The Penn Research Recovery Program

Penn's Research Recovery Program was available in 2020. It is now closed. The program established four new mechanisms to mitigate unexpected costs, exploit new research opportunities, and support bridge projects. This program emphasized the challenges in populations disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

2020 Funding Mechanisms

The program is now closed. This page is for archived information only.

Research Disruption Mitigation Fund:
Mitigate the financial impact of research ramp down and resumption of research activities in STEM fields includes life science and biomedical science,
Applications closed Nov 20

Research Transition Fund:
Support COVID-19 induced gaps in research experienced in social science and humanities disciplines.
Applications closed Nov 20

Bridge Grants:
Gap funding between external grants when it is expected that the extra support would secure a new grant.

Social Inequality in Health Status and Health Care:

Research opportunity for:

  • Topics addressing various aspects of disparities in health status
  • General biomedical research carried out by faculty disproportionately impacted by COVID-19

Applications closed on September 23.

Research Disruption Mitigation Fund

Grants up to $40k to mitigate the financial impact of research ramp down and resumption in STEM fields (includes life science and biomedical science). 

Applications closed Nov 20

Research Transition Fund

Grants up to $15k to support COVID-19 induced gaps in research experienced in social science & humanities disciplines.

Applications closed Nov 20

Social Inequality in Health Status and Health Care

 Grants range from $200k to $800k over 4 years.

Applications closed on September 23

Bridge Grants

Bridge grants are designed to provide gap funding between external grants.

In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research community implemented a rapid ramp down of on-campus research, continued much research remotely and, since June 8, has been resuming on-campus research safely and effectively.   The resilience of the community has been inspiring.  Nevertheless, these circumstances have had a profound impact on research.  It has become clear that the negative impact on research progress is not distributed equally across the community.   Bench research, human subjects research and field research are more impacted than is theoretical research, and studies have quantified the disproportionate impact on some groups, including women, families with young children, under represented groups, and pre tenure faculty. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-020-0921-y  And recent events have emphasized that many in these groups also struggle against systemic racism.

In the face of these challenges, we have been responding to the pressures on our research enterprise.  We have:

  • Temporarily suspended the 5 yr limit on post doc terms to provide flexibility in the challenging employment environment
  • Opened the upcoming Provost’s Diversity Post Doc program to Penn graduates
  • Underwritten the budget deficit in animal care so that it will not impact researcher budgets
  • Provided PPE and disinfecting supplies from FRES and EHRS and from the schools
  • Submitted a FEMA application for funds to cover research related emergency expenses
  • Advocated for spending flexibility on federal grants and for federal allocations to fund supplements and COVID-19 related research

As we look forward, many challenges remain.  The Research Recovery Program is designed to mitigate some impacts of the pandemic on research at Penn.  It will be supported with a combination of funds redirected from current programs, augmented with funds from the Office of the Vice Provost for Research.   The goals of the Research Recovery Program are to:

  •  Mitigate negative pandemic related impacts on research at Penn
  •  Prioritize those disproportionately impacted by the pandemic

Research Recovery Grant Guidelines

Disruption Mitigation Fund
Transition Fund
Social Inequality in Health Care
Bridge Grants

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Research Disruption Mitigation Fund (STEM Fields includes life science and biomedical science)

Applications open Monday, Sept 21.  The deadline is Friday, November 20.

The Research Disruption Mitigation Fund will make grants up to $40k to mitigate the financial impact of research ramp down and resumption.  The grants will be awarded for unexpected costs expended during the shut-down or required for ramp-up.  Examples include but are not limited to unexpected technology expenses required for on campus or remote research; losses due to animal colony reduction; extraneous costs to restart instrumentation; specialized reagent replacement. Salary support is not an eligible expense.

Eligibility:  Junior faculty (assistant professors and research assistant professors), significantly impacted by the pandemic

Award Criteria:  Unrecovered expenses due to research ramp down

Award Amount: Up to $40k

Grant Term:  One year

Proposal Submission Guidelines:

  • Statement of Need: One sentence description of need for funds (e.g. Requesting funds to support technology needs for remote research)
  • COVID impact: One paragraph description of the impact of the research ramp down on your research program. PDF upload.
  • Request justification: One paragraph describing research, one paragraph describing why funds are needed, and one paragraph describing how funds will be used. Proposals should be no longer than one page, size 12 font, with one inch margins. References are not included in the one page limit. PDF upload.
  • Biosketch: Discipline appropriate biosketch. PDF upload.
  • Sponsored Research Support: Include all current and pending funding, dates of grants and total direct dollars to PI. Also include any start up funds provided. If you have no sponsored support, upload a document stating so.  PDF upload.
  • Budget: Itemized list of expenses totaling amount requested. Break it down by Non-Faculty Personnel, Equipment, Supplies, and Other Expenses.

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Research Transition Fund (Social Sciences and Humanities)

Applications open Monday, Sept 21.  The deadline is Friday, November 20.

The Research Transition Fund will make grants up to $15k to support COVID-19 induced gaps in research experienced in social science and humanities disciplines.  Examples include, but are not limited to, unexpected technology requirements for on campus or remote research; unanticipated activities in lieu of canceled field work or canceled travel; short term assistance to catch up/leap forward in data analysis; training to acquire advanced skills that will propel the research; technology to support analytics.   Faculty salary is not an eligible expense.

Eligibility:  Junior faculty, assistant and research assistant professors significantly impacted by the pandemic

Award Criteria:  Expenses that mitigate delays due to the pandemic

Award Amount: Up to $15K

Grant term: 1 year

Proposal Submission Guidelines:

  • Statement of Need: One sentence description of need for funds (e.g. Requesting funds to support technology needs for remote research)
  • COVID impact: One paragraph description of the impact of the research ramp down on your research program. PDF upload.
  • Request justification: One paragraph describing research, one paragraph describing why funds are needed, and one paragraph describing how funds will be used. Proposals should be no longer than one page, size 12 font, with one inch margins. References are not included in the one page limit. PDF upload.
  • Biosketch: Discipline appropriate biosketch. PDF upload.
  • Sponsored Research Support: Include all current and pending funding, dates of grants and total direct dollars to PI. If you have no sponsored support, upload a document stating so.  PDF upload.
  • Budget:  Itemized list of expenses totaling amount requested. Break it down by Non-Faculty Personnel, Equipment, Supplies, and Other Expenses.

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Social Inequality in Health Status and Health Care

Applications closed on September 23.

As part of Research Recovery program, faculty are invited to submit brief proposals for consideration to Penn’s 2020 Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement Program.

This opportunity is for research projects :

  • That address topics directly related to various aspects of disparities in health status and health care
  • That are carried out by faculty disproportionately impacted by COVID-19 and address general biomedical basic science research, and health services research

Eligible Faculty:

  • Faculty in all disciplines with the exception of those fields/program with substantial support already committed from this program which include: oncology, stem cell and regenerative medicine, research associated with the  Center for Clinical and Translational Research and  other individuals currently funded by PA CURE programs
  • General biomedical research carried out by faculty whose research is disproportionately impacted by COVID-19

Eligible Fields: Biomedical basic science research and health services research including behavioral research and health care delivery.

Funds must be used for one or more of the following types of health research:

  • Biomedical Research – comprehensive research pertaining to the application of the natural sciences to the practice of medicine, including behavioral research.
  • Health Services Research – includes any of the following: (1) research on the promotion and maintenance of health including behavioral research, (2) research on the prevention and reduction of disease, and (3) research on the delivery of health care services to reduce health risks and transfer research advances to community use.

Award Amount: $200K to $800K

Award Term:  4 years (Grant State Date: 6/1/2021 to Grant End Date: 5/31/2025)

Proposal Submission Guidelines:

  • Project Title: Project Title should not exceed 100 characters.
  • COVID Impact: Description of the impact of the pandemic on your research
  • Project Summary: Briefly describe the purpose and overview of the research project. The overview should address the broad research objectives, specific research aims. Proposals should be no longer than one page, size 12 font, with one inch margins. References are not included in the one page limit.  PDF Upload.
  • Biosketch:  Upload an NIH-style biosketch  (not CV).   PDF Upload.
  • Sponsored Research Support: Include all current and pending funding, dates of grants and total direct dollars to PI. If you have no sponsored support, upload a document stating so.   PDF Upload.

Note: Proposals chosen for submission will work with the Grants Coordinator in the Provost’s Office to complete the official submission per the guidelines from the PA Department of Health.

 

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Bridge Grants

Guidelines will be available soon.

Bridge grants are designed to provide gap funding between external grants when it is expected that the extra support would secure a new grant.  Given the extended disruption in research this spring, it is anticipated that this need will increase compared to previous years.  Processes are in place within the schools to manage bridge grant requests.

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