Pre-Conference Workshop

August 2-3, 2027 | Minneapolis, MN

The Network for Data Intensive Research on Aging (NDIRA), a collaboration between IPUMS and the University of Minnesota Life Course Center, and the Education Studies for Healthy Aging Research (EdSHARe) project will soon be inviting applications for the workshop component of the 2027 Data-Intensive Research Conference. The workshop will be held August 2-3, 2027 at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. This will be an in-person workshop; some components of the subsequent conference will allow for virtual participation. Applications will be open from January 15, 2027 through April 7, 2027.

Researchers studying aging, life course trajectories, and later life outcomes are often interested in identifying and understanding exposures that occur earlier in the life course. This year’s data training workshop will feature two distinct but related day-long sessions that will equip participants with data and resources for measuring exposures across the life course. We expect workshop participants to also attend the research sessions of the Data-Intensive Research Conference. 

Workshop Session 1: Studying Biological Outcomes and Adolescent Contexts.

EdSHARe includes rich, longitudinal data from two nationally representative cohorts that integrate survey and neurocognitive data with biomarker and administrative data. This session will provide an in-depth introduction to using recently released  data from both EdSHARe cohorts, including topics as:

• Introduction to the National Longitudinal Study of the High School Class of 1972 (NLS:72);
• Introduction to High School and Beyond (HS&B:80);
• Overview of early life educational, family, spatial, and other data from NLS:72 and HS&B:80;
• Overview of NLS:72 and HS&B:80 administrative data on education, consumer credit, residential histories, mortality, and voting; 
• Overview of mid- and late-life biomarker data in NLS:72 and HS&B:80;
• How to secure access to restricted  data;
• How to develop project proposals; and
• How to learn more from the investigators. 

Workshop Session 2: Introduction to Geography-Based Exposure Linkages to Microdata. 

This session will provide participants with a primer on making geography-based linkages of exposures to microdata, including discussion of:

• Geographic units commonly available in population data sources;
• Geographic specificity of focal data sources for studying aging and the life course;
• Approaches to linking individuals in microdata to geographic contexts;
• Timing considerations for associating geographic contexts and exposures;
• Case studies that explore exposures for individuals in microdata sources through geographic linkages; and
• Consultations about individual research projects.

There are 25 places available for the full, two-day workshop, and up to 10 additional places for researchers who are only interested in the geography-based microdata linkages session on the second day. Applicants should indicate if they are interested in the full workshop or only the second day in their application. Priority will be given to participants who are interested in participating in both days.

Applications will open on January 15, 2027. Applicants should be prepared to submit brief statements about their professional background, their current research agenda and its relevance to the workshop topic, and how attending the workshop will further their research or professional development. 

Note: We receive many more workshop applications than we can accommodate each year. Competitive workshop applications will describe a specific research project that is directly relevant to the conference theme and content of the workshop. Applications that describe general research interests, rather than a specific project, or those that describe projects that are not related to life course research will not be considered. 

Our external research networks place emphasis on making high-quality data training opportunities accessible as part of our efforts to create and support a diverse community of scholars using population data for innovative research. NDIRA and EdSHARe will offer travel support for some participants selected to attend the workshop and conference. Travel support recipients will receive reimbursement for some or all of the following expenses: domestic airfare, ground travel, and lodging. Applicants should indicate their interest in travel support using the questions on the workshop application form. 

Support for this workshop is provided by NDIRA & EdSHARe.