Training / Funding Opportunities

Request for Applications: 2024 Penn INSPIRE Center Pilot Projects

The NIMH-funded Innovation in Suicide Prevention Implementation Research (INSPIRE) Center, in partnership with the Department of Psychiatry and the Perelman School of Medicine, invites proposals for pilot projects. The INSPIRE Center’s goals are to develop and adapt suicide prevention interventions for underserved groups, and to design and test implementation strategies to optimize how evidence-based suicide prevention practices are brought to scale efficiently and effectively.

Pilot projects that bring to bear implementation science and interdisciplinary approaches on suicide prevention research are best suited for this opportunity. We encourage proposals from investigators outside the field of suicide prevention who would like to collaborate with INSPIRE investigators on a pilot project. Priority will be given to pilots that address suicide prevention among underserved populations, are likely to lead to external grant funding, and have high-impact publication potential.

We especially encourage proposals that address areas of particular interest in suicide prevention:

• Social determinants of health
• Digital mental health
• LGBTQ+ mental health
• Black mental health
• Lethal means counseling
• Integration of prevention interventions in non-specialty settings

We will distribute up to $150,000 in this round of pilot funding, with up to one year of funding for each pilot project. Available funding for each pilot project will depend on project scope, but we expect most funded projects to be awarded around $50,000.

Eligibility

University of Pennsylvania faculty members, research associates, and postdoctoral fellows are eligible to apply for pilot project funds. Postdoctoral fellows and research associates must be sponsored by faculty mentors and include a one-page mentorship plan and letter of support from their mentor in their application.

Other Requirements

• We will send out a REDCap survey in April, August, and December, asking about project progress and any publications/presentations/grants submitted. Please complete this survey during the pilot and for one year post-completion of the pilot project.
• Awardees should plan to present a poster during the annual INSPIRE Retreat in Fall 2025.
• A one-page end-of-project report must be submitted 30 days after the funding period ends. The report must include a description of the project’s specific aims, significance, summary of the research conducted and results, total enrollment, and future plans.

How to Apply

The application must include:

1. Project Summary that includes specific aims, significance, innovation, approach, and future research plans (not to exceed 3 pages)
2. Budget: The maximum budget is $50,000.
3. Budget Justification providing a rationale for items requested (not to exceed 1 page)
4. Biosketch for each investigator

The deadline for submitting applications is July 3, 2024. Awards will be announced by July 24, 2024. Funding will begin August 1, 2024. Please submit your application at this link for consideration: https://redcap.med.upenn.edu/surveys/?s=P8YAKA3KFENH4RJF.

Please contact Megan Reilly, INSPIRE Project Manager, at megrei@pennmedicine.upenn.edu with any questions.