Center for Family and Demographic Research

Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM)
Instructor:  Hsueh-Sheng Wu
Monday, May 20, 1:00 –2:00 pm
CFDR/NCFMR Conference Room, 7C Williams

Hierarchical Linear Model (HLM) is an advanced technique for analyzing contextual influences.  Unlike Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) Regression, HLM takes into account the nested structure of social science data (e.g., students clustered within schools) and cross-level interactions (e.g., how the effect depression on suicide differs according to neighborhood level of religiosity).  This workshop provides an introduction to why social scientists need HLM and how to estimate HLM models using SAS and Stata.

Introduction to Propensity Score Analysis
Instructor:  Dr. Matthew VanEseltine
Wednesday, June 26, 1:00-3:00 pm
CFDR/NCFMR Conference Room, 7C Williams
**Pre-registration is required**

This workshop is a practical introduction to propensity score analysis (PSA), a relatively new approach to estimating treatment effects with nonexperimental data. Whereas regression models attempt to balance data by including controls, PSA involves matching cases based on their predicted likelihood to experience values of the independent variable of interest. The simplest forms of PSA use discrete treatments (e.g., imprisoned or not; became married or remained unmarried) and are best suited for studies of longitudinal data with few moderating or mediating variables. The workshop will cover various types of matching, strengths and weaknesses of the approach, and tests of robustness, with examples in Stata.

Grant Writing
Instructor:  Dr. Kara Joyner
Wednesday, July 24, 1:00 -2:00 pm
CFDR/NCFMR Conference Room, 7C Williams

This workshop will guide you through the stages of planning and executing a grant proposal that clearly explains your potential unique contribution to research. From the early stages of defining the significance of your project and assessing the feasibility to the final stages of planning a budget and routing the proposal, this workshop will focus especially on grant-writing advice for faculty and advanced graduate students who are preparing their first internal and external funding proposals.

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