This application requests support for specialized pre-doctoral and postdoctoral training in the Demography and Economics of Aging at the University of Chicago. Both trainees and trainers (i.e. mentors) are affiliated with the Center on Aging at NORC at the University of Chicago. Postdoctoral trainees are recruited from top graduate programs nation-wide, usually from outside the University of Chicago. Predoctoral trainees are recruited early in their graduate careers into a structured program of mentorship, coursework and research experience. PhD students in the departments of Economics, Sociology, Public Health Sciences and the Harris School of Public Policy Studies provide most trainees, with some coming from other departments and programs at the university. We select trainees for funding from this pool, using criteria of previous performance in the program, interest in and commitment to the demography and/or economics of aging, and availability of a suitable mentor. All PhD students with interests in the demography and/or economics of aging are invited to apply to the program; those receiving support from the University and those who are not eligible for NIH support for reasons of citizenship are admitted into the training program as predoctoral affiliates but receive no funding. All trainees, regardless of funding, follow the same program. All are matched to a mentor with whom they meet regularly and work closely. All enroll in a structured program of coursework, including the Demography Workshop and the Post-Mortem Seminar. All receive financial support from the University of Chicago and administrative support from NORC and the University of Chicago. All receive training in the Responsible Conduct of Research. Our record of trainee productivity and placement is excellent, as is the pool of trainees from which we select those for funding. We endeavor to recruit and retain trainees (and trainers) who are members of underrepresented minority groups and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds as well as students with disabilities. A new External Advisory Committee will assist the Executive Committee of the CDT with program design and evaluation. We request support for four pre-doctoral and two postdoctoral trainees per year over five years in a training program on the Demography and Economics of Aging.
This program trains exceptional students as researchers in the demography and economics of aging. These trainees will, over their research careers, produce research findings directly relevant to public policy and public health, on such topics as mental health, access to medical services, and health disparities.
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