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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

*New* NSF Program Solicitation for Leveraging Deep Learning Expertise

The NSF Directorates MPS, CISE, ENG, and the Social, Behavior, and Economics Division (SBE) will jointly sponsor research collaborations among mathematicians, statisticians, electric engineers, and computer scientists to tackle the most challenging theoretical questions in the general area of the Mathematical and Scientific Foundations of Deep Learning. Deep learning has met with impressive empirical success that has fueled fundamental scientific discoveries and transformed numerous application domains of artificial intelligence. Our incomplete theoretical understanding of the field, however, impedes accessibility to deep learning technology by a wider range of participants. Confronting our incomplete understanding of the mechanisms underlying the success of deep learning should serve to overcome its limitations and expand its applicability. The NSF program solicitation can be found at NSF-21-561. For timely responses to your questions, please direct your email messages to the Program Directors on the MoDL Working Group at modl@nsf.gov
To learn more about it, join a webinar on March 5, 2021, 1-2pm EST. The SCALE MoDL Management Team representing several NSF Divisions, including SBE/SES and SBE/BCS, will host the webinar. Any members of the community who are interested in this funding opportunity are invited to participate in the webinar. The webinar will have an open question and answer period for your questions submitted anonymously through the Zoom webinar Q&A feature. Participants may also submit questions in advance through the registration form or by sending an email to modl@nsf.gov.
Please use this link to register.

Institutional Castling: Military Enlistment and Mass Incarceration in the United States

At the CSDE seminar on March 5th, Dr.Bryan Sykes will present “Institutional Castling: Military Enlistment and Mass Incarceration in the United States”. Dr. Sykes will discuss the concept of ‘institutional castling’ to describe the impact of shifts in military enlistment on incarceration, especially for young Black men. Dr. Sykes is an expert in the field of criminology, demography, social inequality, and population health. He is a Faculty Affiliate in The Center for Demographic and Social Analysis (CDASA) and The Center for Biotechnology and Global Health Policy at the University of California-Irvine; a Research Affiliate in the Center for Demography and Ecology (CDE) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Member of the Scholars Strategy Network (SSN) and the Racial Democracy, Crime and Justice Network (RDCJN) at Rutgers University.

Register for Dr. Sykes’ Zoom seminar here. This quarter, CSDE is recording the seminar series and posting the links on its website. Visit our site here.

After the seminar, UW Sociology PhD student Ian Kennedy will facilitate a graduate student discussion with Dr. Sykes. RSVP by emailing him at ikennedy@uw.edu.

*New* FOA Studying and Addressing the Impact of Structural Racism and Discrimination on Minority Health and Health Disparities

The NIH has just published a new funding opportunity announcement to solicit applications on (1) observational research to understand the role of structural racism and discrimination (SRD) in causing and sustaining health disparities, and (2) intervention research that addresses SRD in order to improve minority health or reduce health disparities. Letters of Intent are due in April and applications will be due in August. CSDE is always happy to help you in the preparation of your applications – whether that is with scientific consultations or pre-award proposal support, which includes budget preparation, all ancillary materials, management of submission, and experienced reviewers for providing feedback on your narrative. Contact Scott Kelly, Sara Curran, Steve Goodreau, or Belinda Sachs with any questions.