SAMSI Offers Two New Research Programs for 2014-2015

摘要

The Statistical and Applied Mathematical Sciences Institute (SAMSI) has two new programs for 2015-2016. They are Challenges in Computational Neuroscience (CCNS) and Statistics and Applied Mathematics in Forensic Science (Forensics). ASA members who join the programs will have the opportunity to collaborate with people in disciplines such as neurobiology, applied mathematics, and forensic science. The CCNS program will develop mathematical and statistical methods for neuroscience applications. These will be used to understand the underlying mechanisms that bridge multiple spatial and temporal scales, linking the activity of individual components (e.g., molecular biology, genetics, and neuron networks), and their interactions to the complex dynamic behavior of the brain and nervous system. Brain theory, modeling, and statistics will be essential to turn data into better understanding of the brain. The CCNS program will address the underlying methodological, theoretical, and computational challenges. Probability and statistics, dynamic systems, geometry, and computer science will be combined with respect to theory and in applications. AAPOR Releases Report on Survey Refusals In response to the steady decrease in the public's participation in surveys over the past 25 years, the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) has released a study called Current Knowledge and Considerations Regarding Survey Refusals. It is a comprehensive report on current knowledge about refusals in survey research-the impact, techniques to minimize refusals, and ethical considerations for the rights of respondents with regard to survey refusals. The report is a resource for survey researchers, institutional review boards, consumers of research, journalists, and the public.