Seed Grants

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Research on Violence Against Women
2009-10 Call for Proposals

Overview

The Ortner Center at the School of Social Policy & Practice is offering up to five competitive seed grants to support student-developed research projects that are directly related to intimate partner violence. The purpose of the funding is to support independent, innovative, student-initiated research projects that will contribute to the knowledge surrounding intimate partner violence and will enhance the research skills of students so as to better prepare them for their future work as scholars. Awards will range in amount from $1000- $4000 and be contingent upon the budget justification provided by the applicant.  Applications are due February 28, 2010.  Applicants will be notified by March 31, 2010.

Eligibility

Seed grants are available to all graduate students currently enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania who have an interest in pursuing a research project on intimate partner violence.

Proposed research projects may:

  • Be pilot work for a dissertation or a larger-scale study
  • Be conducted in local, national, or international venues
  • Consist of quantitative and/or qualitative research methods
  • Collect primary data or analyze existing data sets

Research projects will be evaluated on:

  • Relevance to intimate partner violence
  • Feasibility of the project design (must be completed in 12 months or less)
  • Logic and specificity of the specific research aims
  • Justification of project’s value and contribution
  • Overall clarity of thought and expression

Grant funds can be used for:

  • Travel (to collect data or if proposed project takes place in another, city, state, or country)
  • Participant compensation
  • Materials needed for successful implementation of the project
  • Student researcher salary

How to Apply

Applications consist of two parts:

Part I must begin with an abstract of the proposed research (250 word limit) then, in no more than 2 single-spaced pages, must include:

  • Statement of purpose. This section should include the use of existing literature to lay out the rationale and significance of the proposed research project. It should also include the research questions and specific aims of the project.
  • Description of the methods that will be used
  • Description of the intended outcomes or products of the research

References should follow; they are not included in the page limit.

Part II consists of:

  • Budget and project budget justification
  • Timeline
  • Brief bio-sketch of the applicant and of the applicant’s advisor or supervising faculty member

All proposals that include human subjects (whether through primary collection or use of existing data) must receive IRB approval from the Office of Research Administration prior to receiving funding.  Applicants who are funded must be prepared to submit an IRB application within two weeks of announcement of award.

Submit applications electronically to ortner@lists.upenn.edu by February 28, 2010.