As one of the six sites in the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation's Health & Society Scholars Program, Columbia H&SS promotes innovative and interdisciplinary research in population health through the Scholars program, working groups and other internal funding, and public events. Co-directed by Peter Bearman (Sociology, ISERP) and Bruce Link (Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health), the program integrates faculty and Scholars in the health, behavioral, social, and environmental sciences. Columbia H&SS supports theoretically-informed and methodologically rigorous basic and applied research. The program fosters an intellectual environment open to unexpected insights from our juxtaposition of different disciplines and points of view; our cross-talk among research, policy, and advocacy; and our encounter with the stimulating and complex environment of New York City.

Research and Mentoring
Research experiences may include intensive participation in a lab or large research study, collaboration with program faculty or other scholars, and independent projects carried out in a collegial and supportive environment. Scholars typically work on multiple projects and with multiple mentors, and take an independent role in planning and carrying out their research. Columbia H&SS is committed to responsible mentoring that promotes each Scholar's intellectual and professional development and research productivity. Identifying mentors during the recruitment process gives scholars an early start in building a strong mentoring relationship, and allows the mentor and scholar to plan their joint work. H&SS co-directors also help connect scholars to other faculty at Columbia who can guide their research and professional development.

Events
The Columbia H&SS program offers four kinds of events:

Mini-seminars

Each year, the Scholars organize a series of seminars around specific topics or themes, including health outcomes such as asthma, autism, or obesity, pathways of influence such as stress, distal factors such as neighborhoods, and broader questions in theory or philosophy of science. These mini-seminars are attended by the scholars, core faculty, and two regular faculty guests representing the health and social sciences.

Short Courses

To build skills relevant to population health research, our program sponsors short courses in methodology that are open to H&SS affiliates at Columbia and other program sites, and to the Columbia community at large. Topics vary from year to year reflecting Scholar interests. These courses help to develop a shared technical toolkit that can be applied across projects and provide a foundation for new insights.

Leadership Series

Columbia's approach to leadership training emphasizes the knowledge and skills involved in bringing population health research into the policy process. Through informal meetings with journalists, policymakers, foundation or NIH program officers, and representatives of community-based organizations, Scholars learn about the the process by which research agendas are set, research is disseminated, and policies are framed and contested.

Invited speakers

Several times a year, Columbia H&SS invites prominent researchers to campus to discuss their work. These public events attract a broad audience across the health and social sciences, and provide an opportunity for the Scholars to meet researchers from other campuses.

Internal Funding
To promote new population health research at Columbia, our program sponsors three internal grant competitions: microgrants, seed grants, and working groups. This funding is intended to support projects that model innovative approaches in population health, provide opportunities for scholar to investigation, and build connections between public health and the social sciences. All affiliated faculty and scholars are eligible to apply for funding.

Resources at Columbia
Health & Society Scholars at Columbia have access to the full range of university resources including libraries, computer facilities, and data archives. Scholar offices are located at both ISERP and the Mailman School of Public Health, and Scholars have access to Columbia's subsidized housing system.