Penn State is launching the next phase of its Presidential Public Impact Research Awards (PPIRA), which supports faculty–student research teams from the Penn State Commonwealth Campuses working alongside local partners to address pressing challenges across Pennsylvania.
Interested faculty can find more information, including the request for proposals, on the Evidence-to-Impact-Collaborative website. Applications are being accepted until the close of business on May 4.
The latest call for submissions was announced by Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi in a video address to the National Science Foundation-supported Advancing Research Impact in Society (ARIS) Summit 2026, at which she and the President's Strategic Initiative for Public Impact Research were recognized nationally for their leadership in advancing research impact with the 2026 Impact Innovations Award.
“The Presidential Public Impact Research Awards are designed to strengthen the connection between University research and the needs of communities,” Bendapudi said. “By supporting faculty–student teams working alongside local partners, the program provides students with hand-on learning experiences while helping communities across Pennsylvania address the challenges they define as most urgent.”
Across its first two award cohorts, the PPIRA supported projects that span topics such as cybersecurity readiness for nonprofit organizations, community mental health and wellness, school-based behavioral interventions, energy efficiency for families and youth cyberbullying prevention. These teams have engaged students from 11 Penn State campuses, working alongside local agencies, schools, nonprofits and community organizations to co-create solutions grounded in lived experience and responsive to local priorities. This innovative model was featured by the Association of Public Land-Grant Universities (APLU) as part of the National Science Foundation's Supporting Public Impact Research through Institutional Transformation.
Each PPIRA team will include multiple undergraduate and graduate students, who will receive stipends to ensure that participation is accessible and that students can play meaningful roles in project design, data collection, analysis and engagement with community partners. Participants will also be recognized with the Presidential Public Impact Research Student Award, a presidential-level distinction that can be listed on resumes and affirms their leadership in public impact scholarship.
“PPIRA was designed to align support and recognize our researchers and students who develop meaningful external partnerships to achieve collective impact,” said Max Crowley, director of Penn State’s Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative. “With the latest call for submissions, Penn State is extending its commitment to bring best practices in public impact research to all of our campuses around the Commonwealth.”
The Presidential Strategic Initiative on Public Impact Research (PSI-PIR) leverages Penn State’s research strengths to address pressing societal challenges while strengthening communities and expanding opportunities for students. PSI-PIR focuses on encouraging collaborative, transdisciplinary research; enhancing engagement between academia, industry, and communities; integrating research and education; and promoting inclusive approaches that reflect the needs of diverse communities.
Additional information about the PPIRA, including future calls for proposals and profiles of current and past impact teams, is available on the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative website and through the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research. Faculty, students and community organizations interested in learning more about the program or exploring potential partnerships can contact the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative at evidencetoimpact@psu.edu.
About the Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative
The Evidence-to-Impact Collaborative (EIC) is a research center and information hub for the science of scientific impact – the aim of the EIC is to improve the data, methods, and processes related to research, the dissemination of evidence, and to understand the impacts of the use of research evidence on societal well-being. A center of the Social Science Research Institute supported by the College of Health and Human Development and Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, the EIC leverages expertise in administrative data, program evaluation, and researcher-policymaker relationships for social investment optimization.