seminar Series. On Wednesday, May 17 at 12:30 pm, Isaiah Andrews, Professor of Economics at Harvard University, will give a seminar titled, “Inference on Winners.”
This seminar will be offered as a hybrid session. Below please find the abstract and information about joining in-person or on Zoom.
Abstract:
Many empirical questions concern target parameters selected through optimization. For example, researchers may be interested in the effectiveness of the best policy found in a randomized trial, or the best-performing investment strategy based on historical data. Such settings give rise to a winner’s curse, where conventional estimates are biased and conventional confidence intervals are unreliable. This paper develops optimal confidence intervals and median-unbiased estimators that are valid conditional on the target selected and so overcome this winner’s curse. If one requires validity only on average over targets that might have been selected, we develop hybrid procedures that combine conditional and projection confidence intervals to offer further performance gains relative to existing alternatives.
This seminar will be located at 409 Savery Hall
To join by Zoom, please use the information below.