The Penn State Center for Security Research and Education (CSRE) has announced its spring 2020 grant program to support security-related scholarship and educational programs at Penn State. University faculty and researchers are eligible to apply by Feb. 14, 2020. For the first time, CSRE will offer a $50,000 Impact Grant, a $50,000 Homeland Security Grant, and open-topic grants with maximum awards of $15,000.
The impact and open-topic grants are designed to support Penn State faculty and research staff seeking external funding for interdisciplinary research projects that address the broad range of security challenges confronting society. Applicants may seek funding to address the threats currently facing national or international people, physical and electronic infrastructure, food and water supplies, public health, and the natural environment, as well as the implications of society’s responses to these threats on economic well-being, civil liberties and culture.
Proposals for the Homeland Security Grant must relate to one of the following subjects: detecting and mitigating cybersecurity threats on internet of things platforms; enabling materials for sensor networks, secure communication and resilient microelectronics; AI, machine learning and big data solutions for detecting and mitigating terrorist threats; net assessment of violent nonstate actors; or the social dynamics influencing the community response to geopolitical and economic events.
Though all University faculty and researchers are eligible for grants, preference will be given to proposals that originate or include substantial participation from CSRE member units, which include the College of Agricultural Sciences, the Applied Research Laboratory, the Donald P. Bellisario College of Communications, the Institute for Computational and Data Sciences, the Penn State Institutes for Energy and the Environment, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the College of Engineering, Penn State Harrisburg, the Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, the College of Information Sciences and Technology, Penn State Law and the School of International Affairs, the College of the Liberal Arts, and the Social Science Research Institute.
Preference also will be given to proposals that clearly reflect the interdisciplinary nature of contemporary security challenges, describe the objectives to be achieved, and include cost-sharing from additional Penn State units. Additionally, applicants who have previously received CSRE funding should provide evidence of positive outcomes from the prior award.
Educational program grants that promote awareness of security issues or enhance the curricular experience of Penn State students also are eligible.
Complete details on the CSRE grant program, including award levels, criteria, allowable expenses, reporting requirements, and the grant application are available on the CSRE website. Applications should be submitted online at https://psu.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1803475.
The Center for Security Research and Education at Penn State promotes research, teaching and public outreach programs in the field of security. CSRE brings scholars from diverse disciplines together to pursue comprehensive solutions to security challenges. CSRE also promotes public discussion of the critical security issues of the day.