The Institute for Population Research (IPR) has embarked upon a collaboration to form the Center for Aging Families (CAF). CAF brings together more than 50 affiliate scholars across social science and medical fields from The Ohio State University, Bowling Green State University (BGSU), and Purdue University.
This tri-university collaboration aims to deepen understanding of how family relationships shape the aging experience in the United States by combining disciplinary expertise to generate new scientific insights and expand research opportunities across institutions. Supported by a six-year National Institute on Aging (NIA) P30 grant, the center elevates the three partnering institutions as national leaders in research at the intersection of family life, health, and aging.
The Center is co-directed by Susan L. Brown, Distinguished Professor of Sociology at BGSU; Hui Liu, professor of sociology, Purdue University; and Sarah Hayford, Robert T. Lazarus Professor of Population Studies in sociology, and Rin Reczek, professor of sociology, Ohio State University.
The center will focus on three core research areas:
- The changing demography of aging families
- Aging family health
- Health disparities in aging families
Researchers will study how shifting family structures — such as delayed marriage, lower fertility, step families, and increasing rates of kinlessness — affect the health and well-being of adults in midlife and later life. These trends raise pressing questions about caregiving, social support, and long-term health outcomes as traditional family networks evolve.
Supporting emerging scholars and high-impact research
A hallmark of the center is its commitment to nurturing the next generation of scholars. The Emerging Scholars Program provides two-year research support, mentorship from senior faculty, and grant-writing guidance.
The Center also offers:
- Innovation Grants to spark new research initiatives
- Grant-writing training and working groups
- Data services, including access to the Ohio State University Federal Statistics Research Data Center and the American Population Panel
- A seminar series and annual conference
These initiatives are designed to create a vibrant, collaborative intellectual community and accelerate impactful research that shapes public health, policy, and community planning.
Improving quality of life for aging Americans
As the U.S. population ages rapidly, the need to understand how family relationships affect later-life health has never been more urgent. The Center for Aging Families aims to generate insights that will inform policymakers, healthcare providers, and community leaders across the country, helping them plan for a future in which older adults may have fewer family members to rely on for support.
By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and investing in emerging researchers, IPR and its partner institutions are building an influential hub for science that is greater than the sum of its parts to strengthen families and improve quality of life for aging Americans.