Carolina Population Center

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The Carolina Population Center (CPC) at UNC-Chapel Hill seeks renewal of a five-year grant under the NICHD R24 Population Research Infrastructure Program. Established in 1966, CPC draws its current body of 58 elected faculty fellows from 15 departments and five schools. Eight signature themes collectively describe the population research interests of the faculty: Sexual Behavior, Contraceptive Use, and Reproductive Health; Fertility, Families, and Children; Life Course Perspectives; Biological and Social Interactions; Population Movement, Diversity, and Inequality; Place, Space, and Health; Population and Environment; and Population and Health Policies and Programs. Participation in Center activities is broad: currently, 18 different faculty fellows in addition to the Director are taking a role in CPC administrative activities; over the past five years, 40 fellows have served as preceptors (advisors) to CPC pre- and postdoctoral trainees; 45 fellows have been PI or co- investigator on a population-relevant grant or contract. An outstanding research infrastructure is essential to the creativity and productivity of the faculty fellows, their funding record, and research impact. As of fall 2009, CPC's portfolio consisted of 65 funded research projects and 5 supplements. Since 2004, CPC fellows, trainees, and staff published almost 1200 population-relevant articles, chapters, edited volumes, and monographs. Their research addresses the population field and also reaches out to the broader public health community, policy-makers, and the public. CPC faculty fellows also make fundamental contributions to the research infrastructure of the field through major longitudinal data collections based at the Center, such as the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health. These innovative studies expand their impact by sharing data through mechanisms that CPC pioneered. Research based at CPC is highly collaborative and interdisciplinary. With the existing web of collaboration as a platform, the Center provides services and support that foster the cross-fertilization of methods, tools, and perspectives in the development of innovative population research.