Deadline: April 2nd, 2010
The Center for Public Health Initiatives (CPHI) at the University of Pennsylvania has developed a competitive pilot grant fund to support interdisciplinary, innovative research in public health that has the potential to improve public health interventions in the field and/or inform policy that shapes public health endeavors. Pilot programs are defined for these purposes as research programs that use qualitative and/or quantitative methods to collect initial data, analyze secondary data, and/or test research methodologies as a means to attract the support of larger, external funding sources. Most grants awarded will be in the range of $2,000 to $20,000. All funds must be expended by June 30 2011.
This call for proposals is open to faculty and staff with significant public health-related research and teaching experience at Penn and is intended to:
- Foster interdisciplinary research in public health at Penn that will have meaningful results at the community-level.
- Assist in garnering external support for large-scale studies in the field of public health.
- Encourage additional faculty and staff at Penn to become involved in public health research.
- Identify innovative methodologies in the field of public health that have the potential of informing local, state and national policy and programming
Those awarded pilot funds will be considered “CPHI Scholars.” CPHI Scholars will be required to present research results at the close of the project period at a symposium that includes public health faculty, fellows, students, community partners and other relevant stakeholders.
Research projects that will be of priority include projects that:
- Include a CPHI Senior Fellow or Associate on the research team. Applications to become a Senior Fellow or Associate can be found at http://www.cphi.upenn.edu/announcements.shtml.
- Present clear, relevant research aims.
- Demonstrate how research outcomes and priorities will be relevant to community health
- Represent at least two different schools at Penn through research team faculty affiliation, thus promoting the interdisciplinary nature of this program.
- Describe innovative methodologies that are feasible and able to be completed during a one-year period of time.
- Demonstrate how the research will be used in the development of a larger grant seeking external support.
- Explain how research results will be disseminated to community partners (if relevant).
- Help advance the mission of the Center for Public Health Initiatives as the University of Pennsylvania (http://www.cphi.upenn.edu).
- Include community partners on the research team. Inclusion of community partner agencies in the proposed project is not a requirement but it is highly encouraged.
How to Apply
Proposed applications should be no more than five pages in length and must include:
- Statement of Purpose. This statement should include background research as well as a clearly defined set of research aims with relevance to current public health challenges. Cited references will not count towards the five-page limit.
- A Conceptual Approach. This section should describe the proposed research plan, methodologies to be utilized, any underlying theoretical frameworks on which the program is based, and the expected significance of potential findings.A Data Collection and Analysis Plan.
- A Description of Deliverables. Key deliverables expected at the completion of the project time period should be described and a timeline for key activities and deliverables should be included in table format.
- A Project Budget and Justification (not to exceed one page).
- Principal Investigator’s and Co-Investigator’s Bio-sketches (these do not count towards 5-page limit)
- Evidence of relationship with collaborating community partners if applicable (these do not count towards 5-page limit)
Applications should be submitted electronically to Wendy Voet at wvoet@exchange.upenn.edu. The deadline for submitting applications is 5:00pm on Friday April 2nd, 2010. Awards will be announced by May 28th 2010.
As a condition of funding, all proposals must receive IRB approval from the Office of Research Administration so as to assure funded activities are in line with regulatory standards. Applicants who are funded must be prepared to submit IRB applications within seven days of announcement of award.
Use of Grant Funds
Funds may be used to pay for project staff salary and benefits, consultant fees, supplies and other direct expenses related to program activities (e.g. travel, incentives for community participants, etc.). The purchase of equipment will only be supported if it is demonstrated that there is no other way for the research team to access necessary equipment other than direct purchase. Funds may not be used to support the salary or benefits of Penn faculty.
Who is Eligible to Apply?
The PI for the grant must be a Penn faculty member. At least one person on the research team must be junior faculty and at least one person on the research team must be a Senior Fellow or Associate of the CPHI. As mentioned earlier, the research team must have a representative from a minimum of two schools a Penn, thus demonstrating interdisciplinary collaboration and thought. More than one grant can be submitted by any one team and/or PI.