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Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Thank You for Commenting on Definition of Behavioral and Social Science

William T. Riley, OBSSR Director, thanked all of you for submitting your comments to the BSSR definition RFI/crowdsourcing effort. Your comments have informed the final revision of the BSSR definition, which is now available on OBSSR’s website. Some suggestions, although not reflected in the BSSR definition, will be used to for future blog post topics to share in-depth discussion of the areas of science that are included in the BSSR at NIH. Thank you again for your feedback!

Kyle Crowder to Present on Social Structures and Drivers of Segregation at Interdisciplinary Urban Research Seminar

CSDE’s Development Core Director and Professor of Sociology Kyle Crowder will join the next interdisciplinary urban research faculty report on 4/30/2019, 4:30-5:25, CMU 202 (Simpson Center). Crowder’s research focuses on the dynamics and consequences of residential stratification. Under this broad umbrella, a central focus of his most recent work has been on the micro-level residential processes shaping persistent patterns of residential segregation and environmental inequality. His research provides insights into racial and ethnic differences in the likelihood of moving out of, and into, neighborhoods characterized by varying levels of population diversity, socioeconomic disadvantage, and physical pollution; the ways in which these disparate mobility processes are shaped by differences in individual- and family-level characteristics, as well as the broader economic, social, and demographic context of residential markets; and the repercussions of these mobility patterns for group differences in access to residential resources. His work also assesses the effects of these neighborhood conditions on individual outcomes, including educational attainment and adolescent development.

 

Team up with Data Visualization Students to Advance your Research! (CSE 512)

Over 100 students are currently studying Data Visualization in CSE 512, and will spend the latter half of the quarter developing final projects. Each year, many of the best projects result from partnerships with researchers across campus.

* Do you have interesting data analysis or communication challenges that you’d like to see visualization students address?

* Can it be well-scoped to a ~5 week project?

* Are you (or a research assistant) willing to help provide a bit of guidance and feedback?

If so, please complete this form: https://forms.gle/q2VGnrFBD39VPcbR9

The course staff will review the proposals and share them with students, who are free to choose their final project topic. Feel free to contact me directly with any questions. Please send project proposals within the next few weeks, at the absolute latest by Friday, May 3!

For more about the class, please see: https://courses.cs.washington.edu/courses/cse512/19sp/

Preparing the Next Generation of Population Health Researchers (IAPHS Webinar, 5/2/2019)

Join Ana Diez-Roux, Bob Hummer, Deb Umberson, and Helena Hansen to discuss the interdisciplinary knowledge, skills, and partnerships needed to advance health and health equity.

May 2, 2019
12-1:30pm EST
Online Webinar

This event is for individuals at all career levels! Click here to register. Access details will be provided to registered participants, prior to the conference. Registration will close on April 29.

Equity-Focused Policy Research Funding, Income Supports for Low-Income Families with Young Children

Filing federal taxes is rarely a cause for celebration, but for low-income families, tax season can make or break a household’s yearly budget.

Each year, millions of working families benefit from cash assistance programs like the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) that help provide critical resources to support children’s development. The influx of income lessens family stress levels and may reduce poverty among the country’s most vulnerable. Yet, despite cash assistance program benefits, so many eligible families leave money on the table – literally.

RWJF is looking to work with researchers, state and local government agencies, and public and private sector professionals in a variety of fields to draw on their expertise to better understand why more eligible low-income families do not make use of programs like TANF and the EITC. A total of $1.5 million in funding is available for up to 10 projects that lead to better understanding of the barriers families face when attempting to access cash assistance programs. Conclusions from the studies will inform policies that ensure eligible families receive the help they need.

Grant funds will support research and evaluation of the project, with some funds allocated to communication and dissemination efforts to share findings and lessons learned broadly.

Does your research qualify? Learn more about eligibility and selection criteria >>

Post-Docs, Impact Assessment

IFAD’s Research and Impact Assessment Division (RIA) is looking for three post-docs as of July 1, 2019. Post-Docs will be based in Rome at IFAD for a two year’s appointment as UN Temporary Professional Officer at a P2 level.

IFAD is committed to conducting impact assessments on 15 per cent of its project portfolio. The projects are selected for impact assessments in an attempt to be representative of IFAD’s overall portfolio. This allows IFAD to  report on the corporate impacts of its operations making it the only international financial institution that reports impact at the corporate level. RIA is the division leading the impact assessment initiative and committed to increase IFAD’s visibility in the international academic environment.

Post-Docs will be engaged in RIA’s activities and provide support in the following areas:

  1. Impact Assessment Projects using ex-post non-experimental approaches
  2. Policy relevant research papers to be published in peer reviewed journal on issues of relevance for IFAD-RIA
  3. Production of policy notes and briefs

The positions will focus on empirical analysis of agricultural household data from developing countries—impact evaluation data and LSMS-type household level data. Post-Docs will be involved in all the activities throughout the project cycle of the Impact Assessment Studies (Planning, Implementation, Analysis, Report Writing and Dissemination).

Requirements

  • Excellent writing skills in English
  • Prior field work experience
  • Experience in Impact Assessment
  • Ability to work in one or more of the following languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic.

Post-Docs must have completed their PhD no earlier than May 2018

Online Application

Interested candidates should apply by filling out an online form by May 10, 2019.

Candidates should upload the following documents:

  • CV
  • Cover Letter.
  • Writing sample (for example research statement, PhD dissertation summary, working paper or published paper)

In the interest of making most cost effective use of funds and resources, we are only able to respond to applicants who are short-listed for interview.

Candidates who do not receive any feedback within one month from the deadline should consider their application unsuccessful.

Ali Rowhani-Rahbar Finds that Many Older Adults Keep Guns Unlocked and Loaded

US News and Pacific Standard recently featured CSDE Affiliate and Associate Professor of Epidemiology Ali Rowhani-Rahbar‘s research on gun ownership and storage, suicide risk factors, and memory loss among older adults. The statewide survey results, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, show that many older adults, including those who are mentally impaired, don’t lock up their guns and ammunition.

Almost 39% of the more than 4,400 seniors surveyed said they had a firearm in their home, and fewer than a third said they keep all firearms locked up and unloaded. These unsafe practices make suicide easier and endanger kids and visitors. “Findings of this study highlight the importance of addressing access to firearms among older adults, especially those who display signs of dementia or suicide risk factors,” said Rowhani-Rahbar.

“We know that the overwhelming majority of firearm deaths among older adults are suicides,” Rowhani-Rahbar said. About 1 in 5 respondents with loaded weapons not locked away had been diagnosed with depression and about 1 in 8 had experienced memory loss in the past year. Easy access to guns is a special danger to older people with impaired thinking. People suffering from dementia may use the weapon to kill themselves or to shoot others because they are confused or increasingly agitated and aggressive, authors said.

Rowhani-Rahbar’s research on violence prevention stretches beyond this topic. Last week he also published an opinion piece for The Seattle Times titled “What we know about school mass shootings since Columbine and how to prevent them,” which you can read here!

CSDE Launches UWDC and Wins UW-STF Grant

Last week was a busy one! In partnership with the Population Health Initiative and Urban@UW, CSDE launched the University of Washington Data Collaborative (UWDC), a new data and administrative infrastructure for storing and accessing innovative data, and building collaborations across the campus community.

In addition, the UWDC team won a UW Student Technology Fee grant to support the hard and soft infrastructure that will be used to build the data collaborative’s virtual machines! Shout-out to our computing experts Matt Weatherford and Alan Li.

According to CSDE Science Core Director Matt Hall, “The STF grant will dramatically expand our ability to provide access to the innovative data that is held by the UWDC. The UWDC is particularly excited to work with students across campus and at all stages of their academic careers to advance their research skills and experiences in population and data science.”