February 4, 2025

Applications for 2025 summer applied research fellowships due on March 20

The University of Washington’s Population Health Initiative is partnering with the university’s Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology for the seventh consecutive summer to offer the Population Health Applied Research Fellowship program. Applications for this summer’s cohort will be accepted until March 20, 2025 from undergraduate and graduate students across all schools and colleges on all three UW campuses.

This paid fellowship program will offer a multidisciplinary team of undergraduate and graduate students training in data analysis techniques as well as in research and presentation skills while they develop a work product for an external partner.

The Summer 2025 Population Health Applied Research Fellowship team will collaborate with the King County Demographer and King County Parks to assess park accessibility. They will analyze existing data regarding public land locations and seek additional demographic and transportation data, and will then compare the distribution of individuals with disabilities, youth and schools with the distribution of parks, their features and transportation options. The project team will also conduct on-the-ground research at urban, unincorporated parks to observe physical and perceived accessibility, such as sidewalk quality, ramps, sightlines around vegetation and street lighting.

While quantitative data on park distribution and population use is useful, it does not fully assess park accessibility. This project offers students the chance to combine quantitative methods with field research to provide King County stakeholders with insights into physical access networks around parks, helping prioritize improvements to ensure all residents can enjoy these green spaces.

Three graduate students and two undergraduate students will compose the fellowship team. They will be supervised by faculty and staff from the Population Health Initiative and the Center for Studies in Demography & Ecology.

Join us for an informational session on March 3, 2025 in the Hans Rosling Center for Population Health from 12 – 1 p.m. Pacific. A virtual attendance option is also available. Please RSVP to let us know you if you will attend.