NIH renews $70 million ISR Health and Retirement Study

At a briefing on Capitol Hill June 19, Michigan Congressman John Dingell announced a new award of $70 million to the Institute for Social Research (ISR) to continue the Health and Retirement Study, the nation's leading resource for data on the health and economic circumstances of Americans over age 50.

Institute for Social Research Director James Jackson addresses a press briefing in Washington, as U.S. Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., right, looks on, along with Dr. Richard Hodes, director of the National Institute on Aging. (Photo courtesy NIH)

The award from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is the largest single research award in U-M history.

Now in its 14th year, the Health and Retirement Study surveys more than 20,000 people every two years, providing data on people from pre-retirement to advanced age.

Participating in the briefing were NIA Director Richard Hodes, ISR Director James Jackson, and ISR economist David R. Weir, who co-directs the study with economist Robert J. Willis.

The study paints a detailed portrait over time of older Americans' physical and mental health, insurance coverage, financial well-being, labor market status, retirement planning, social support systems, intergenerational transfers of time and money, and living arrangements.

Since the study began 1990, the University has received $96.6 million for the nationwide survey; this amount includes primarily funding from the NIH, and also includes support from a few other federal agencies, including the Social Security Administration.