Archived Funding

Independent and collaborative research between commonwealth campuses and interdisciplinary institutes and units at University Park.
Eligibility: Faculty at Commonwealth Campuses
Financial support range: up to $10,000
Deadline: Under Revision

To encourage and support both independent and collaborative research projects between Penn State Commonwealth Campuses and core multi-user faculty and research facility staff at the Interdisciplinary Institutes at University Park and at the College of Medicine, Commonwealth Campus faculty are provided the opportunity to submit research proposals that will provide access to Penn State’s shared facilities (equipment, instruments, capabilities, and/or expertise).

This program is currently run through InfoReady and is under revision by OSVPR. If would like further information please contact ssri-seed-grant@psu.edu.

Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) call for the inaugural SJRC Equity Fellows for the 2025/2026 Academic Year
Eligibility: All Penn State faculty are eligible regardless of appointment type (tenure-line, teaching, clinical, research, etc.), rank, or campus location.
Deadline: Jan. 27, 2025

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) is seeking applications for inaugural SJRC Equity Fellows during the 2025/2026 Academic Year. SJRC Equity Fellows are expected to engage in work, together or individually, that aligns with the mission of SSRI or CTSI.

The purpose of this fellowship is to help support SJRC efforts to foster change in policies and practices towards a culture of inclusive excellence across the University. SJRC Equity Fellows will engage in cross-cutting work that aligns with our Penn State values, strategic plan, and aligns with the mission of the institutes. This work can take various forms, shaped by the goals and background of the Fellow.

Developing new or leveraging existent strategic partnerships and alliances with Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs)
Eligibility: All tenure line, research or clinical faculty can apply as PI (Principal Investigator) and co-PIs
Financial support range: up to $30,000
Deadline: May 10, 2024

The Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences in collaboration with the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), Materials Research Institute (MRI), the Institute of Energy and the Environment (IEE), the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences (ICDS), the Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI), and the Cancer Institute (PSCI), is offering a new interdisciplinary seed grant program aimed at developing new or leveraging existent strategic partnerships and alliances with Minority Serving Institutions(MSIs). The goal of the seed grant program is to perform collaborative work that advances research development capability as well as student and faculty training needed to support such research collaborations.

Additional info: Huck IPDR page

Supporting innovative, interdisciplinary research related to obesity and obesity-related health outcomes across the life cycle
Eligibility: All tenure line, research or clinical faculty can apply as PI (Principal Investigator) and co-PIs
Financial support range: up to $15,000
Deadline: Letter of Intent Due April 1, 2024

The Penn State Center for Childhood Obesity Research (CCOR) in collaboration with the Social Sciences Research Institute (SSRI) announces an Interdisciplinary Obesity Research Seed Grant Program that aims to fund innovative, interdisciplinary research related to obesity and obesity-related health outcomes across the life cycle. This Seed Grant is primarily designed to assist PSU social and behavioral science faculty at University Park, the Commonwealth campuses, and the College of Medicine to advance their research by securing extramural funding. CCOR will offer consultation as faculty develop a proposal, prior to submission. You may do so by contacting Dr. Emily Hohman at eeh12@psu.edu.

Addressing Issues Of Substance Use And Addiction
Eligibility: Faculty at University Park and Commonwealth Campuses
Financial support range: $5,000-$20,000
Deadline: Proposals are due on March 15, 2023

Priority will be given to projects that make a convincing case for how the developing research program can advance solutions to the systemic problems of substance use and addiction. 

Financial support range: up to $75,000
Deadline: Closed in 2022

The goal of this request for proposals is to enable new interdisciplinary teams to pursue novel and potentially high impact basic and applied research. Although proposals aligning with SSRI’s Strategic Foci are welcome, we are especially interested in those that address at least one of the following priorities: Expands our understanding of the factors that lead to social disparities and their effects on education, health, or economic outcomes over the life course; Informs the development of policies, systems, and/or other strategies that impact education, health, or economic outcomes of populations and reduces inequity across people and places; Emphasizes engagement of communities and other stakeholders.

Fellowship providing course release and community collaboration funds. Commonwealth campuses encouraged to apply
Eligibility: Faculty at University Park and Commonwealth Campuses
Financial support range: Course releases up to $15,000 Community Fund up to $5,000
Deadline: Stay tuned for AY 22/23 dates

The Community Fellows Program, a funding mechanism of Penn State’s Consortium for Substance Use and Addiction (CSUA) and the Social Science Research Institute (SSRI), provides support for faculty seeking to develop university-community collaborations that address harmful substance use, misuse, and addiction, and its spillover effects to families and communities.

Financial support range: up to $200,000 is available through Level 1 and Level 2
Deadline: Closed in 2021

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) invited proposals for pilot research projects seeking interdisciplinary Penn State teams to develop novel translational research programs-- from discovery-oriented research to dissemination and implementation science aimed at solving the opioid crisis.

Financial support range: Up to $25,000
Deadline: Closed in 2021

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) invited proposals to develop and integrate Implementation Science (IS) into ongoing interdisciplinary research programs. We seek to support IS projects aimed at identifying effective strategies for translating scientific discoveries into broad and sustained, real-world use—such as in the form of effective programs, policies, practices and products--toward the betterment of the human condition.

Financial support range: up to $50,000
Deadline: Closed in 2021

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) invited proposals for innovative pilot research projects that contribute to SSRI’s strategic aim of Smart and Connected Health and facilitate building a community of scholars in this domain of research.

Financial support range: up to $50,000
Deadline: Closed in 2021

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) invites proposals for funding to supplement ongoing, externally funded, interdisciplinary “parent” research projects to cover the costs of altered methodologies and other researcher activities resulting from challenges to human subjects research due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Deadline: Closed in 2020

This RFP was motivated by evidence of increasing inequities in health and health care, education and employment opportunities, poverty and economic well-being, exposure to adverse environments and other domains of life. Often such disparities are associated with race/ethnicity, immigrant status, gender, young and old age, place of residence, and other factors that shape opportunities and life chances and that can intersect in detrimental ways. A key step is to identify pathways to resilience in the face of challenge. We requested proposals for novel research by new interdisciplinary teams that focus on the causes and consequences of social disparities and/or the development of policies, programs and practices for building resilience and for remediating the negative impacts of disparities across people and places.

Financial support range: Up to $100,000 of funding is available through Level 1 and Level 2
Deadline: Closed in 2019

This RFA invited Level 1 and Level 2 proposals for pilot research projects aimed at supporting the formation of new interdisciplinary teams and the development of external grant proposals to study significant issues in the areas of biological sex/gender, broadly defined.

Financial support range: up to $100,000 through SSRI Level 1 and Level 2
Deadline: Closed in 2019

Proposals were invited for pilot research projects aimed at furthering our understanding and treatment of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). We were looking interdisciplinary Penn State teams to develop novel translational research programs from discovery-oriented research to dissemination and implementation science.

Financial support range: up to $200,000 through SSRI Level 1 and Level 2
Deadline: Closed in 2019

The Social Science Research Institute (SSRI) invited interdisciplinary Penn State teams to develop innovative research programs using Twitter data that address questions with a social science component and involve social scientists. In addition to a clear social science focus and an interdisciplinary team, SSRI seed funding prioritizes projects that provide the foundation for competitive proposals for external funding.