The Judith Dellinger Kasper Dissertation Award

 

 

Applications due February 3rd and should be emailed to dpeereb2@jhu.edu.

 

The award will support methodologically rigorous dissertation research that informs policies to improve care and well-being of vulnerable older populations and their families, in honor of the scientific contributions of Dr. Kasper. 

Judith Dellinger Kasper, PhD, was a long-term faculty member in the Department of Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for more than three decades. She was a core faculty member of the Roger and Flo Lipitz Center to Advance Policy in Aging and Disability from its inception in 2001. She was also a beloved teacher and mentor. An overarching aim of Kasper’s research was to inform policies to address the long-term needs of vulnerable older populations and the family members who care for them. A sociologist by training, she inspired students to undertake theory-driven research that emphasized practical implications for policy makers, providers and families. In the classroom and in her own research, she also encouraged attention to measurement and methodologic rigor. 

Kasper’s scientific contributions brought attention to vulnerable older populations and those who care for them. Her seminal work in 1988 on behalf of the Commonwealth Fund Commission on Elderly People Living Alone emphasized of the large numbers of older adults who would be living on their own, many in need of support from family members and friends. Through her contributions to the Women’s Health and Aging Study, or “WHAS”, a study of older women in the Baltimore area living with moderate to severe disability, she led a supplemental interview with family caregivers to ensure their perspective was well characterized. She developed tools and methods to assess quality of life and care for persons living with dementia, informing later efforts to monitor and assess dementia care programs. Her research career culminated in her leadership of the National Institute on Aging’s National Health and Aging Trends Study, or “NHATS”, a study devoted to understanding disability trends and dynamics in later life. Kasper also initiated the National Study of Caregiving or “NSOC”, which periodically interviews family caregivers of NHATS participants. NHATS and NSOC have shaped hundreds of publications as well as policy and consensus research reports focused on improving the lives of older adults and their families. 

 

Candidates must: 

  • Be full-time academic students in good standing, who are enrolled in a Johns Hopkins University research doctoral program in such fields as behavioral sciences, health services research, nursing, social sciences, epidemiology, biostatistics, health policy, or health informatics. 
  • Have completed all non-dissertation requirements for their doctoral degree by the time of submission of the application, including completion of their qualifying exams. 
  • Priority is given to survey-based research, including studies that draw on the National Health and Aging Trends Study and/or the National Study of Caregiving. Primary data collection and qualitative analyses will also be considered. 

 

Award Details 

  • Up to $14,000 will be granted in student dissertation awards, based on the number and quality of applications received 
  • Minimum 12 months up to 17 months starting June-July 2025 

 

Grant Recipient Requirements 

All award recipients are expected to commit to the following: 

At the time of receiving the award: 

  • Sign and adhere to the Grant Recipient Agreement Form 
  • Provide a biographical statement and photo for posting on the Roger and Flo Lipitz Center to Advance Policy in Aging and Disability website. 

Six months after the project begins: 

  • Submit to the Center a brief one-page Progress Report summarizing your project's progress and remaining activities. (Deadline: six months after project begins) 

At project completion: 

  • Submit to the Center a brief final report (up to three pages) that outlines the project accomplishments. (Deadline: one month after project completion) 
  • Provide a summary of use of grant funds at project completion. (Deadline: one month after project completion) 
  • Notify the Center of any specific outcomes from the project (e.g., publications, collaborations, further research, awards, media coverage, etc.). (Deadline: ongoing, including after the submission of the final report) 

Application Components 

COVER PAGE (1 page) 

  • Title of the proposal 
  • Contact information for the applicant(s) 
  • Proposal summary of no more than one paragraph 

PROPOSAL 

  • Length: five pages maximum 
  • Spacing: double-spaced, 11-point Arial font 
  • All proposals must include the following sub-sections, separated by easily recognizable section headers: Specific Aims; Significance; Innovation; Approach 

SUPPORTING DOCUMENTS 

  • Applicant biosketch 
  • Two letters of support from faculty mentors. 

Review Process

All applications will be reviewed by an interdisciplinary review committee. The applications will be judged on the following criteria: 

  • Thematic alignment 
  • Significance and potential public health policy impact 
  • Innovation 
  • Methodological and measurement rigor 

Submit your application electronically to Danielle Peereboom at dpeereb2@jhu.edu by February 3rd.