[Ed. note: This article was published in October 2022 but was recently reprinted by the Consortium of Social Science Associations. The study was based in Canada but provides useful lessons for US educators, as well.]

By Sandra Lapointe Ph.D. (McMaster University)

Future graduates face complex global challenges like climate change, as well as ethical, social and cultural implications of emerging new technologies like artificial intelligence.

The urgency of these challenges — and the complexity of skills and capabilities needed to address them — has prompted a revisiting of the role of social sciences and humanities programs in equipping students for civic engagement and as future leaders. 

[Read the complete article at The Conversation]

"Loka Ashwood is a sociologist examining the intersection of environmental injustice, corporate and state power, and anti-government sentiment in American rural communities. Ashwood reveals how state support for some corporate interests can come at a high cost for rural residents. She draws from her own experience on her family’s farm and ethnographic research in rural communities facing ecological, economic, and social challenges. By analyzing specific local issues in the context of larger institutional structures, she sheds light on rural identity, culture, and politics."

See Ashwood's complete profile on the MacArthur Foundation website.

by John W. Curtis, DCSS Treasurer

I received an e-mail with the above subject line on October 2. The sending e-mail address shows a domain of "nihproposals.org" but the offer comes from a website of the "National Funding Foundation." (see a screenshot from the e-mail header below)

A quick visit to the "National Funding Foundation" website left me highly skeptical. I could not find the offered workshop listed and the "Foundation" does not list any staff. The overall look of the website seems much more spare than what I would expect from a legitimate organization.

A Google query led me to this entry from the Brown University IT Department, listing a similar e-mail from NFF in October 2023 under the heading of "phishing e-mail."

I would advise caution. If you have additional information or comments, please feel free to e-mail me at dcsociologicalsociety@gmail.com

Time is a health resource but critical gaps remain in understanding how time use is associated with health and well-being. The 2025 University of Maryland Time Use Conference theme is "Time Use as a Social Determinant of Health." They welcome abstract submissions on (a) innovative data, measures, and analyses of daily time use and health and well-being disparities; (b) time use and sleep; and (c) sedentary and physically active leisure across the life course; (d) variations in time-related health behaviors among children, adolescents, and parents; and (e) associations of daily time use behaviors, energy expenditures, and obesity. They also encourage research on other dimensions of time use as a social determinant of health.

The deadline to submit an abstract is now October 4, 2024. See complete details online.

The Joint Program in Survey Methodology offers a variety of short courses. Short courses are open to the public and admission to the University of Maryland is not required.

Short courses for 2024-2025 will be delivered online through a combination of synchronous and asynchronous instruction, with the exception of Introduction to Survey Sampling.

See the complete schedule, pricing, and registration links at the JPSM website.

The Population Reference Bureau has released its 2024 World Population Data Sheet, featuring the latest demographic data on more than 200 countries and territories and a focus on primary health care. You can view the report on the interactive website and also download poster and booklet versions.

The US Census Bureau released new data tables and data files from the 2023 American Community Survey (ACS) 1-year estimates on September 12, 2024. Read an extensive news release, "Nearly Half of Renter Households Are Cost-Burdened, Proportions Differ by Race," including links to further ACS resources. See more information about data files here and here.

The Population Association of America 2025 Annual Meeting will be in-person in Washington, DC, starting on Thursday, April 10 and going through Sunday, April 13. The Call for Papers is now available and the submission system is open. Deadline for submissions is September 29.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is requesting the higher education community’s feedback on its merit review polices and processes. Written comments are due by Friday, September 20, 2024.

NSF is interested in knowing whether there are any misunderstandings or lack of clarity about the Merit Review criteria and process and if so, what the agency can do to provide clarity to the higher education community. In addition, NSF is interested in learning more about the experiences and perspectives of those who have reviewed proposals submitted to NSF, as well as how NSF could better support awardees in demonstrating and documenting outcomes of their awards in advancing knowledge.

The original request for information is published in the Federal Register. (PDF)

Note that the deadline for comments has been extended to 9/20, and the form for comments is online here.

Information on the Merit Review Reexamination Commission is here.

Conference Theme:
“Stigma No More… It’s 2024!”

A Hybrid Conference Hosted by Howard University
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 – Friday, November 22, 2024

Deadline for Submission: Friday, September 27, 2024 by 5:00pm (EDT)

This hybrid conference aims to increase awareness of the stigma of HIV and other health conditions and to explore interventions to eradicate this stigma. This conference also serves to educate healthcare providers and the general public about stigma as both a major barrier to prevention and treatment of illnesses and a human rights violation. The organizers are looking for original research that addresses HIV stigma or other mental or physical health-related stigma to be presented during the conference virtual poster session on November 21, 2024.

For complete information, see the attached PDF.