The From Cell to Home Project pairs Penn undergraduates with women incarcerated for life without parole in Pennsylvania to seek the commutation of their sentence. The women–many of whom experienced abuse during childhood or at the hands of a male intimate–are nominated by corrections staff, and students work under the supervision of Professor Kathleen Brown.

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, in December 2018, granted clemency to the first woman lifer since 1990. In March 2019, the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons heard the first two petitions for clemency prepared by our students. The project has been instrumental in obtaining the release of two women. For more information, see our Spring 2019 newsletter.

The project seeks passionate undergraduate student volunteers to interview select incarcerated women and a write a short paper advocating for their release. If you’d like to participate, please send a statement of interest and a 3-to 5-page writing sample to the project coordinator, Annah Chollet, atannahb@sas.upenn.edu with the subject header “From Cell to Home Project Volunteer Application.”

The Ortner Center offers competitive seed grants to support student-developed research projects. 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 range from $1000-$4000 and are contingent upon the budget justification provided by the applicant. Proposals from students at all levels and in all Schools are considered. Priority is given to applications from doctoral students. Application guidelines can be found below.

The Ortner Center conference travel grant program supports doctoral students attending professional conferences that will advance their careers. Students are encouraged to apply to present their research at the conferences although being a presenter is not a requirement.

Eligibility & Allocation

Doctoral students enrolled at the University of Pennsylvania are eligible to apply to the Ortner Center for a travel grant if they do not have other funding available to them through their own School or elsewhere. If the costs of attending a conference exceed those available through other sources, students may apply to the Ortner Center for supplemental funding. Funds will be made available taking into account the number of students applying, the availability of other travel funds, the amount requested, and previous travel funding from the Ortner Center.

Guidelines

Travel grant money may be used for transportation to the conference site, conference registration, lodging, and meals. For students who are presenting their work in a poster session, funds also may be used to cover costs of poster printing.

Priority will be given to applications for travel to conferences that include content related to violence within families or intimate relationships.

Applicants should consider the most economical options in developing the proposed budgets (the most economical form of travel, sharing accommodations when possible/appropriate, early student registration when available, etc.).

For conferences in the United States or Canada or Mexico, students can apply for grants of up to $1000. For other conferences, students can apply for grants of up to $1500. Faculty and students associated with the Ortner Center will review all applications and make final determinations about awards.

A commitment for travel support will be made by the Ortner Center prior to the conference. Funds will be made available on an actual cost basis (i.e., receipts).

Students presenting at a conference are asked to acknowledge the Ortner Center in their presentation materials (e.g., posters, handouts, slides).