National Analysis of Rental Markets Using Scraped Online Data
We are seeking two summer graduate research student assistants (GRSAs) for the 2020 Summer Quarter. The GRSAs will assist with research on an emergent effort to collect data by scraping rental listings from online platforms in order to analyze rental markets. This is part of a broader research agenda with possible extension through the next two academic years if funding is available.
Duration: June 16, 2020 through September 15, 2020
Hours: Flexible
Supervision: Rebecca Walter and Arthur Acolin, College of Built Environments
C40 and the Mayors’ Migration Council are looking to build a training model to help cities a) internalize the connection between their inclusive climate action work and building a welcoming city for migrants and refugees, and b) begin to talk about these issues as part of the same objective to create policies that promote resilience and inclusion. To that end, they are hiring a consultant. Proposals are due on June 5th.
The first wave – likely not the unique – of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is ravaging the planet from a few months only and yet, in order to describe its dramatic demographic and socio-economic impact, the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and the Great 1929 recession have been already evoked. Although the ultimate outcomes of the Covid-19 pandemic depend still on a wide number of unknowns, yet it is becoming clear that its consequences were largely modulated by a number of existing inequality gradients. And in turn, these gradients might dramatically worsen for long time in the future as a consequence of the pandemic. Assessments of these phenomena and the underlying causes, as well as the direct and indirect implications of current and future control measures, is critical for driving the world population out of the crisis.
This Genus Thematic Series aims to offer an updated examination of the key population dynamics and demographic and socio-economic implications of the Covid-19 pandemic – and of policies to face it – at a range of geographic, socio-economic, socio-demographic, and temporal scales.
CSDE Affiliate Ruanne Barnabas is leading a study on hydroxychloroquine and whether the drug can protect people from COVID-19 infection—this study is funded by the The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the British government, and other donors to accelerate development of COVID-19 treatments. With the recent publicity on hydroxychloroquine, multiple news sources are featuring Barnabas’ expertise on the drug’s effectiveness and the status of clinical trial enrollment for the study. In a Seattle Times article, Barnabas explains how volunteers for clinical trial enrollment has fallen in recent weeks, yet researchers still “need an adequate number of people to enroll to know what [hydroxychloroquine’s] effectiveness is with confidence.”
Barnabas was featured in NPR, KOMO News, The Daily of UW, and another Seattle Times article.
If you a graduate student who has completed all of the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in Demographic Methods, it is not too late to submit your documentation to receive your certificate.
- Please follow the instructions on the CSDE webpage for requesting the certificate.
- Upload your documentation to this link
You may receive the certificate even if you have not yet applied to the Graduate Certificate Program. You can be admitted into the program and awarded the certificate at the same time! Please submit your documentation asap but no later than May 29 by noon.
You will need to work with the Graduate Program Advisor (GPA) of your graduate program so fill out the form as soon as you can. Your unit’s GPA will need time to do a credit audit to confirm that the overlap of credits between the Certificate Program and your graduate program, or degree track or specialization, does not exceed 6 credits and is limited to electives. If your GPA needs more time to audit your credits please contact Aimée Dechter asap (dechter@uw.edu).
The Certificate Program’s required courses consist of 14 credit hours in core demography. The program requires an additional 2 elective courses (a minimum of 6 credit hours) that may be selected from a broad range of disciplines. Review the curriculum requirements and rules here.
If you plan to graduate in 2020 and will complete all the requirements at the end of this quarter, you can be included in the June 5th CSDE end of year event during the CSDE seminar time slot by submitting preliminary documentation now, and updating the documentation after you have received credit for the course(s). The formal Graduate School certificate will appear on your transcript after you complete the requirements and submit the updated documentation.
ADDITIONALLY: Please fill out this 5-minute survey ASAP for all CSDE students so that CSDE can update CSDE records necessary for reporting to NIH and the Deans, and to gather good news to celebrate you at the end of year celebration June 5th.
The UW Office of Research has announced changes to Human Subjects to expand currently allowable research. The Human Subjects Division is still taking a conservative approach to clinical research and there is a new Checklist that is required, so please read the rules carefully to ensure your project meets all the criteria before getting started. If you have any question about your project being eligible, please reach out to Karen Moe, Director, Human Subjects Division (kemoe@uw.edu).
Effective May 22, some temporarily-halted human subjects research is now allowed to begin or resume. See this Human Subjects Division (HSD) webpagefor a description of the allowed research.
A summary of the changes:
- The description of already-allowed research has been re-worded to fit into new categories that improve usability and make it easier to incorporate future changes
- Expansion of allowed clinical trials.
- Expansion of studies whose only in-person procedures are brief and for the purpose of obtaining a specimen, measurement, or specific physical exam.
Rationale. This first step in resuming halted human subjects research is somewhat conservative. This is because of (1) the present uncertainty about the impact of the recent state-wide relaxation of earlier restrictions and (2) the rapidly-evolving understanding about the factors that affect the transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Additional research will be allowed in the future as appropriate for changing conditions and information.
Required CHECKLIST. There are some new and important requirements for all new or ongoing human subjects research. These are described in the CHECKLIST Human Subjects Research During the COVID-19 Pandemic, available here and through the HSD COVID-19 webpage. This applies to current on-going research as well as research that will now begin or resume. The Checklist includes the very recent new requirements for all research and for allowing staff to return to UW locations, such as the requirement for a COVID Supervisor for staff who come to campus locations to conduct research.
This Friday, Rachel Robinson from the American University’s School of International Service will present on the residua of health programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. In her research, Robinson finds that all health programs have residua: the side-effects that ripple outwards during implementation or after the program is finished. These residua may then influence other health programs, either enabling or hindering them. Drawing from examples of health programs implemented in sub-Saharan Africa—family planning, HIV/AIDS, polio, and Ebola—Robinson’s research uses theories of path dependence, policy feedback, and social capital to develop a framework of health program residua and draws two main conclusions, which Robinson will present at the seminar. First, when designing or revising health programs, donors and other implementing organizations should take into consideration the residua of previous health programs, which may either serve as resources or obstacles. Second, donors and governments should invest in structural interventions that address the social determinants of health, rather than vertical programs that narrowly focus on one disease, in order to increase the odds of positive residua.
The Office of Policy Development and Research in the Department of Housing and Urban Development has an opening for a Survey Statistician at the GS-14 level. The primary responsibility of the position will be helping to run the American Housing Survey.
For details, see:
Current federal employees: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/568384200
Any American citizen: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/568382900
Come live on the beautiful Palouse! WSU’s Social and Economic Sciences Research Center (SESRC) is seeking applicants for a Survey Supervisor Position. The Survey Supervisor for the SESRC will supervise support staff involved in the performance of duties associated with a highly specialized data collection program for the Public Opinion Laboratory (POL). They will develop and deliver basic and specialized project trainings, Voxco Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) trainings for effective program delivery. They will act as liaison between the staff and management for 50-60 survey projects each year. They also interact with those outside of the organization being interviewed. With delegated authority, interview and recommend selection of applicants, train new employees, assign and schedule work, act upon leave requests, conduct monitoring of actual interviews, performance evaluations and recommend disciplinary action. As part of a team, they devise and implement new procedures and coordinate, schedule and monitor program activities to determine consistency with project goals. Evening and weekend shifts required, as well as travel for field work as needed.
This position requires a high school diploma or equivalent AND three years of applicable experience in the program specialty OR equivalent education/experience.
To apply, visit: https://wsujobs.com/postings/51891. Inquiries may be sent to Nathan Palmer at 509-335-1736 or nathan.palmer@wsu.edu.
Scholarship applications are now being accepted for the 2020 Summer Institute in Statistical Genetics (SISG) and the Summer Institute in Statistics and Modeling in Infectious Diseases (SISMID) (see below). The institutes will be held online this year and we are excited about the potential and accessibility of a virtual event and look forward to providing high-quality, online learning experiences for all participants.
Graduate students in all fields are encouraged to apply. The goal of the Summer Institutes is to strengthen the technical proficiency and career preparation of scholars from all backgrounds, especially those from groups historically underrepresented in STEM such as racial and ethnic minority groups, low income, first generation college students, veterans, and differently abled and 2SLGBTQ groups.