Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology

Postdoctoral Scholar: Berkeley Institute for the Future of Young Americans

The Berkeley Institute for the Future of Young Americans (BIFYA) in the Goldman School of Public Policy at the University of California, Berkeley is recruiting a full-time, one-year Postdoctoral employee (TC 3252). The expected start date is August 1, 2018 and the recruitment will be open until filled. The level of appointment will be commensurate with the candidate’s record of scholarship.

The Berkeley Institute for the Future of Young Americans (BIFYA) is a research center located at the Goldman School of Public Policy. Its goal is to make national, state, and local policy sustainable and fair across generations. The Center’s mission is to promote high-quality, non-partisan research with the aim of generating a fact-based, non-partisan discussion regarding how best to invest in future generations in order to ensure their long- term security and success.

The Goldman School is open to applicants from a range of disciplines, for example those who work in the area of labor economics, urban and regional economics, political science, planning, demography, or other related policy areas relevant to the long-term financial security of young people. Programs of interest include, but are not limited to, the disinvestment in public higher education and the implications for young people, the economic restructuring of the US labor market, the influence of new technology on the labor market, and shifting demographics and the budgetary implications for social safety net programs. The appointment is also an opportunity to provide scholarly leadership for BIFYA, and as such, preference may be given to scholars whose work may anchor the Center’s research around the well-being of young Americans and on public policies that will make important investments in future generations.

Responsibilities
The Postdoc is expected to participate in the other initiatives of the Center, including its annual Millennial Summit. The candidate is expected to reside in or near Berkeley in order to participate fully in the intellectual life of the Center and the campus.

Qualifications (at time of application)
To be considered for this position, applicants must have completed all degree requirements except the dissertation for receipt of their PhD or equivalent degree.

Additional Qualifications (by start date)
The successful applicant must complete all degree requirements for the PhD or equivalent degree.

Salary
The salary for this position is based upon experience and qualifications. UC Berkeley offers excellent benefits packages as well as a number of policies and programs in to support employees as they balance work and family.

All interested applicants should apply at https://aprecruit.berkeley.edu/apply/JPF01614. For information about the position or application process, please contact Emily Martinez
at emartinez24@berkeley.edu. A complete application will include 1) Updated CV 2) Cover letter 3) Description of project to be pursued while in residence (1500 words maximum) 4) Contact information for three professional references.

Visiting Assistant Professor of Sociology

The Department of Sociology at St. Lawrence University invites applications for a 1-year Visiting Assistant Professor beginning August 2018. Area of specialization is open. Applicants should demonstrate excellence in teaching, active scholarship, and a strong commitment to undergraduate education at a liberal arts college. Teaching load is 3 courses per semester. Regular contribution to the department’s introductory level courses is expected as well as contributions of sociology elective courses that serve majors, minors, and the general student body. Opportunities also exist to collaborate with and mentor student research. Department aims and goals include encouraging the development of the “sociological imagination” in students, the teaching of skills to articulate this, and providing opportunities for students to engage in praxis. There is also opportunity to contribute to the university’s area studies programs. ABD in Sociology at time of application required. Preference will be given to candidates who have completed the PhD by the time of appointment.

The department is interested in candidates, who can substantively contribute to the diversity of the: a) university community, b) knowledge that students are exposed to, and c) department’s culture of intellectual innovation. Applicants should address their ability to meet these qualifications in their cover letter.

Interested applicants must apply online at http://employment.stlawu.edu uploading all required materials which are defined in the “special instructions to applicant” section. Review of applications begins Jan 20, 2018 and will continue until the position is filled. Questions about the position may be sent to Dr. Leah Rohlfsen (lrohlfsen@stlawu.edu), Search Chair.

Postdoctoral Research Associate in Environment and Society: Policy & Scholarship on the Dynamics of Climate Change Politics

Position Description

The Climate and Development Lab at Brown University is seeking a postdoctoral research associate to conduct research and lead team-based research on the political dynamics of climate change, either locally in Rhode Island, nationally in the United States, or internationally, especially through the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and its Paris Agreement. The research associate will split their time between their own work and collaborative projects with other members of the lab.

The postdoctoral project could be engaged research in a number of areas—what follow are examples from the local to the global, but do not exclude candidate-proposed areas of work. Examination of specific regional, state, or local political activities related to climate change or energy issues, and study of the forces aligned to advance or slow and stop climate action, and strategies and tactics deployed on different sides. Empirical analysis of organized political action related to climate change, including public relations activities, lobbying, and political contributions in RI or the USA broadly. Investigation of funding flows involving the major actors in climate change politics at the national level of the U.S. or specific regional, state, or local political arenas. Studies of international negotiations, and the relations of power between nations. Studies of the gap between promises made at the international level about national emissions reductions and the ability of governments to deliver on them at home. Studies of decarbonization of national economies and “pathways of national development,” both low- and high-carbon, especially on their ability to deliver well-being to citizens. Analysis of financial flows and the politics of promise-making and –keeping in the UNFCCC. Postdoctoral associates will be supported in completing their own work in these areas and to lead small teams of students in advancing research for the lab.

Postdoctoral appointments will have an expected term of two years starting in July 2018 or soon thereafter. Research associates receive a salary of $50,000, plus benefits and research funds that may be directed to the project by the CDL Director. Postdoctoral research associates are expected to devote their appointment to research activities, but in special cases postdoctoral research associates may have the opportunity to teach undergraduate courses.

Qualifications

The successful candidate will have a recent Ph.D. and relevant experience in sociology, political science, geography, public policy, communications or a related environmental social science interdisciplinary field. Prior engaged research and communications experience is a plus. Responsibilities include: helping develop and coordinate research activities; interactions with partner organizations for engaged policy research (local, national, or international); data management and analysis; publication of manuscripts and dissemination of results, including through standard print and electronic press, and through social media. Candidates should demonstrate strong communication skills and an ability to work both independently and collaboratively with groups from diverse backgrounds.

Application Instructions

Applicants should submit: (1) a cover letter describing research interests, qualifications, and motivations, and how the candidate complements the work of the lab, (2) a two-page tentative and indicative research plan for two years of work, (3) a current CV, and (4) three letters of reference from advisors or colleagues who know the applicant’s work well. Referees should submit letters directly through Interfolio, which will supply a direct link when contact information is entered. Applications will be reviewed starting January 25, 2018, and accepted until the position is filled. The ideal start date is July 2018, but is somewhat flexible. The initial appointment will be for one year with an opportunity for extension of one more year based on satisfactory performance. Please contact Timmons Roberts directly with any questions (timmons at brown.edu). Apply online: http://apply.interfolio.com/47802

IPUMS National Historical GIS (NHGIS) Data Collection Updates

IPUMS stands for data integrated across time, space and scientific domains. IPUMS makes it easy to study change and conduct comparative research–by imposing consistent codes, supplying detailed documentation, and creating customized datasets. The IPUMS National Historical Geographic Information System (NHGIS) provides free online access to summary statistics and GIS files for U.S. censuses and other nationwide surveys from 1790 through the present. NHGIS Is pleased to announce several major updates to the NHGIS data collection including:

New American Community Survey (ACS) data
New time series data (Release 8)
New GIS files
New types of data
Faster processing of large table requests

2017-2018 Dissertation Fellowships

We invite applications from doctoral students at the University of Washington for the 2017-18 West Coast Poverty Center Dissertation Research Fellowship competition. These one-quarter awards will support outstanding doctoral student dissertation research on poverty, poverty-related issues, and anti-poverty policy in the U.S. during Summer (or Spring) 2018. Doctoral candidates from any discipline may apply, but all applicants must be sponsored by a WCPC Faculty Affiliate. Applications must be submitted by 10:00am (PST) on Monday, February 12, 2018.

About the Dissertation Fellowships
In this round of competition, the Center will award one quarter of support for 1-2 students completing dissertations on topics relating to the causes, consequences and effective responses to poverty and inequality in the U.S. Quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-method approaches are all encouraged.

The Dissertation Research Fellowships will provide tuition and a stipend (equivalent to .50 FTE at the University rate for PhD candidates employed as Research Assistants) for one quarter. Preference will be given to applications requesting funds for Summer 2018; however, applications requesting funding for Spring 2018 will also be considered.

Proposals will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary group of WCPC faculty affiliates, and awards will be announced in March 2018.

Eligibility
Applicants must be PhD students in good standing at the University of Washington. Applicants must have advanced to candidacy and have an approved dissertation plan at the start of the funding period. Each applicant must have a sponsor who is a WCPC Faculty Affiliate. (The sponsor does not need to be the applicant’s faculty advisor). Priority will be given to applicants who are likely to complete their dissertation within 12 months of the start of the funding period.

Application Instructions
Please send the following application materials as a single PDF to wcpc@uw.edu by 10:00 am on February 12, 2018:

1. Cover page with the following information:
a. Name, department, and contact information
b. Date of actual or expected advancement to candidacy
c. Expected date/quarter of completion
d. Requested quarter of support: Spring 2018 or Summer 2018 e. WCPC Faculty Affiliate sponsor’s name and department f. Project title and abstract

2. A description of the research project (not to exceed 10 double-spaced pages, excluding references), including:
a. Research questions and a brief literature review
b. The specific contribution of this research to the understanding of poverty and inequality and improving anti-poverty policy
c. Research design, methods, and data sources
d. Progress to date, including any preliminary findings and any other sources of support
e. A timeline for completion (if needed, describe the timeline for Human Subjects approval and/or obtaining the necessary agreements for access to data or subjects.)

3. A brief candidate statement (no more than 1 double-spaced page) describing:
a. Any history of participation in WCPC courses such as the Seminar Series on Poverty and Policy or WCPC events
b. How the fellowship and connection with the West Coast Poverty Center will support the candidate’s development as a scholar
c. Planned or completed paper submissions and publications, conference presentations, receipt of fellowships or other support related to dissertation work
d. A brief description of plans for entering the job market

4. A current CV

Letter of Support from a WCPC Faculty Affiliate
Applicants must also have a letter for support from a WCPC Faculty Affiliate which addresses their academic performance and promise, ability to complete the dissertation in a timely manner, and likely contributions of the dissertation to the scholarly literature on poverty. Faculty sponsors should send letters directly to wcpc@uw.edu by the application deadline (10:00am on Feb. 12, 2018).

Terms
Stipends are intended to support candidates in the completion of their dissertations with uninterrupted writing and/or data analysis time during the Spring 2018 or Summer 2018 quarters and will not entail additional responsibilities as Research Assistants with the Center.

Please note that all dissertations requiring human subjects review must have approval before funding can be disbursed.

Within six weeks after the end of the Fellowship quarter, awardees must submit a brief report of activities during the funding period (e.g., July 31, 2018 or October 31, 2018). As a condition of the award, Fellows will also submit at least one paper (suitable for publication) from their dissertation within 6 months of the end of the funding period. Fellows may be asked to present their research at a WCPC forum (e.g., a Seminar or Roundtable meeting) and the papers Fellows produce may be posted on the WCPC website.

About the West Coast Poverty Center
The West Coast Poverty Center (WCPC) is a regional hub for research, education, and policy analysis leading to greater understanding of the causes and consequences of poverty and the effects of public policy on poverty in the West Coast states and beyond. The Center also disseminates knowledge about effective state and local policies for addressing poverty to policy makers, practitioners and the community. The Center provides intellectual support and resources for outstanding doctoral students at the University of Washington who are conducting research on poverty-related issues in the U.S

The WCPC is a member of the U.S. Collaborative of Poverty Centers led by the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin and funded by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) in the U.S. Department for Health and Human Services.

Contact Information
Direct questions to:
Shannon Harper
WCPC Research Director
206-685-7727
wcpc@uw.edu

Winter 2018 Seminar Series on Poverty and Public Policy

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12th 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm, 121 Raitt Hall
Panel Discussion: From Housing Research to Housing Policy GREGG COLBURN & REBECCA J WALTER | College of Built Environments, UW RACHEL FYALL | Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, UW ANAID YERENA | Urban Studies, UW-Tacoma

Co-sponsored with CSDE and Urban @UW

MONDAY, JANUARY 29th 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm ( Q&A until 2 pm ), School of Social Work Room 305A
“The Dynamics of Earned Income Tax Credit Eligibility” ANN HUFF STEVENS | University of California, Davis

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 5th 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm ( Q&A until 2 pm ), School of Social Work Room 305A
“Evaluation of the Working Student Success Network: Challenges for Building and Using Evidence from Complex Interventions” ANN PERSON | Mathematica

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16th 12:30 – 1:30 pm, 121 Raitt Hall
“Expanding Participation in Municipal Campaigns: Evaluating the Impact of Seattle’s Democracy Voucher Program” BRIAN MCCABE | Georgetown University

Co-sponsored with CSDE

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26th 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm ( Q&A until 2 pm ), School of Social Work Room
Topic: Affordable Housing Policy ANAID YERENA | Urban Studies, UW-Tacoma

MONDAY, MARCH 5th 12:30 pm – 1:30 pm ( Q&A until 2 pm), School of Social Work Room 305A
“The Spatial Context of Food Security, Assistance, and Shopping: When Might Access Matter and Why?” SCOTT ALLARD | Evans School of Public Policy and Governance, UW

NICHD Clinical Trials FOAs Published

NICHD is pleased to announce that their Clinical Trials FOAs for the next grant cycle have been published, as listed below.

PA-18-480 “NICHD Research Project Grant (R01 – Clinical Trial Required)”
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-480.html
Applicants who wish to conduct research involving a clinical trial in one of NICHD’s priority topics should use this FOA if their research project is not relevant to another active FOA in which NICHD participates. The new “parent” R01 FOA will not allow clinical trials.

PA-18-481 “NICHD Small Grant Program (R03 – Clinical Trial Optional)”
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-481.html
Applicants who wish to seek R03 support from NICHD in one of NICHD’s priority topics should use this FOA if their research project is not relevant to another active FOA in which NICHD participates. This FOA supports both clinical trials and non-trial research. The new “parent” R03 FOA will not allow clinical trials.

PA-18-482 “NICHD Exploratory/Developmental Research Grant (R21 – Clinical Trial Optional)”
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-482.html
Applicants who wish to seek R21 support from NICHD in one of NICHD’s priority topics should use this FOA if their research project is not relevant to another active FOA in which NICHD participates. This FOA supports both clinical trials and non-trial research. PA-18-482 replaces PA-17-259 (the previous NICHD R21 FOA). The new “parent” R21 FOA will not allow clinical trials. Please note that NICHD no longer participates in the “parent” R21 FOA, and NICHD will not accept applications that are submitted to the “parent” R21 FOA

PA-18-343 “Academic Research Enhancement Award (R15 – Clinical Trial Required)”
https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/PA-18-343.html
Applicants who wish to seek R15 (AREA grant) support from NICHD for research involving a clinical trial in one of NICHD’s priority topics should use this FOA if their research project is not relevant to another active FOA in which NICHD participates. This is a joint FOA with NIDCD, NIBIB, and NIMH, and applications must involve a clinical trial in order to be eligible for this FOA. R15 applications for non-trial research may be submitted to the new “parent” R15 FOA which will not allow clinical trials.

As noted in these FOAs:

The NICHD supports research in areas relevant to normal and abnormal human development, including: contraception, fertilization, pregnancy, childbirth, prenatal and postnatal development; childhood development through adolescence; intellectual and developmental disabilities; and rehabilitation medicine.https://www.nichd.nih.gov/grants-funding/opportunities-mechanisms/areas-research/Pages/default.aspx.

Research projects considered by funding by NICDH must fall within the scientific missions of the twelve Scientific Branches of the NICHD Division of Extramural Research (DER) or the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR). Information about those scientific missions and program staff contacts may be found on the web pages for the DER scientific branches at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/der/branches/Pages/index.aspx and the NCMRR at: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/about/org/ncmrr/Pages/overview.aspx.Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to read these webpages for any updates in response to recent scientific advances or emerging public health topics.

NICHD encourages applications that address its extramural program priorities and will consider how well research projects align with one or more of those priorities when making award decisions. A detailed list of NICHD high priority research areas may be found at https://www.nichd.nih.gov/grants-funding/opportunities-mechanisms/areas-research/Pages/priorities.aspx

Summer Dissertation Proposal Workshop

Howard University’s Center on Race and Wealth and the Institute for Research on Poverty at the University of Wisconsin–Madison seek applications for the second annual Summer Dissertation Proposal Writing Workshop. This week-long workshop, held at Howard University in Washington, D.C., is aimed at pre-proposal doctoral students in the social sciences from underrepresented racial and ethnic populations who are studying topics related to poverty or inequality in the United States. The workshop is designed to help provide students the skills, knowledge, and resources needed to prepare a dissertation proposal. Funding is provided by the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as part of IRP’s National Poverty Research Center award.

Applicants must be pre-dissertation proposal doctoral students from underrepresented racial or ethnic populations (Black, Hispanic, Native American) studying at U.S. universities.

Applications are due by January 31, 2018.

For questions about the workshop or eligibility, contact Dr. Janet Griffin-Graves at jrgriffin-graves@howard.edu. For questions about the application, please contact Dave Chancellor at dave.chancellor@wisc.edu.

Lecture by Paul Farmer: The Caregiver’s Disease – The History & Political Economy of Ebola in West Africa

This lecture has reached capacity. As a courtesy, we will offer standby seating on a first-come, first-served basis, with a line beginning at 6:30 pm in Kane Hall. We will also post a video of Farmer’s lecture at simpsoncenter.org.

Medical anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer has dedicated his life to improving health care for the world’s poorest people. He is a founding director of Partners in Health, an international non-profit that provides direct health care and conducts research and advocacy on behalf of those who are sick and living in poverty. Farmer is Kolokotrones University Professor and Chair of the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine at Harvard University and is Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Farmer holds an MD and a PhD from Harvard University. He is the United Nations Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Community Based Medicine and Lessons from Haiti. His books include In the Company of the Poor: Conversations with Dr. Paul Farmer and Fr. Gustavo Gutiérrez, Reimagining Global Health: An Introduction, and To Repair the World: Paul Farmer Speaks to the Next Generation.

Farmer is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Margaret Mead Award from the American Anthropological Association, the American Medical Association’s Outstanding International Physician (Nathan Davis) Award, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Fellowship, and, with his Partners in Health colleagues, the Hilton Humanitarian Prize. He is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences and of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences.

Farmer delivers a Katz Distinguished Lecture in the Humanities. Free and open to the public.

CSSCR Winter Quarter Course/Workshop Offerings

Below you will find the listing of workshops offered by Center for Social Science Computation and Research (CSSCR) during the first part of the quarter.

We are developing a few new workshops given we have a set of new consultants this year with new programming talents but we will still continue to offer our old standby courses as well.

As always, registration is open and free to anyone in the UW community. Please let your colleagues, staff, and students know by sharing this newsletter. Individuals can subscribe to the newsletter here, and our newsletter archive is found here.

Short Course/Workshop Offerings Winter Quarter Part I (listed in order of scheduled appearance)

Introduction to R with RStudio

Description:

This class will teach you how to get started with R using the free integrated development environment called Rstudio. The course will cover the basic organization of R and RStudio, where to find good help references, and how to begin a basic analysis. This class is ideal for users who have little or no experience with R.

Instructor: Yunkang Yang, CSSCR Consultant
Date: Thursday, 11 January 2018
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am
Place: Savery 121
Register here.

Introduction to Qualitative Research and ATLAS.ti

Description:

This course provides a brief, practical introduction to working in ATLAS.ti, covering basic terminology and functionality of the program. This will include importing text documents, coding and annotating documents, and exploring relationships through analysis and query tools. Time permitting, we may also briefly discuss best practices for data management. The course assumes no prior use of Atlas-ti.

Instructor: Riddhi Mehta-Neugebauer, CSSCR Consultant
Date: Tuesday, 16 January 2018
Time: 3:30pm – 4:30pm
Place: Savery 121
Register here.

Introduction to using MATLAB

Description:

This course provides a first look at MATLAB, a high-performance language for technical computing. MATLAB integrates computation, visualization, and programming in an easy-to-use environment.

Instructor: Jasmine Jiang, CSSCR Consultant
Date: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Time: 10:30am – 11:30am
Place: Savery 121

Introduction to GIS

Description:

This course will provide students with a broad overview of what geographic information systems (GISs) are and how social scientists can benefit from using them in their research. Students will explore basic GIS concepts through hands-on exercises using ArcGIS, a widely used GIS software package, as well as freely available data sets.

Instructor: Will Brown, CSSCR Consultant
Date: Monday, 22 January 2018
Time: 2:30pm – 3:20pm
Place: Savery 117
Register here.

Introduction to STATA

Description:

This course will introduce you to the basic Stata statistical package including reading in STATA datasets, basic data manipulation in Stata, and common statistical procedures.

Instructor: Stephanie Lee, CSSCR Consultant
Date: Monday, 29 January 2018
Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Place: Savery 117
Register here.

Introduction to SPSS

Description:

This courses introduces the SPSS package including reading in datafiles as well as basic data management and introductory statistical procedures. Additional topics include computing and recoding variables and selecting and filtering cases.

Instructor: Galen Kerrick, CSSCR Consultant
Date: Thursday 1 February 2018
Time: 12:30pm – 1:30pm
Place: Savery 121
Register here.