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Homepage > Academics > Special Academic Programs > Aging/Social Work Institute
 The Fifth Annual Institute
July 13-20, 2008
Support for this Institute comes from
the National Institute on Aging, the
Hartford Foundation, and the Office
of Behavioral and Social Sciences, OD, NIH
Deadline for Applications is April 11, 2008.The program provides advanced training in aging research to Social Work Faculty. Participants develop knowledge and skills in research methodology and have the opportunity for extended contact with distinguished visiting professors and National Institute on Aging (NIA) staff. In addition, they work with colleagues from other institutions to develop a research proposal and submit it to NIA/NIH. Participants are challenged to emphasize methodological issues in their own courses and to provide research experience to their students.
Introduction This program offers an excellent opportunity for top-level training with nationally recognized experts in research methodology related to aging. Specifically designed for college and university social work faculty, the program aims to strengthen participants' knowledge and skills essential for developing an active research agenda and integrating research in aging with teaching. Program design includes an initial 8-day institute in Summer I, proposal development and consultation during the intervening year, a mid-year meeting in February, and a follow-up institute in Summer II. (See Program Design Table.) The proposed Initial Institute will be held July 13-20, 2008 in Duluth, Minnesota, overlooking beautiful Lake Superior. It will provide advanced training in aging research to 15 social work faculty members. Past participants have given outstanding ratings to the Institute. They have indicated that the Institute gave them an opportunity to get to know distinguished professionals, allowed them to interact intensively with colleagues from other schools and NIA staff, and facilitated learning from each other. In addition, participation in the training program improved their knowledge and skills related to research methodology, made them aware of new developments in key areas of aging research, increased their awareness of grant support available at NIA, and improved their knowledge of how to prepare a grant application. A follow-up survey of the first two cohorts indicates that
a) more than 73% of the participants from Cohort 1 and more than 50 percent from Cohort 2 have been successful in securing research funding from private foundations and/or from state or federal agencies;
b) more than 50 percent of the members of the two Cohorts reported that they have
received institutional funds to conduct aging research; and
c) eight of the 15 members of Cohort 1 have already submitted their grant applications
to NIA/NIH.
 
A grant from the National Institute on Aging provides food, lodging, and travel support for all applicants selected to participate in the institute. Program Content - Research Design, Measurement, and Analysis
- Evaluation of Interventions
- Caregiving and Disabilities
- Ethnicity and Aging
- Grant Support Available at NIA
- Preparing Grant Applications
Site for the ProgramThe program is held on the campus of The College of St. Scholastica in Duluth, Minnesota. St. Scholastica has considerable experience with similar programs having offered a series of summer institutes on aging since 1989, first with support from the National Science Foundation and now with support from the National Institute on Aging.  The St. Scholastica campus offers an ideal setting for the IASW program. The College library has an excellent collection of journals, books, monographs, reports, videotapes, and other materials related to aging. The library is connected to the PALS system which permits access to a data base of over 2,000,000 monographs and 350,000 government documents held by over 75 public and private universities, government departments, and state agencies including the Minnesota Department of Health and the State Historical Society. Internet connections provide links to other libraries as well. In addition, the library participates in Minitex, a state-wide network which makes it possible for participants to utilize the books and journals available in other libraries, including those at the University of Minnesota. Participants in past institutes have found these arrangements extremely helpful in conducting literature reviews in specialized areas.  The College offers numerous conferences and institutes each summer; Excellent classroom facilities, audiovisual equipment, and computer laboratories have been reserved for the institute. The computer laboratories provide convenient networked access to all major research software that participants would need. Internet access is available for use by students and visiting professors.  The beautiful, 180-acre wooded campus shared with the Monastery and the College of St. Scholastica is also home to the Benedictine Health Center and Westwood Apartments. Since being founded by the Benedictine Sisters of St. Scholastica Monastery in 1980, the Center provides Long Term Care, Adult Day Services, Rehabilitation and Early Childhood/Preschool programs to meet the needs of area families. Westwood was added in 2000, and it extends the Benedictine Sister's ministry of care into retirement housing.
Duluth Area
Mid-America's gateway to the sea, Duluth's harbor hosts ships from dozens of nations each year. Duluthians enjoy the beauty and sport of four seasons. In close proximity to the College are beaches, biking and jogging trails, ski resorts, cross-country ski trails, boating and fishing sites and rinks for skating, curling and hockey. The Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness is close enough for week-end visits. Duluth offers a wide variety of cultural activities as well. Each year the city's auditorium hosts a long list of popular entertainers. The Minnesota Ballet, Duluth Playhouse and Duluth-Superior Symphony Orchestra provide exciting year-round seasons. Duluth's many historical attractions include Glensheen, a 39-room neo-Jacobean style mansion built on the Lake Superior shore, the St. Louis County Heritage and Arts Center, and the Marine Museum at Canal Park. Duluth's low crime rate, high quality of life and natural beauty frequently earn it high rankings in "best places to live Related Links
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