Elder Law Prof Blog

Borchard Center Announces 2015-16 "Law and Aging Fellows"

Mary Jane Ciccarello, co-director of the Borchard  Center on Law and Aging, recently sent us the latest news on the fellowships announced for the 2015-16 grant year.  There is strong competition for these key sources of funding for recent law school graduates to engage in new or expanded initiatives in law and aging.  The new fellows include: 

• Krista Granen, a 2015 University of California-Hastings graduate, who will partner with Bay Area Legal Aid in San Francisco to implement a multi-faceted project to provide direct services, establish a mobile “pop-up” clinic to accommodate seniors’ physical and capacity based impairments, and promulgate resource materials in the intersectional areas of consumer protection and Social Security. Her project will promote economic security for low-income seniors residing in Santa Clara County, a county that simultaneously experiences extreme class stratification and a dearth of necessary legal services. 

 

• Jennifer Kye, a 2014 UVA graduate, at Community Legal Services of Philadelphia, who will implement a three-part project focused on increasing vulnerable seniors’ access to Medicaid home and community-based services. Her project will include: (1) systemic advocacy at the state level to expand the availability and improve the delivery of these critically needed home-based services; (2) development of a self-help manual that will allow seniors to advocate for themselves in accessing services in their own homes; and (3) direct representation of low-income older adults in obtaining and keeping home-based services and supports.

 

• Stephanie Ridella Vittandsm, a 2014 Chicago-Kent graduate, who will continue her work at the Chicago Center for Disability and Elder Law, advocating for low-income seniors in housing matters, including eviction defense, public housing voucher termination defense, and representing seniors evicting tenants or family members from their homes. By prioritizing time-sensitive housing cases and conducting expedited intake interviews, she can continue to intervene in emergency housing cases.  She will continue to administer the Pro Se Guardianship Help Desk, which provides assistance to petitioners seeking guardianship over family members.   

 

• Shana Wynn, a 22015 graduate of North Carolina Central Law School, who joins Justice in Aging (formerly the National Senior Citizens Law Center) and the Neighborhood Legal Services Program (NLSP) in Washington, DC.  Ms. Wynn will work closely with Justice in Aging attorneys to formulate policy recommendations to improve the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) representative payee program for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients and Social Security beneficiaries. Ms. Wynn will partner with NLSP to provide pro bono services to low-income seniors and secure access to healthcare and public benefits such as SSI. The primary goal of the project is to identify and address problems relating to SSA’s representative payee program as a means to better protect our most vulnerable seniors from misuse of their modest incomes.
  

Congratulations to these hard working Fellows.  For law students or recent graduates thinking about applying for a future Borchard Law and Aging Fellowship grant, a reminder that the annual deadline is in mid-April.  Start your planning now!

Grants Available From Impact Fund

Charlie Sabatino, Executive Director of the ABA Commission on Law & Aging (COLA), former NAELA president, great guy and good friend of mine, forwarded to me the announcement about the Impact Fund.  According to the announcement,

The Impact Fund provides grants to nonprofit legal firms, private attorneys, and/or small law firms working to advance social justice in the areas of civil and human rights, environmental justice, and poverty law.

Through the fund’s litigation program, grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded in support of public interest litigation that has the potential to benefit a large number of people, lead to significant law reform, and raise public consciousness of social justice issues. The fund is particularly interested in projects that address systemic deprivations of constitutional or statutory rights in post-9/11 cases involving denial of rights under the guise of "homeland security"; criminal justice and immigration; and education access and equity.

For the fall cycle, Letters of Intent are due  by August 13, 2015 with the  next round for full applications for selected applicants due September 3, 2015.  Information about the grant application requirements is available here.  Grants are awarded quarterly, with relevant deadlines here.  Information about previously awarded grants can be accessed here.

Huguette Clark Family Foundation Announces Grant for Study of Elder Exploitation

From the ABA Bifocal, details about the 2015 award of a $50k grant by the Huguette Clark Family Fund for Protection of Elders to develop model civil statutes covering elder financial exploitation:

The project will be managed by the National Center for Victims of Crime under the guidance of Executive Director Mai Fernandez. Lori Stiegel of the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging will serve as a consultant on the project. Ms. Stiegel, a senior attorney, joined the ABA Commission in 1989 and has developed and directed its work on elder abuse.

 

“Creating a template of civil statutory provisions for elder financial exploitation is a short- term, innovative project that can have a lasting impact,” Ms. Fernandez said. “It can give attorneys an effective tool for pursuing civil cases and provide victims with the greatest chance to recover stolen assets. We welcome the support of the Huguette Clark Family Fund for Protection of Elders on this important project.”

The news release explains the donor-advised fund was established by the family in 2013 to honor the late Huguette Clark, "who was victimized by her caregivers for more than two decades."  Previous recipients of grants from the Huguette Clark Fund include San Diego State University and the Philadelphia Corporation on Aging.

Book Recommendation: Ai-Jen Poo's "The Age of Dignity"

In my preparation for an upcoming talk show on WPSU on "Caring for Mom & Dad," I had the incentive to get to my stack of "must read" books to focus on The Aging of Dignity: Preparing for the Elder Boom in a Changing America, by Ai-Jen Poo (New Press 2015).  What I very much like about this book is the broad lens it brings to aging demographics, focusing not on "burdens" but on "opportunities" to be a more productive, healthy society by dealing realistically with the need for both professional caregivers and family caregivers.  Ai-Jen Poo writes:

Aging at home necessitates home care workers.  Yet the 3 million people currently in the home care workforce cannot meet even the current need, let alone the demand for care that will accompany the elder boom. We will need at least 1.8 million additional home care workers in the next decade. As a result, care giving, specifically home care, is the fastest growing of all occupations in the nation....

 

With some course corrections in our culture and in our institutions, we can have the care infrastructure that will enable us to live our full potential. . . . The moral of this story is that a caring America is entirely within reach.

Not surprisingly, given her inspiring call for action, Ai-Jen Poo was a MacArthur "genius" grant recipient in 2014.  She is one of the commentators on Caring for Mom & Dad, and in Pennsylvania,  she will be part of our panel for WPSU's Conversations Live following the airing of the documentary on Thursday, May 28.  The documentary is at 8 p.m., and the audience can "call-in, e-mail or text-in"beginning at 9 p.m.  More details and links available here about the documentary and schedules here. 

Funding Opportunity: Senior Medicare Patrol and State Health Insurance Assistance Program

Seeking Applications for Hard-to-Reach Beneficiary Project

The Administration for Community Living oversees two programs geared toward educating and empowering Medicare beneficiaries; the Senior Medicare Patrol (SMP) and the State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). The SMP helps beneficiaries spot and report fraud related to their use of Medicare, and the SHIP provides information and counseling to help Medicare beneficiaries select health insurance programs that best meet their needs.

ACL seeks to assist these state-based programs in providing their services to hard to reach beneficiaries.  Cooperative agreements of up to $150,000 will be awarded to successful applicants proposing to develop new and creative strategies and tools for connecting with hard to reach beneficiaries.  Entities eligible to apply include domestic public or private non-profit organizations.  Hard to reach populations include, but are not limited to, the following groups:

•  Medicare Beneficiaries under age 65
•  Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Medicare Beneficiaries
•  American Indian/Alaska Native Medicare Beneficiaries
•  Beneficiaries located in rural areas
•  Limited-English Speaking Beneficiaries
•  Medicare Beneficiaries of Racial/Ethnic Minority Communities

An informational conference call will be held on Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 2:00 p.m. ET. To participate in the call, dial 1-888-566-5976, when prompted, enter passcode: 5922266.

Letter of Intent Due: April 30, 2015

Application Deadline: June 14, 2015

Click here to see the full announcement.

Justice in Aging Is Hiring for Attorney to Join their Health Team in D.C.

Justice in Aging (a 40+ year-old organization, until recently known as the National Senior Citizens Law Center) is "seeking a strategic, dynamic attorney" to join their health team in the Washington D.C. office.  They are requesting applications by May 1, with a target start date of June 1. 

Requirements include: 

• A J.D.
• At least 7 years of experience working for a consumer, legal, association, or other non-profit in a similar capacity
• Creative thinker with experience developing and implementing new advocacy projects to fill existing and emerging needs in underserved communities
• Capacity to manage multiple projects and people simultaneously
• Excellent interpersonal skills with demonstrated ability to lead, work as part of a team, and build external relationships
• Thorough understanding of both national and state legislative and regulatory processes
• Effective speaking, presentation, and writing skills

For more on the exciting opportunities in this position, see the full "job" posting  on Justice in Aging's website.

Academic Position a Window Into Wider World Of Aging Research

Colleagues in the U.K., Dr. Una Lynch in Northern Ireland and Dr. Karim Hadjri in Lancashire, England, shared information on an opening for a new academic position in aging research.  The listing nicely illustrates how global research into aging issues is multi-faceted, challenging and not solely focused on health care: 

The postholder will be an established researcher in Architecture or an Ageing related discipline, with demonstrable evidence of developing and promoting their cognate research or knowledge transfer/consultancy activity to high-level peers. The appointee will work closely with the Project Coordinator of ODESSA. ODESSA - Optimising care delivery models to support ageing-in-place: towards autonomy, affordability and financial sustainability, is a Europe-China initiative funded by China NSF and research funding agencies from four EU countries (UK, France, Germany and The Netherlands) under the Understanding Population Change theme. The project partners are Tsinghua University from Beijing, China, and Université Paris Dauphine and Université CNRS/Paris I-Panthéon Sorbonne from Paris, France. ESRC is the UK funding agency and the programme manager. The total value of the project is around GBP 1m and duration is 36 months starting on 1st March 2015.

 

The successful candidate will have an established international reputation in research (or knowledge transfer/consultancy), research project coordination and management, with demonstrable high impact areas that are supported and evidenced in leading peer-reviewed journals and extant literature. Educated with a PhD in architecture, built environment, or ageing related disciplines, and evidence of knowledge of architecture or ageing related disciplines research methods as well as a proven track record of meeting project deliverables and deadline is essential for this position.

Applicants can obtain further information and details here or by contacting the Project Coordinator, Professor Karim Hadjri, at University of Central Lancashire.

Giving While Living -- Completing Chuck Feeney's Original Mission for Atlantic Philanthropies

For more than twenty-five years, The Atlantic Philanthropies has been one of the most important funding sources for nonprofit and NGO work on health, education and equality issues in the U.S. and beyond, often providing key support for legal advocates including those at the National Senior Citizens Law Center (with its new name, Justice in Aging). My first encounter with AP began in Ireland in 2009-10, when I was based at the Changing Ageing Partnership, an AP funded-project at Queen's University Belfast.  

Everywhere I turned during that sabbatical, I encountered the good works underway as the result of Chuck Feeney's decision in the mid-1980s to transfer virtually all of his considerable personal wealth to Atlantic.  I learned that for the first half of AP's history, the grantmaking was anonymous and Chuck Feeney's role was largely unknown.  The publication of The Billionaire Who Wasn't, by Irish writer Conor O'Clery, helped to change that visibility, and Mr. Feeney began to embrace a more public commitment to "giving while living." 

My own work was impacted by what I learned that year, and I soon added a course on Nonprofit Organizations Law to my teaching package at Penn State's Dickinson Law.

Now Atlantic Philanthropies is facing its final two years of new grants, with 2016 being the concluding year.  The final grants will focus on four themes:

Continue reading

Call for Papers for Inaugural Issue of Journal of Aging, Longevity & Law

Touro Law Center has issued a call for papers for the inaugural issue of the Journal of Aging, Longevity and Law, to be published this year.  The first issue "will explore issues of adult guardianship." 

The new Journal is intended to be interdisciplinary, on a "wide range of topics involving the elderly and the consequences of an aging population on the law and the legal system."  Co-Editors-in-Chief, Professors Marianne Artusio and Joan Foley, explained the journal will be faculty and student-edited, and published online.  They welcome papers from professionals working in law and health care, as well as from students.

The deadline for submissions for the first issue is March 10 2015.  Papers should be submitted in MS Word format to the Editors above, and should "generally be no longer than 35 pages, including footnotes."   

Borchard Foundation Invites Applications for 2015-16 Law & Aging Fellowships

The Borchard Foundation Center on Law & Aging one again invites applications for fellowship grants, to fund new graduates from law schools to work in public interest positions in law and aging. 

The deadline for applications for the 2015-16 grant cycle is April 15, 2015.  The fellowship award period runs from July 1 of this year to June 30 of the following year, or for a calendar year to begin the month after the fellow's completion of a state bar examination.

For additional details on the prestigious Borchard Fellow grant program, go to the fellowship application page here.  For information on current and recent fellows, go here.   

Stanford's Center on Longevity Hosts Second Age-Related Design Challenge

Last year we wrote about Stanford University's first Design Challenge and the winner's colorful "EatWell" table setting, deigned to help those with cognitive deficits to eat without assistance. Last year the competition attracted 52 teams from 15 countries. 

Stanford's Center on Longevity recently announced its 2014-15 Design Challenge, focusing on mobility issues for older adults.  Entries are due December 5.  One goal is to reach more students, encouraging greater awareness of aging issues and the values of intergenerational collaboration. 

Hat tip to my colleague Professor Laurel Terry, who shared the latest news from her son's university. 

Alzheimer's Society Announces Grants to Study Non-Drug Treatment for Dementia

As anyone knows who has faced a diagnosis of Alzheimer's or other dementia in their own family, it can be devastating news.  I remember asking the doctor whether there was some "behavioral" training or program -- in addition to or as a substitute for medication -- that might help my own family member preserve, if not improve, existing cognition.  The answer at that time was a slow, sad shake of the doctor's head. 

That response is why many will be pleased to hear that the Alzheimer's Association supports research into non-drug therapies.  The latest grant funding for four projects, announced in Chicago last week, includes:

• A study of the use of "exercise or cognitive stimulation, or a combination of the two, for lowering the risk of cognitive decline and dementia in older adults."  $247k to Dr. Amy Jack at the University of California, San Diego.
• Evaluation of the impact of aerobic interval training regimens on the brain and thinking abilities of people with type 2 diabetes.  $250k to Dr. Gail Musen at Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.
• A study of "Skill-Building Through Task-Oriented Motor Practice (STOMP) for improving daily life skills and delaying decline in people" with dementia. "STOMP utilizes repetitive therapy and a learning technique that focuses on immediate correct steps instead of trial-and-error to strengthen and preserve memory for completing daily living tasks." $100k to Dr. Carrie Ciro at University of Oklahoma Health Sciences.  

For more information on Alzheimer's Association research and results, see here and here.  I can say that that I'm glad to see studies of regular movement or exercise.  In my own family, I saw some stabilization of cognition coincide with greater activity.  Being on one level -- with easy access to the outdoors and lots of room and safe areas to walk -- has proven to be very helpful for my father. 

First Annual Jameson Crane III "Disability and the Law" Student Writing Competition

Thomas Jefferson School of Law  (that just happens to be located in one of my favorite cities, San Diego) is hosting a new writing competition to encourage outstanding student scholarship at the intersection of "law and medicine" or "law and social sciences." The purpose is to promote "understanding" and to further the "development of legal rights and protections" of those with disabilities.  Papers may be on any topic relating to disability law, including legal issues connected to employment, government services and programs, public accomodations, education, higher education, housing and health care.

The First Annual Jameson Crane III Disability and the Law Writing Competition is open to currently enrolled law students, medical students and doctoral candidates in related fields in the U.S.

The winner of the competition will receive a $1,500 cash prize, while two second place winners will each receive $1,000 case prizes, plus the possibility of publication. 

The deadline for submission of entries is January 15, 2015. 

Additional details are available here, or by contacting Professor Susan Bisom-Rapp at Thomas Jefferson Law.  Thanks for letting us know about this new opportunity for students, Susan.

September 15 Deadline for Law Student Writing Competition on Social Insurance

 

One of my students is working on a fascinating research project and I was looking for an appropriate writing competition for him to submit his final paper.  I came across the National Academy of Social Insurance Law Student Writing Award.  The bad news is that I found it too late to benefit my student, as the deadline for submissions is Monday, September 15, 2014.  But the good news is that for those of you with law students who have already written terrific seminar papers and who are looking for a publication site, this might be the place.   

Potential topics include:  Analysis of legal and policy issues relating to any social insurance program. These issues include but are not limited to long-term care, Social Security, Social Security Disability, health insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, related public assistance and private employee benefits. Nominations of comparative and interdisciplinary work relating to social insurance protections and policies are encouraged.

Eligibility: Any substantial written work addressing topics relevant to the legal and policy issues creating, modifying, planning, and implementing social insurance programs are eligible for nomination. Papers prepared by any person(s) studying for a J.D. degree at an ABA-accredited law school. Eligible papers may not exceed 10,000 words in length, plus appropriate footnotes. Papers should observe the style specifications of and should be presented in double-spaced format on letter-size pages. All papers or articles completed before January 1, 2013 and September 14, 2014 will be considered.

Nomination Procedure: Nominations for the award can be made by a supervisor of the law student’s research paper, by an active member of the National Academy of Social Insurance, or any full-time faculty member at an ABA-accredited law school.

Our long-time friends at the Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging are a sponsor of the competition with the award of top prizes to take place at the NASI annual conference in Washington D.C. in January, 2015.  Perhaps this means that we plan on this opportunity for our students again in future years. (And the top award is nothing to sneeze at -- $2,500 plus an opportunity to participate in the conference with expenses paid.)

Additional information, including format and evaluation criteria are available here. 

Borchard Grant Deadline for 2005 Academic Research Awards

The Borchard Foundation Center on Law and Aging is once again making key research money available for academic projects to be funded in 2005:

"The Center makes no more than four annual grants up to $20,000 each. Larger budgets using outside matching funds are encouraged but not required. Favorable weight is given to proposals that indicate, where appropriate, that active attempts will be made to solicit required additional funds for the project (including a list of sources to be approached). Grant funds may be used for the approved budget purposes, which may include reasonable compensation for the principal investigator(s), consultant(s), and research assistant(s), print and computer-based research materials, and other necessary expenses.  Ordinarily, summer salary support will not be approved where the applicant is eligible for significant support from his or her university or other institutions. Grant funds may not be used for university overhead or administrative charges, and the Center will not otherwise pay any such costs."

And a reminder of the deadline for applications: "Applicants must submit an online application found on the Center’s Web site at www.borchardcla.org no later than October 27, 2014. Proposals will be reviewed and grants awarded by a committee composed of the Center’s academic advisory board members, co-directors, and fellows.  Selections will be made on or about December 15, 2014."

For more information on the Borchard academic grant program, go to their website at www.borchardcla.org.  Thanks to Borchard Co-director Mary Jane Ciccarello for reminding us of this important funding source for creative projects.

New York teen wins $50,000 prize for invention aiding Alzheimer's patients

Via Reuters:

A New York teenager whose grandfather suffers from Alzheimer's disease won a $50,000 science prize for developing wearable sensors that send mobile alerts when a dementia patient begins to wander away from bed, officials said on Wednesday.  Kenneth Shinozuka, 15, who took home the Scientific American Science in Action Award, said his invention was inspired by his grandfather's symptoms, which frequently caused him to wander from bed in the middle of the night and hurt himself.  "I will never forget how deeply moved my entire family was when they first witnessed my sensor detecting Grandfather's wandering," Shinozuka said in a statement. "At that moment, I was struck by the power of technology to change lives."  His invention uses coin-sized wireless sensors that are worn on the feet of a potential wanderer. The sensors detect pressure caused when the person stands up, triggering an audible alert on a caregiver's smartphone using an app.

The award honors a project that aims to make a practical difference by addressing an environmental, health or resources challenge, said Scientific American Editor in Chief Mariette DiChristina.

Read more at Reuters.

Related articles

State Launches Silver Alert Program to Help Find Missing Senior Citizens

U-M developing wearable tech for disease monitoring

Meet the Science in Action Finalists, Part 3: Wearable sensors to aid the aging, a device that helps people with developmental disabilities communicate, and converting wasted heat from a kitchen stove into electricity

It couldn't be more timely: ACL funding opportunity for supported decision-making

A huge theme at the 3rd World Congress on Guardianship was supported decision-making.  I was pleased and suprised to find this in my mailbox this morning:

ACL Funding Opportunity: Supported Decision Making

The purpose of this project is to create a training and technical assistance/resource center on supported decision making. The Center will collect and disseminate materials on supported decision-making, including the experiences of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) in making informed decisions with the use of supports. The project will also include a proposal to develop measures to compare outcomes for people with I/DD and older Americans who use supported decision-making methods and practices to exert control and choice in their own lives compared with outcomes for individuals under substituted decision-making arrangements.

Deadline:  Electronically submitted applications must be submitted no later than July 2, 2014 at 11:59 p.m.

Click here to download additional information including the application package.

Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging--Call for nominations for annual Caregiving Award

The Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging (www.benrose.org) invites creative caregivers to apply for the fourth annual Innovation in Caregiving Award.  Up to three award winners will each receive a commemorative plaque and a check for $1,000. Awards will be presented at BRIA’s annual conference in November, 2014. Applications for the award are available online at www.benrose.org/awardor by calling 216.791.8000. Deadline for applications is June 30, 2014.  

The Innovation in Caregiving Award recognizes adults (age 18 and over) who, in the course of caring for an adult aged 60 or over in a private home or a residential setting:

--invent a device or technique that solves a caregiving challenge, or          

--find a new application for an existing device or technique that supports caregiving and eases the burden on caregivers.

Last year’s award winners included Joseph Angelo, who developed Sparx Cards as a memory aid for people with dementia, and Renard Turner, whose Luvz Puzzles use shapes, colors and numbers to help people with cognitive issues engage in stimulating activity.  (View the winning 2013 entries and other past award winners here: www.benrose.org/award).

 

Applicants for the 2014 awards may be family caregivers, paid care providers, or support staff whose ingenuity and inventiveness in giving care is worthy of recognition and replication. The award criteria include:

--the innovativeness of the device, technique or new application,

--its usefulness,

--its potential for being adopted or duplicated by others, and

--its possibility for improving quality of care or quality of life, or any combination of those criteria.

The Innovation in Caregiving Award is made possible through a gift to the Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging by a former Board Member. The late Elizabeth H. (Betty) Rose created several devices that made it easier for caregivers to assist older adults. Her efforts resulted in improvements in care and increased comfort for those receiving care. Betty realized that caregivers are often creative problem solvers as well. She intended this award to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of these individuals who serve on the frontlines of caregiving. 

The award is not meant for organizations or individuals who developed their device or technique with financial help through a business, grant or other outside support. It honors instead direct caregivers: family members, friends and those working in the human services field, such as nurses, therapists, and home care aides, who have on their own developed a procedure or device with special benefit.  

The Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging (www.benrose.org) is a national leader pursuing innovation in practice and policy to address the important issues of aging. As a champion for older adults, Benjamin Rose works to advance their health, independence and dignity. The organization has established itself as a trusted resource for people who counsel, care for and advocate on behalf of older adults. The state-of-the-art Conference Center at Benjamin Rose hosts educational programming that is responsive to the evolving demands of an aging population.

 

 

 

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HUD Announces $120 Million for People with Disabilities

To help prevent thousands of people with disabilities from experiencing homelessness or unnecessary institutionalization, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development announced about $120 million in funding for state housing agencies to provide long-term rental assistance. Developed in partnership with HHS, applications for the Section 811 PRA are due May 5, 2014.

The program reinforces the guiding principles of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the landmark 1999 Supreme Court ruling in Olmstead v. L.C., which require state and local governments to provide services in the most integrated settings appropriate to meet the needs of individuals with disabilities. Read the News Release or Notice of Funding Availability for details.

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Feds Call For Expanded Community Living Options - Disability Scoop

HUD Olmstead Guidance Step in Right Direction

Penn State offers post-doc in applied gerontology

The Study of Healthy Aging & Applied Research Programs (SHAARP) lab within the Center for Healthy Aging at Penn State is pleased to offer a postdoctoral position for an emerging scholar.  The SHAARP lab is led by Dr. Lesley Ross and is primarily focused on (1) cognitive, sensory, and physical functioning predictors of everyday functioning in older adults and (2) interventions to maintain everyday functioning in older adults. This lab is involved in several ongoing and recently completed longitudinal and intervention-based studies including the Advanced Cognitive Training for Independent and Vital Elderly (ACTIVE), the Cognitive and Physical Exercise Study (CAPES), the Senior and Adolescent Driving Study (SANDS), and the Maryland Driving Study.  Studies conducted within the SHAARP lab are multidisciplinary and include imaging data (MRI/fMRI), genetic biomarkers, neuropsychological and cognitive data, sensory and physical functioning data, mental health and lifestyle data, and detailed everyday functioning data (such as driving and mobility).  Primary responsibilities will include data management and analysis; preparation of manuscripts, grant proposals, and conference presentations; and participation in interdisciplinary research groups that design new studies. The fellow will have opportunities to publish, and access to exceptional resources to facilitate his or her independent research.  Additional opportunities to work with other Center for Healthy Aging faculty may also be available.

Qualified individuals will have a Ph.D. in the social, behavioral or health sciences; relevant research experience; strong statistical and writing skills; and the capacity to work closely with others. Additional skills that are highly desirable, but not required, are a background in cognitive aging, genetic biomarkers, and imaging. The appointment will be for one year, with likely funding for at least one additional year depending on productivity. The position provides salary and benefits consistent with those for NIH postdoctoral fellows.  To apply, please send (1) a letter of application indicating research interests, career goals, and experience; (2) a curriculum vita; and (3) three letters of professional reference to Ann Shuey via email ([email protected]) or post at The Center for Healthy Aging, 422 Biobehavioral Health Building, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802. Review of applications will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.

 

Please visit our websites for more information regarding Dr. Ross, the lab, and Center for Healthy Aging associated faculty. 

 

For more information, please contact Dr. Ross at [email protected].