The goal under a new P2C award is for the Population Studies Center (PSC) at the U. of Pennsylvania to remain a national and world leader in research on the growth and structure of human populations and on the role of socioeconomic stratification and human and social diversity on the health of populations. The PSC is characterized by strong continuity in the production of high-quality research on the major themes of the Population Dynamics Branch (PDB): demography, population-based studies of health and human development, and behavioral and social science approaches to sexually transmitted diseases and reproductive health. This application is for the continuation of a co-ordination infrastructure that will: 1. Support the production of innovative, high-quality research on human populations?the determinants and consequences of their structure and organization, and their health and well-being? emphasizing: a. the new dynamics of population diversity, from (i) the role of migration and ethno-racial identity in population composition; (ii) and the relationship between socioeconomic inequality and health. b. demographic concepts and methods as important frames for interpreting the aggregation of diffuse individual characteristics; for the treatment of heterogeneity in human populations; and for the distribution of human capital (including health) and social status across generations; and c. a population perspective for undertaking and evaluating interventions related to human capital development that is sensitive to heterogeneity in underlying behaviors and endowments. 2.Develop synergistically emerging areas of shared interest within the PSC, including: a. interdisciplinary studies of environmental aspects of the health and well-being of populations; and b. the availability and technology of so-called ?big data? and its congruence with population science perspectives on theory, data and measurement. 3.Extend and exploit the PSC's strong scientific and professional international population engagement to address leading challenges at the intersection of global demographic change and global health. 4.Train and promote scientific, intellectual and professional leaders in the field of population studies by effective use of PSC support for a large cohort of early career scientists whose formative career stages will coincide with the duration of the award being requested. OMB No. 0925-0001/0002 (Rev. 08/12 Approved Through 8/31/2015) Page Continuation Format Page
Interdisciplinary, co-operative research to advance knowledge about the health, well-being, and organization of societies requires an adaptive scientific infrastructure. Population studies is an intellectual platform at the crucial juncture of the behavioral, social, and health sciences. The accounting and analytic frameworks for observation, measurement and classification, anchored in the concepts of rates and compositions, provides insights into the distribution and evolution of health and other aspects of wellbeing in human populations. OMB No. 0925-0001/0002 (Rev. 08/12 Approved Through 8/31/2015) Page Continuation Format Page
