NextGenPop: Recruiting the Next Generation of Scholars into Population Research

NextGenPop is a new NICHD-funded undergraduate program (R25 HD105602) in population research that aims to increase the diversity of the population field and nurture the next generation of population scientists. The program offers undergraduates an on-campus research training experience over the summer, virtual research and professional development workshops throughout the academic year, and opportunities for mentoring and networking with population scholars from across the U.S.

The summer 2022 program will be hosted by the University of Wisconsin–Madison. From May 31-June 14, 18 undergraduate students will live and study at UW for 2 weeks. Participants will receive an introduction to population research through classroom instruction and hands-on applications that address contemporary social issues, including race and income inequalities, health disparities, immigration, and family change.

Following the summer program and throughout the academic year, NGP students will participate in monthly virtual workshops on research and professional development. In the spring of 2023, fellows will be able to present research, meet with population scholars, and reconnect with their NGP cohort at the Annual Meeting of the Population Association of America

UW–Madison is a major hub for research on reproductive health, with scholars from across campus working to address important demographic changes and pressing social issues, including the alarming race gap in maternal morbidity and mortality in the U.S., reductions in Title X funding and the accessibility of reproductive health care, and declining access to abortion services, among many others.

While at UW, NGP Fellows will work closely with faculty members closely affiliated with the Center for Demography and Ecology (CDE), a multi-disciplinary cooperative for demographic research and graduate training in the social sciences on campus. Reproductive health is a major research area at CDE, and NextGenPop faculty members at UW lead research and community outreach initiatives that explore topics in reproductive health as well as their broader implications for individuals, communities, and populations.