Pre-Conference Workshop

July 20-21, 2026 | Minneapolis, MN

The IPUMS Big Microdata Network and NDIRA, a collaboration between IPUMS and the University of Minnesota Life Course Center, will be accepting applications for the workshop component of the 2026 Data-Intensive Research Conference. The workshop will be held July 20-21, 2026 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.

Apply for Workshop

The pre-conference workshop is designed to familiarize participants with population data resources from IPUMS related to the conference theme of Novel Data Linkages and Innovative Life Course Research. This year’s workshop will provide training on using historical full count census data from IPUMS, including longitudinally linked census data from the IPUMS Multigenerational Longitudinal Panel (MLP). 

Full count IPUMS data provide opportunities to link individuals across censuses and with other records to develop longitudinal data and life histories. IPUMS Multigenerational Longitudinal Panel (MLP) links individuals' records between full count census files available via IPUMS USA. Other projects have linked census records with other sources. The workshop will cover

• Availability of full count data from IPUMS
• Challenges and opportunities of census linkage
• The MLP linking strategy
• Requesting and working with linked data from the IPUMS USA extract system
• Resources for linking IPUMS MLP to additional data
• Time to discuss research ideas and data availability with data experts
   

The workshop is intended to support scholars who have a specific project or research agenda that would benefit from historical, full count census data, either linking these census records across time or linking them to external sources (including modern surveys of aging, administrative data, or contextual measures). The content is targeted towards scholars who have worked with large-scale quantitative data, but are relatively new to using linked full count census data from IPUMS; this includes graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, early career faculty, or experienced scholars developing a new line of research. Competitive applicants will clearly describe the importance of historical, full count census data to their research. We expect workshop participants will also attend the research sessions of the Data-Intensive Research Conference. 

Applications are open through Wednesday, April 1, 2026. 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.

Apply for Workshop

Workshop space is limited to 35 participants. 

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. We 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 & IPUMS.