Overview
MPRC is dedicated to developing new scholarship and focuses on four main population research themes.
Center research is conducted by Faculty Associates, Faculty Affiliates, and Student Research Affiliates.
Scholars present their findings at conferences year round, including the Population Association of America Annual Meeting held each Spring. Faculty Associates also participate in the Population Working Papers initiative hosted by the California Center for Population Research.
Mentoring the next generation of population research scholars is an essential part of the Center's mission.
Focus areas for research by MPRC Faculty Associates are listed below. Click on each header to explore current projects in each category, or use the listings in the navigation panel at left.
FAMILY & FERTILITY
MPRC's research on family processes has grown to include the following key areas: 1) time use and parenting; 2) family and fertility change; and 3) men’s role in the family.
SOCIAL & ECONOMIC INEQUALITY
Research in this area focuses on three important topics: 1) labor market inequalities in the U.S.; 2) causes and consequences of social inequality; and 3) policies and programs that impact the poorest of the poor.
HEALTH PROCESSES & AGING
Research in this area includes: 1) determinants of infant, child, and youth health; 2) health and aging; and 3) Impact of health care systems and social programs.
DATA & METHODS FOR POPULATION RESEARCH
MPRC focuses its efforts on two activities to enhance the availability of high quality data for research, and both activities revolve around the comparative advantage of the Center’s proximity to federal statistical agencies: 1) the delivery and enhancement of data collected by agencies that would otherwise be unavailable to the research community and 2) methodological studies designed to enhance the quality of data collected by these agencies.
Seed Grant Program
MPRC provides seed grants to support development of research proposals in these and other categories. Learn more . . .