Multidisciplinary Training in Population

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This proposal is a request for National Research Service Award (NRSA) support for four predoctoral trainees in population at the Johns Hopkins University. Three departments will administer the award: Population and Family Health Science in the School of Public Health and Sociology and Economics in the School of Arts and Sciences. In the period covered by the previous grant, eleven trainees have been able to acquire a firm orientation in their chosen disciplines from their home department, while also being rigorously trained in the broad methodological and substantive areas of population studies. This training is accomplished through course work, participation in faculty research, participation in interdisciplinary population research seminars, and-perhaps of equal importance-intensive interaction with fellow trainees in population from many countries that exposes them to many different perspectives on population problems and prospects. The interaction among students from PFHS, Sociology, and Economics is an additional benefit of the training program. Students from the latter departments are drawn more closely into the population field-and, particularly, into making the connection between population and health. Required courses for the traineeship include: Principles of Population Change; a sequence of three demographic methods courses, Health and Development across the Life Course, a research ethics course, and the population research seminar, all a part of the current training program. In addition, a biology course selected by each student according to her/his research area is required. Each trainee must meet other departmental course requirements for the doctorate as well. Participating faculty have a broad portfolio of extramural research grants that can be roughly organized into four substantive areas: 1) sexual and reproductive health; 2) adolescent health and the transition to adulthood; 3) poverty and inequality; 4) aging and mortality. Over the past five years, trainees have been integrated into and made contributions to this research enterprise, as evidenced by the large number of joint publications between training faculty and trainees and other students. The continuation of this funding will allow another group of potential leaders in the field of population to work with the faculty and begin to build their careers in population. The director is Professor Stan Becker working with a training committee composed of Andrew Cherlin, Robert Moffitt, Nan Astone and Amy Tsui. The committee will assist with selection of trainees each year and give overall guidance for the program.