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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

NIH Highlighted Topic on Health and Extreme Weather (HEW)

NIH is pleased to announce a Highlighted Topic on Health and Extreme Weather (HEW) effective this month. As you may know, the Highlighted Topics generally do not carry any set aside funding or special considerations for review, but they do express NIH’s interest in a particular scientific field. This Highlighted Topic, while not explicitly carrying funding, is tied to the Health and Extreme Weather initiative funded out of NIEHS.
The work of demographers and population health scientists often fits within the scope of this Topic. Read about the Topic and exploring the initiative’s website to learn more. NICHD has not yet signed onto this Topic, but can fund HEW research that is within the scope of the Institute’s priorities.

State Policy & Politics Database (SPPD) Releases Newly Developed State Policy Index

The newly developed State Policy & Politics Database (SPPD) State Policy Index provides researchers interested in how U.S. state policy contexts predict population health with an index that is longitudinal, interpretable, and valid for population health analyses.
The index is publicly available on ICPSR as part of the State Policy & Politics Database (SPPD) V2. SPPD contains annual data on specific state policies, state policy indices such as the SPPD State Policy Index, and the political ideology of states’ government and residents. The variables are particularly relevant for population health. The SPPD includes several categories of policies, including labor and economic policies (e.g., minimum wage levels, right to work laws), social safety net policies (e.g., earned income tax credits, SNAP), and behavior policies (e.g., tobacco taxes, opioid prescribing). Most measures are available annually from 1980.
A detailed description of the index and the appropriate uses of policy indices is available in Montez, Gutin, and Monnat, “U.S. State Policy Index for Population Heath Analyses” The Milbank Quarterly http://doi.org/10.1111/1468-0009.70085

*New* Call for Proposals: Politics of Race, Immigration, and Ethnicity Consortium (PRIEC) Meeting (05/29/26)

We are pleased to invite presentation proposals for the upcoming Politics of Race, Immigration, and Ethnicity Consortium (PRIEC) meeting to be held at Rice University in Houston, TX. This event will be held from August 14th through 15th, 2026, and it promises to be a dynamic forum for discussing cutting-edge research on the political dimensions of race, immigration, and ethnicity.

Hosted by: Rice University, University of Nottingham, and University of Texas at Arlington

Proposal Guidelines: We welcome proposals that explore a wide range of issues related to the politics of race, immigration, and ethnicity. Proposals may focus on any level of analysis (national, state, local) and any area of the political system (legislative, executive/bureaucratic, judicial). We are especially interested in research that:

  • Features institutions, governance, and public policy.
  • Examines comparative and/or transnational perspectives with a focus on the U.S.
  • Includes interdisciplinary approaches or community-engaged research.

Who Should Submit: We encourage submissions from academic scholars, social scientists (political scientists and sociologists particularly) across various disciplines, and policy practitioners. We particularly welcome contributions from graduate students and early-career researchers. This is an ideal venue for sharing research at any stage of development, whether it is a work-in-progress or a more developed study.

Presentation Format:

  • Duration: 10-12 minutes per presentation.
  • Discussion: Time will be allocated for comments and discussions after each presentation.

Submission Instructions: Please submit your proposal by Friday, May 29th here. Your proposal will include: Name/Affiliation, Title of the Presentation, Abstract (250-300 words).

Deadline: May 29, 2026

For more information, please contact Samantha Chapa at schapa2@nd.edu.

Call for Abstracts: 2026 International Conference on Aging in the Americas (05/31/26)

The Call for Abstracts is now open for the 2026 International Conference on Aging in the Americas (ICAA). The conference will be held on September 24–25, 2026, in Chicago, Illinois, and will center on the theme Aging and Health in the Americas. We invite abstract submissions from emerging and early-career scholars in the social sciences, particularly those whose work focuses on Latino health and aging. Abstracts are due by May 31, 2026. All emerging scholars will also have the opportunity to participate in a mentored publication program. Submit your abstract here: https://forms.gle/oLd2RovyFZkts42G6
Questions: a.reyes@cornell.edu

International Migration Review (IMR) Call for Submissions: Migration in the Classroom: Pedagogical Innovations and Student Engagement (06/01/26)

A key theme emerging from the 2026 Academic Symposium of the Center for Migration Studies was the need to invest intentionally in the next generation of migration scholars. Students at all levels, including graduate, tertiary, secondary, and even primary, should benefit from evidence-based, rights-oriented education on human migration and population movements, as well as on the policies and programs that shape these dynamics.

In response, the International Migration Review (IMR) invites submissions that illustrate creative and innovative approaches to teaching and curriculum development on international migration and mobilities, immigrant experiences, displacement, and forced migration. This call seeks critical essays that examine pedagogy, curriculum design, and student learning, with particular attention to how teaching can advance both knowledge generation and meaningful engagement with migration issues and migrant student communities.

We invite essays of 1500-2500 words, excluding supporting materials, that describe the goals of the course, program, or instructional approach; its implementation and evaluation; and its outcomes for students and, where relevant, communities. Submissions may include descriptions of curricula, classroom practices, experiential or community-engaged learning, or interdisciplinary approaches.

Essays should be submitted by June 1, 2026. Interested contributors are invited to send their essays to Dr. Narayani Sritharan (nsritharan@aiddata.wm.edu) and Professor Ellen Percy Kraly (ekraly@colgate.edu). The guest editors will review submissions and invite selected authors to submit their essays for consideration by IMR.

Essays will be considered for publication by the IMR editorial team, based on the originality of the approach and demonstrated outcomes for student learning and engagement.  We welcome contributions spanning the social sciences, health sciences, arts, and humanities.

Please feel free to contact Professor Ellen Percy Kraly at ekraly@colgate.edu with any ideas or questions.

11th International Conference of the Evolutionary Demography Society (06/16/2026 – 06/18/2026)

The  11th International Conference of the Evolutionary Demography Society will take place at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado, from June 16–18, 2026. The EvoDemoS11 meeting brings together researchers working at the intersection of evolution, demography, ecology, and life-history theory. It provides a space to share new empirical findings, develop and test theoretical ideas, and explore how evolutionary processes shape variation in survival, reproduction, aging, and population dynamics across species, including humans. The conference is designed to foster lively discussion across disciplinary boundaries, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, conceptual synthesis, and methodological innovation.

We look forward to a stimulating program featuring talks, posters, and informal exchanges that highlight both cutting-edge research and emerging directions in the field.

To participate, please complete your registration here:
https://evodemos11.weebly.com/registration.html

The registration process will help the organizing committee assign appropriate presentation formats (e.g., long talk, short talk, or lightning talk with poster) and finalize the scientific program in preparation for the meeting in mid-June.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at EvoDemoS11@gmail.com

We look forward to welcoming you to Fort Collins for what promises to be an engaging and productive meeting.