PAS-98-041: SECONDARY ANALYSIS IN DEMOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS OF AGING

Department of Health
and Human Services (HHS)

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SECONDARY ANALYSIS IN DEMOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS OF AGING Release Date: March 20, 1998 PA NUMBER: PAS-98-041 P.T. National Institute on Aging Application Receipt Dates: April 29, 1998, June 16, 1998, October 16, 1998 PURPOSE The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is seeking small grant (R03) applications to: 1) stimulate and facilitate secondary analyses of data related to the demography and economics of aging, 2) provide support for preliminary projects using secondary analysis that could lead to subsequent applications for other research project grant award mechanisms, 3) provide support for rapid analyses of new databases and experimental modules for purposes such as informing the design and content of future study waves, and 4) provide support for the development, enhancement and assembly of new databases from existing data. HEALTHY PEOPLE 2000 Each NIH PA addresses one or more of 22 Health Promotion and Disease Prevention priority areas identified. These areas can be found via the WWW at http://www.crisny.org/health/us/health7.html. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS Applications may be submitted by domestic for-profit and non-profit organizations, public and private, such as universities, colleges, hospitals, laboratories, units of State and local governments, and eligible agencies of the Federal government. Foreign organizations and institutions are not eligible. Racial/ethnic minority individuals, women, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply as principal investigators. Participation in the program by investigators at minority institutions is strongly encouraged. Applications from new investigators and researchers new to aging are particularly encouraged. MECHANISM OF SUPPORT Applicants may request up to $50,000 (direct costs) for one year through the small grant (R03) mechanism. However, the grants will be awarded under Expanded Authorities and are eligible for a single one-year no cost extension. These awards are not renewable. If applicable, before completion of the R03, investigators are encouraged to seek continuing support for research through other grant award mechanisms. Replacement of the Principal Investigator on this award is not permitted. FUNDS AVAILABLE Approximately $1,000,000 will be available to fund 15 to 20 small grants, contingent on high scientific merit and program priorities. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES The Small Grant program is designed to: support researchers interested in undertaking secondary analyses of data related to the demography and economics of aging, provide support for preliminary projects using secondary analysis that could lead to subsequent applications for individual research awards, and provide support for rapid analyses of new databases and experimental modules for purposes such as informing the design and content of future study waves. Development, enhancement and assembly of new databases from existing data are permitted, provided data analysis is also proposed. International comparative analyses are encouraged. Applications which are innovative and high risk with the likelihood for high impact are especially encouraged. Examples: * Biodemography of aging. Topics of interest include: heritability and familial aggregation of disease and longevity, experimental demography, incorporation of genetic variables into demographic models and age-specific mortality rates, the population effects of genetic indicators of disease, and the role of elderly in nature. (See Between Zeus and the Salmon: The Biodemography of Longevity. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997. Also available at http://www.nap.edu). See also NIA Pilot Research Grant Program announcement which permits original data collection (PAR-98-021). * Investigation of trends in chronic disease and disability, especially of the factors underlying the recent trend in declining disability, in the older population. Determination and estimation of causal factors underlying the trend (e.g. medical technological interventions, health care access, early life experiences, education, biomedical and social research advances, public health measures). * Estimation of the impact of changes in the functional status of the older population on Medicare and other health care costs. Estimation of the impact of medical interventions on future lifetime health care costs. * Economic analyses of the impact of aging-related biomedical and social research and resulting new technologies and interventions. * Forecasting life and active life expectancy, health, medical services and long term care usage. Modeling risk factor trajectories and trends in noncommunicable disease disability and mortality in developed and developing countries, with emphasis on aging populations. Analyses and projections of the epidemiological transition in developing countries. Improved analysis and projections of the global burden of disease (e.g. incorporating microdata on risk factors to model the impact of interventions). (See Murray, C.J.L. and Lopez, A.D. 1996. Evidence-Based Health Policy Lessons from the Global Burden of Disease Study. Science, 274, 740- 743). * Evaluations and simulations of the impact of changes in DHHS and SSA policies (e.g. changing the age of eligibility for Medicare and Social Security benefits) on the health and functioning of the older population. * Health, work and retirement, including: implications of population aging for public and private retirement programs and for income security of future retirees (See Assessing Knowledge of Retirement Behavior. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 1996 and Assessing Policies for Retirement Income: Needs for Data, Research, and Models. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 1997. Both available at http://www.nap.edu), determinants of retirement, family labor supply, and saving, consequences of retirement for health and functioning, comparative studies of labor force activity, effects of psychological factors (e.g. expectations, risk taking, altruism, time preferences, etc.) and mental health characteristics (e.g. depression) on economic behaviors (e.g. savings and transfers), economic and demographic analyses of employer- and organizational- level determinants of labor force participation at older ages. * Interactions between health and economic status over time, relationship between health and wealth, role of social cohesion as a mediating factor, improved measures of socioeconomic position for aging populations, economic determinants of health promotion and disease prevention behaviors. * Studies of the health of diverse racial and ethnic older populations. Variables of interest include the effects of lifelong poverty, birth weight, access to employer-provided health insurance, recency and circumstances of immigration, the strain of physically demanding work, wealth, income and early- life health status, and experiences of discrimination. (See Racial and Ethnic Differences in the Health of Older Americans. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. 1997. Also available at http://www.nap.edu). * Demography and economics of dementia and Alzheimer"s Disease, and of AIDS in older populations. * General demographic analyses of population aging, including: the aging of the baby boom cohort, historical demographic and epidemiological research on the aging process and on the determinants of health and mortality in older populations, migration and immigration, the impact of state and small area characteristics on health, improved descriptive analyses of centenarian populations, macro and micro dynamics of intergenerational exchanges, use of public and private resources in the period before death, and comparative international analyses of population aging using Census and other data. (See Demography, 34: 1. February 1997, and Demography of Aging. Washington DC: National Academy Press. 1994. Also available at http://www.nap.edu). Priority will be given to proposals undertaking secondary analysis of publicly available datasets of high Congressional and NIA priority, such as the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (see The Journal of Human Resources, 30. Supplement 1995), Asset and Health Dynamics of the Oldest-Old (AHEAD) (see The Journals of Gerontology Series B, 52B. Special Issue, May 1997), and the National Long Term Care Survey (NLTCS) (See Manton et al. 1997. Chronic Disability Trends in Elderly United States Populations: 1982-1984. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., 94, 2593-2598). Other datasets supported by NIA which are in the public domain include: Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging (ALSA), Current Population Survey (CPS), Early Indicators of Later Work Levels, Disease, and Death, Epidemiology of Chronic Disease in the Oldest Old, Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly (EPESE), German Socio-Economic Panel (GSOEP), Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS), Longitudinal Study of Aging (LSOA), Supplement on Aging II (SOA II), Luxembourg Income Study (LIS), Malaysian Family Life Survey (MFLS), National Longitudinal Survey (NLS): 1990 Resurvey of Older Males, National Survey of Families and Households (NSFH) Reinterview, Odense Archive of Population Data on Aging, Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), 1990 Public-Use Microdata Sample for the Older Population and the comparable samples from ECE countries (collected by the UN/ECE/PAU), and the Wisconsin Longitudinal Survey (WLS). Since replication is a fundamental tenet of science, applicants should provide compelling justification for using data which are restricted because of confidentiality, privacy, international or other legal considerations. Upon request, program staff listed under INQUIRIES will send applicants information about these and other datasets, including instructions on how the data can be accessed. Although this Program Announcement is oriented primarily to the demography and economics of aging, the datasets listed above, among others, may also be relevant to other areas in the behavioral and social sciences. For such programmatic information, contact staff listed under INQUIRIES. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The submission (new and revised), review, and award schedule for the Small Research Grant Program is: Application Receipt Dates: Apr 29 Jun 16 Oct 16 Review: Jun-Jul Oct-Nov Feb-Mar Earliest Funding: Sep 98 Jan 99 May 99 Only one Small Grant application may be submitted by a principal investigator per receipt date. Applicants may not submit other research project grant applications on the same topic concurrent (to be considered at the same review cycle) with the submission of a Small Grant application. Applications are to be submitted on the grant application form PHS 398 (rev. 5/95) and prepared according to the directions in the application packet, with the exceptions noted below. Application kits are available at most institutional offices of sponsored research and may be obtained from the Division of Extramural Outreach and Information Resources, National Institutes of Health, 6701 Rockledge Drive, MSC 7910, Bethesda, MD 20892-7910, telephone (301) 435-0714, FAX (301) 480-0525, Email: [email protected]. On the face page of the application: Item 2 type "SECONDARY ANALYSIS IN DEMOGRAPHY AND ECONOMICS OF AGING". Check the "YES" box. Research plan: Do not exceed a total of ten pages for the following parts (a-d): specific aims, background and significance, progress report/preliminary studies, and experimental design and methods. Tables and figures are included in the ten page limitation. Applications that exceed the page limitation or PHS requirements for type size and margins (Refer to PHS 398 application for details) will be returned to the investigator. The ten page limitation does not include parts e through i. (Human Subjects, Vertebrate Animals, Literature Cited, Consortium Arrangements, Consultants). For amended applications, an Introduction not exceeding one page is permitted. Appendix materials are permitted only for glossy photos and may not be used to circumvent the page limitations. Materials submitted after the receipt date: No additional materials pertaining to a particular application will be accepted after the receipt date for which the application is submitted except for certification of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. As specified in the PHS 398 form, certification of IRB approval must be received within 60 days after the receipt date for which the application is submitted. Submit a signed, original of the application, and five exact photocopies, including the checklist, in one package to: CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC REVIEW NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH 6701 ROCKLEDGE DRIVE, ROOM 1040 - MSC-7710 BETHESDA, MD 20892-7710 BETHESDA, MD 20817 (for express/courier service) REVIEW CONSIDERATIONS Applications will be assigned on the basis of established PHS referral guidelines. Applications that are complete will be evaluated for scientific and technical merit by an appropriate peer review group convened in accordance with the standard NIH peer review procedures. As part of the initial merit review, all applications will receive a written critique and undergo a process in which only those applications deemed to have the highest scientific merit, generally the top half of applications under review, will be discussed and assigned a priority score. The five criteria to be used in the evaluation of grant applications are listed below. The goals of NIH-supported research are to advance our understanding of biological systems, improve the control of disease, and enhance health. In the written review, comments on the following aspects of the application will be made in order to judge the likelihood that the proposed research will have a substantial impact on the pursuit of these goals. Each of these criteria will be addressed and considered in the assignment of the overall score. 1. Significance. Does this study address an important problem? If the aims of the application are achieved, how will scientific knowledge be advanced? What will be the effect of these studies on the concepts or methods that drive this field? 2. Approach. Are the conceptual framework, design, methods, and analyses adequately developed, well-integrated, and appropriate to the aims of the project? Does the applicant acknowledge potential problem areas and consider alternative tactics? 3. Innovation. Does the project employ novel concepts, approaches or method? Are the aims original and innovative? Does the project challenge existing paradigms or develop new methodologies or technologies? Does the project offer high risk with the likelihood for high gain ? 4. Investigator. Is the investigator appropriately trained and well suited to carry out this work? Is the work proposed appropriate to the experience level of the principal investigator and other researchers (if any)? 5. Environment. Does the scientific environment in which the work will be done contribute to the probability of success? Do the proposed experiments take advantage of unique features of the scientific environment or employ useful collaborative arrangements? Is there evidence of institutional support? Additional factors to be considered: The initial review group will also examine: the likelihood that the project will lead to the development of an R01 application, or significant advancement of aging research, the appropriateness of proposed project budget and duration, the adequacy of coverage of both genders and minorities and their subgroups in the dataset proposed for the secondary analysis, as appropriate for the scientific goals of the study, the adequacy of the proposed dataset to protect the identifiability of human subjects, and the safety of the research environment. AWARD CRITERIA Applications will compete for available funds with all other approved applications. The following will be considered in making funding decisions: o quality of the proposed project as determined by peer review, o availability of funds, o program priority INQUIRIES Inquiries are encouraged. The opportunity to clarify any issues or questions from potential applicants is welcome. For information about the datasets described above, send your inquiry to: Donna Perry Behavioral and Social Research Program National Institute on Aging 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 533, MSC 9205 Bethesda, MD 20892-9205 Email: [email protected] (email correspondence is preferred) Telephone: (301) 496-3138 FAX: (301) 402-0051 Direct inquiries regarding programmatic issues (including those not related to the demography or economics of aging but that may be relevant to other areas in the behavioral and social sciences) to: Georgeanne E. Patmios Behavioral and Social Research Program National Institute on Aging 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 533, MSC 9205 Bethesda, MD 20892-9205 Email: [email protected]v (e-mail correspondence is preferred) Telephone: (301) 496-3138 FAX: (301) 402-0051 Direct inquiries regarding fiscal matters to: David Reiter Grants and Contracts Management Office National Institute on Aging 7201 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 2N212, MSC 9205 Bethesda, MD 20892 Email: [email protected] (e-mail correspondence is preferred) Telephone: (301) 496-1472 FAX: (301) 402-3672 AUTHORITY AND REGULATIONS This program is described in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance No. 93.866. Awards are made under authorization of the Public Health Service Act, Title IV, Part A (Public Law 78-410), as amended by Public Law 99-158, 42 USC 241 and 285) and administered under PHS grants policies and Federal Regulations 42 CFR 52 and 45 CFR Part 74. This program is not subject to the intergovernmental review requirements of Executive Order 12372 or Health Systems Agency review. The PHS strongly encourages all grant and contract recipients to provide a smoke- free workplace and promote the non-use of all tobacco products. In addition, Public Law 103-227, the Pro-Children Act of 1994, prohibits smoking in certain facilities (or in some cases, any portion of a facility) in which regular or routine education, library, day care, health care or early childhood development services are provided to children. This is consistent with the PHS mission to protect and advance the physical and mental health of the American people.

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