The grants are intended to encourage innovative research that utilizes the lifecycle datasets on the aging of the veterans of the Union Army, as well as associated datasets on disease prevalence and environmental conditions. These datasets have been created by the Center for Population Economics with support from the National Institute on Aging. They contain longitudinal lifecycle data on health and socioeconomic status for a sample of approximately 35,000 Union Army veterans from the Civil War until their deaths. The data have been the centerpiece for crucial research on long-term trends in retirement and chronic disease prevalence. More information on the character of the data, as well as a list of publications of research work based on it, can be found in the publications section of the CPE website.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

Long-term trends in chronic conditions and disability.

Predictors of morbidity, mortality, and longevity.

Influence of environmental factors on health and socioeconomic status.

Secular shifts in retirement, leisure, and productivity.

Analyses of historical changes in nuptiality and fertility.

Researchers are encouraged to explore other topics as well.

Applications for grants are due September 15, 2004. Please contact Joseph Burton, Managing Director of Research, Center for Population Economics at (773)753-0807 or jburton@cpe.uchicago.edu for further information.

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of economists, epidemiologists, and physicians, and will be judged on their scientific significance and feasibility. Final decisions on funding will be announced on September 30, 2004. Funding will begin October 1, 2004.

In addition to the award, the program supports travel to Chicago, at which time grantees will present their proposals to the CPE faculty and staff and receive orientation on the use of the Union Army database. Grantees may be asked to provide interim written or oral progress reports during the year, and will return to Chicago during the year to present the results of their research. Write-ups will be published as part of the CPE working paper series, although it is intended that the author will also publish the completed work in a peer-reviewed journal or other academic venue. Click to download application forms for pre-doctoral or junior faculty applicants. Fill out, save, and print the completed application. Enclose the printed form along with your other application materials (see instructions).

Preference will be given to applicants who are either registered graduate students or non-tenured faculty at accredited institutions of higher education. If you have further questions about the grants program, please contact Joseph Burton, Managing Director of Research, Center for Population Economics at (773)753-0807 or jburton@cpe.uchicago.edu.

The Center for Population Economics and the National Bureau of Economic Research do not discriminate on the basis of age, gender, sexual orientation, or ethnicity.