*New* Spring Quarter Call for CSDE Seed Grants (due 04/15/2021)
CSDE affiliates are invited to apply for seed funding for grant application support. This call invites affiliates to put forward applications that are meant to lay the groundwork for subsequent extramural grants and research products – such as papers, conferences, book manuscripts, or other scientific outputs. CSDE is especially interested in applications that fit into any of the many research programs of NIH’s Population Dynamics Bureau (PDB). These cover a wide range of areas of population science topics, including any of the following: 1) the role and function of adoption and kinship, 2) bio-psychosocial mechanisms, 3) data sharing, 4) demography of health, 5) family and intergenerational relations, 6) fertility and infertility, 7) life course health, 8) population composition, 9) population economics, 10) population mobility and spatial demography, 11) social and behavioral research on reproductive health. For more information, visit CSDE’s seed grants page or contact Steven Goodreau CSDE Development Core Director. The application deadline for Tier 2 and 3 is April 15, 2021. Tier 1 applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
CSDE is announcing another round of our seed grant support for our affiliates. More information and a link to the submission page can be found at: https://csde.washington.edu/research/csde-seed-grants/.
Please note: Seed grant applications must lay the groundwork for subsequent extramural grant applications, and the application must provide a clear explanation of how this is the case. They will ideally also contribute towards research products such as articles, conference papers, conferences, book manuscripts, or other scientific products. As usual, applications are divided into three tiers:
Tier 1: requests for only in-kind research services (above the standard level of a total of 40 hours provided to all affiliates). There are *many* examples of activities that can be included in a Tier 1 application – we include a rich (but not exhaustive list) at the end of this email.
Tier 2: requests for funds up to $10k (with or without in-kind research services), aimed at many different types of activities. There are many examples for which funds can be requested, e.g. support for an RA, course release time, conference fees, honoraria for an expert consultant to help with a grant submission, funding for a pilot project, etc. Requests for funding that are matched with other unit support or funds are competitive (please provide an indication of that support), but matching funds are not required.
Tier 3: up to $25k (with or without in-kind services): research support tied closely to an upcoming extramural grant submission. We request that those considering a Tier 3 application contact Steve Goodreau (goodreau@uw.edu) first to discuss appropriateness and feasibility. Again, funds cam be requested for many different kinds of activities (e.g. funding for a pilot project, including support for an RA, course release time, etc). Requests for funding that are matched with other unit support or funds are competitive (please provide an indication of that support), but matching funds are not required.
We are especially eager for applications that might lead to ongoing collaboration between affiliates and CSDE staff, and that bring staff members into grant applications to provide needed expertise that rounds out the research team. We also are eager for applications that include collaborations with CSDE graduate student trainees, proposing to support their trainee experience through RA opportunities or postdoctoral funding. And we are especially interested in applications that fit into any of the many research programs of NIH’s Population Dynamics Bureau (PDB). These cover a wide range of areas of population science topics, including any of the following: 1) the role and function of adoption and kinship, 2) bio-psychosocial mechanisms, 3) data sharing, 4) demography of health, 5) family and intergenerational relations, 6) fertility and infertility, 7) life course health, 8) population composition, 9) population economics, 10) population mobility and spatial demography, 11) social and behavioral research on reproductive health.
Review is competitive and awards that entail staff collaboration can be dependent on staff availability. If you have an idea and aren’t sure whether it’s something we can support — or you don’t know how to get started — please contact Steve Goodreau (goodreau@uw.edu), who is always happy to brainstorm about what may be possible. Again, the submission page can be found here.
Computational Demography Working Group: Talk by Matt Rafalow from Google
On April 19 at 3pm, Dr. Matt Rafalow will be speaking about his new book Digital Divisions (University of Chicago Press). Rafalow is a Research Scientist at Google and his book examines digital inequalities in learning and schools. The zoom link for the talk can be found here. More information about the Computational Demography Working Group talks can be found here.
*New* NIH Common Funds RFA to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity (due 05/28/2021)
The NIH has established a new initiative called UNITE to end structural racism and racial inequities throughout the biomedical research enterprise. As part of UNITE, the NIH Common Fund issued two funding opportunities announcements (FOAs) to bolster innovation, solve challenges, and address health disparities and advance health equity:
1) RFA-RM-21-021 Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity (U01 Clinical Trial Allowed)
2) RFA-RM-21-022 Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity at Minority Serving Institutions (U01 Clinical Trial Allowed)
The FOAs will support collaborative investigative teams or individual scientists who propose unusually innovative research projects, which, if successful, would have a major impact in developing, disseminating, or implementing innovative and effective interventions and/or strategies that prevent, reduce, or eliminate health disparities and inequities. Additionally, funding opportunity RFA-RM-21-022 is expected to increase the competitiveness of investigators and expand the research base dedicated to health disparities research at minority serving institutions. Research addressing community-prioritized research questions, cross-cutting issues such as social determinants of health across sectors, multiple levels and systems that contribute to health disparities, and/or priority areas of multiple NIH Institutes and Centers are particularly encouraged.
All applications are due on May 28, 2021 by 5:00 PM local time of applicant organization. If you have questions about the FOAs, please email CFHealthDisparities@nih.gov. NIH staff intend to hold a Pre-Application Webinar for all interested prospective applicants. The webinar date and other details will be posted here. NIH staff will be available to answer questions related to these FOAs. Answers to Frequently Asked Questions are available at this link.
Visit https://commonfund.nih.gov/healthdisparitiestransformation for more information about the Common Fund’s Transformative Research to Address Health Disparities and Advance Health Equity initiative, and please sign up for our listserv:CFHealthDisparitiesResearch-List.
Projects may include a formative observational component; however, each project is required to include an intervention component. To be considered transformative, projects should reflect ideas substantially different from mainstream concepts and have high potential to lead to major improvements in health through the development, implementation, or dissemination of highly innovative interventions to address health disparities and advance health equity.
Looking for Data? NCHS Data Linkage May Be Of Interest
In your population health research agenda, you may be looking for linked data files. The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) links health related data, from multiple sources, so that scientists and policymakers can answer complex health questions relevant to all Americans. For example, NCHS-linked data resources have helped answer key health policy questions including: How effective are federal policies aimed at lowering lead exposure in children living in public housing? Are there adverse health effects associated with the mandatory folic acid fortification policy for grain products? Do persons with disabilities have adequate access to health insurance? To learn more about these data, see here.
CSSCR Workshop: Data Wrangling in R
CSSCR Workshop: Introduction to Using Tableau
CSSCR Workshop: Introduction to R using R Studio
Better Understanding Diet & Cardio-Metabolic Health in American Indians
At the CSDE seminar on April 16th, CSDE Affiliate Dr. Amanda Fretts will present “Better Understanding Diet & Cardio-Metabolic Health in American Indians”. CSDE Affiliate Anjum Hajat will moderate the discussion. Dr. Fretts will discuss major findings from the Strong Heart Study—the largest and longest on-going cohort study of cardiovascular health among American Indians in the United States. She will also describe an on-going clinical trial designed to test the effect of a cooking and nutrition intervention on diet quality and glycemic control in American Indian adults with Type 2 diabetes who reside in a rural reservation community. Dr. Fretts is an Associate Professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of Washington. Her research interests include nutrition, physical activity, fatty acids, diabetes, and American Indian health.
Register for Dr. Fretts’ Zoom seminar here. This quarter, CSDE is recording the seminar series and posting the links on its website. Visit our site here.
*New* Apply for CSDE’s Summer Grant Writing Program! (due 04/30/2021)
CSDE is inviting applications for its 4th annual Summer Grant Writing Program – a chance for you to learn more about NIH grant-writing and to workshop your proposal with other participants and with experienced senior faculty. Writing a grant in isolation can be mystifying—instead, we aim to create a group experience that is still hard work, but which will be supportive, fun, productive, and ultimately rewarding. All CSDE affiliates (local or regional) are eligible to apply. UW post-docs are eligible to apply only if they plan a training grant centered at UW. Applications from collaborative teams, anticipating a multiple PI arrangement, are also encouraged. Applications are due Friday, April 30 at 6 pm PDT. For more information and to apply, visit this link. Please email CSDE Development Core Director Steve Goodreau (goodreau@uw.edu) with any questions!
In brief, participants will develop proposals over the course of the summer, with support and reviews from senior mentors, other participants, and the program coordinator Steve Goodreau. All applicants must include a letter from a relevant unit head (department/school/center/college/etc.) indicating that they support the application, and that the applicant holds a position that makes them eligible to receive external funding. Letters are also encouraged (but not required) to indicate some form of matching support (e.g. some summer salary, research expenses, or RA support, all paid directly from the unit to the participant).