Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging

University Of Michigan At Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor MI

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

The Michigan Center on the Demography of Aging (MiCDA) at the University of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research is an interdisciplinary community of 70 scholars from across the University with a shared interest in the demography of aging. Now entering its third decade, the Center has successfully spurred new research by sponsoring pilot projects and early career development opportunities, leading scholarly networks addressing pressing scientific and data-related questions on aging; and, providing a secure, remote computing environment with access to major National Institute on Aging (NIA)-funded data resources and linkages to contextual data. MiCDA’s focus over the next cycle will emphasize two overarching thematic areas: the changing demography of late-life disability, dementia and family caregiving; and the social, environmental and biological underpinnings over the life course that shape later-life health and wellbeing. A third theme, cross-cuts the two substantive foci, by advancing data infrastructure and methods to promote breakthroughs in the demography of aging. In the coming cycle, MiCDA will advance these areas of research, with attention to the disproportionate distribution of late-life health in the US population, by undertaking activities through five cores: (1) The Administration and Research Support Core will plan and execute administrative functions for MiCDA’s core activities and collect relevant information to evaluate activities with Core Leaders and report outcomes to its Advisory Panel, the Coordinating Center, and NIA; (2) The Program Development Pilot Core will create and implement an Emerging Scholars Mentored Pilot Program and accompanying mentored curriculum focused on manuscript and grant proposal preparation; (3) The Communication and Dissemination Core will amplify and measure the impact of research being conducted under the auspices of MiCDA by hosting research conferences, webinars and symposia highlighting MiCDA’s signature themes; developing and implementing a mentored curriculum in science communications to reach scholarly and public audiences; and enhancing visibility of MiCDA’s research opportunities and findings through online dissemination; (4) The External Innovative Network Core will support activities of two scholarly networks: Longitudinal Studies of Aging in the U.S. and the Changing Demography of Family Caregiving; and (5) The Remote Data Enclave Core will provide access to restricted aging-related data and linkable contextual resources through a secure, virtual data enclave; investigate and remedy issues that may impede enclave use; and investigate and expand capabilities in the enclave for machine learning and deep learning methods. Across cores, activities will engage scholars across disciplines, career stages and institutions.