Seed Funding
Overview
PRI anticipates awarding approximately 4 one-year projects with a budget of up to $4,000 each to provide support for a variety of activities, services and research needs such as pilot data collection, research site visits, consultant travel and honoraria, bio-assay work, special census tabulations, and supplementary research assistance. Hardware purchases and course buy-outs are not supported through the seed funding program. Seed funding proposals will be judged by clarity of the proposal, demographic importance of the research problem and questions, innovativeness, appropriateness of proposed procedures, and likelihood that objectives will be achieved. Priority will be given to submissions that have a clear plan regarding future proposal development, particularly those with a high likelihood of funding from NICHD. Priority also will be given to early-career investigators. All Penn State PRI faculty Associates and Affiliates are invited to apply.
Possible Uses of Funds
PRI's seed funding program provides support for a variety of activities, services, or other needs to assist in the development of new demographic research endeavors. Examples of things we will fund include pilot data collection, special census tabulations, consultant travel and honoraria, bio-assay work, computer programming, Geographic Information Analysis (GIA), and data acquisition. The intent is to cover costs that substantially exceed the nominal uncharged services provided by the cores (e.g., computing core, GIA core, information core) for proposal development.
Criteria for Review
Proposals will be evaluated according to the usual criteria of scientific merit in demography. These include clarity of the proposal, demographic importance of the research problem and questions, innovativeness, appropriateness of proposed procedures, and likelihood that objectives will be achieved.
Priority will be given to submissions that have a clear plan regarding future proposal development including a timeline and possible funding mechanisms. Priority also will be given to projects with a high likelihood of funding from NICHD.
Priority will be given to early career investigators, who are especially encouraged to submit proposals. More senior investigators also are invited to apply and, as always, are encouraged to solicit the collaboration of early career colleagues as appropriate.
Structure and Submission of Proposals
There will be two rounds of proposal submissions per year, one in October and one in February. Proposals will be evaluated by an internal committee comprised of PRI associates, and applicants will be notified of funding approximately two weeks after submission. Expenditures of awards can begin immediately and must be spent within a year of receipt.
Proposals must be submitted via email to Rukmalie Jayakody (jayakody@pop.psu.edu). To complete your proposal submission, you must download, complete, and email the form below:
Proposal Submission Form (Word document)
Should you have any questions about PRI's Seed Funding Program, please contact:
Rukmalie Jayakody
Phone: (814) 863-9569
Email: jayakody@pop.psu.edu
Last modified: 10/13/08 | Contact Webmaster
