Current Sponsored Research Projects

DNORS: Displaced New Orleans Residents Survey

Effective dates: 2006-2012
Funding Source: NIH (National Institutes for Child and Human Development)
Tulane's Role: Sub-contractor from the RAND Corporation
Region or Country (ies): US
Principal Investigator for Tulane sub-contract: Mark VanLandingham, PhD

The magnitude of the displacement that resulted from Hurricane Katrina was immense: the city’s entire population of 455,000 was forced to leave the city and resettle, which some did temporarily and others permanently. The toll from the hurricane was enormous and continues to unfold. A critical need in assessing the impact of the hurricane and in planning a recovery is to obtain representative data on the whereabouts, status, health, and well-being of displaced New Orleans residents. The dispersion of residents makes this an extremely challenging undertaking. However, the value of these data for researchers, policymakers, and the public is extraordinarily high. In this project, we will conduct a survey of New Orleans residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina, analyze the results, and disseminate the data. The specific aims of the project are to field the Displaced New Orleans Residents Study (DNORS); to analyze the results, focusing on the levels, sources, and patterns of non-response and on the displacement and return or resettlement of pre-Katrina residents of New Orleans; and to clean, document, enhance, and disseminate the DNORS data and encourage and support users of the data.