2016 Annual Report

ISR Health and Retirement Study enhanced with new federal support

The University of Michigan Health and Retirement Study has received significant support from the National Institutes of Health in order to carry out three important enhancements to this important resource for aging research.

The study, which began in 1992, follows more than 35,000 people over the age of 50, interviewing participants every two years, from pre-retirement to advanced old age. It is conducted by the U-M Institute for Social Research under a cooperative agreement between U-M and the National Institute on Aging at NIH.

“This study is one of the most important in the world.”

– David Lam, director of the U-M Institute for Social Research

“The new initiatives are innovative across a range of scientific areas and will further broaden our understanding of aging in America,” said ISR Research Scientist David Weir, who directs the Health and Retirement Study.

With the additional support, researchers will be able to extend the scope and value of the study as they:

  • Add a new cohort of late baby boomers to their ongoing research sample, using innovative sampling methods to reduce cost while keeping the study representative of the U.S. population age 50 and over.
  • Collect blood samples that will provide valuable information on the aging of the immune system and related molecular and cellular age-related changes.
  • Carry out a new population study of dementia in collaboration with sister studies around the globe.

Funding for the new initiatives is expected to total $40 million over the next three years. That amount is in addition to funding for the basic Health and Retirement Study. The U.S. Social Security Administration provides additional support.

“This study is one of the most important in the world,” said David Lam, director of the U-M Institute for Social Research. “It brings together scientists from a broad range of disciplines and is a prime example of Michigan’s strength in interdisciplinary research and ISR’s commitment to collaboration.”