President Bendapudi receives national ARIS Impact Innovations Award for advancing public impact research.

Informational Webinar on the Presidential Public Impact Research Awards (PPIRA)

Request for Proposals: Presidential Public Impact Research Awards (PPIRA)

About

The Presidential Public Impact Research Awards (PPIRA) program recognizes and supports teams of faculty and students across Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses who are conducting research that benefits their communities in partnership with non-profits businesses, and governmental organizations. This work is often referred to as “Public Impact Research,” utilizing the definition offered by the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) Public Impact Research working group.

The PPIRA builds on the success and evaluation of the first two cohorts and is a student-centered, evidence-guided model for community-engaged research. PPIRA aims to strengthen university–community partnerships, increase visible public impact, and create high-quality experiential learning opportunities across the Commonwealth.

The goal of PPIRA is to promote the growth of faculty–student “impact teams” engaged in Public Impact Research that addresses critical community needs, advances inclusive community well-being, and positions Penn State as a trusted problem-solving partner.

Background

Across its first two cohorts, PPIRA demonstrated that faculty–student impact teams, embedded in authentic community partnerships, can rapidly deliver evidence-based solutions that strengthen local organizations, reach residents, and enhance Penn State’s public impact.

Program Structure and Funding

PPIRA will support up to eight impact teams a year across the Commonwealth Campuses.

• Team composition:
  • Two faculty members serving as co-leads.
  • Approximately five students per team (undergraduate and/or graduate).
  • At least one committed community partner (broadly defined, e.g., nonprofit, school district, business association, municipal agency).
• Award amount (per team, per year):
  • Up to $25,000 in direct support to the team (e.g., faculty effort, project costs, travel, materials).
  • $2,000 dollars stipend per participating student (approximately five per team).
  • Access to centrally provided public impact operations and visibility supports (e.g., partner coordination, proposal development, communications).
  • Students will receive the Presidential Public Impact Research Student Award

Projects must be completed within one calendar year of the award start date.

All participating students will be formally recognized through the Presidential Public Impact Research Student Award, a presidential-level distinction that can be listed on resumes, CVs, and applications.

Criteria and Submission Process

Successful proposals will develop or build upon projects that:

• Address critical, clearly defined needs in their community or Pennsylvania.
• Are co-envisioned and co-created with community partners.
• Aim to generate positive, tangible public impacts for community residents.
• Incorporate meaningful, paid student (undergraduate and/or graduate) engagement throughout the research process.
• Show potential to position the team for external funding from philanthropic sources or federal and state agencies.

Proposals should emphasize interdisciplinary approaches when appropriate and demonstrate how the project will contribute to ongoing or longer-term community–university partnerships. Proposals are encouraged from multi-campus teams.

Required Proposal Components

Teams will be expected to submit a brief proposal that includes the following components:

1. Project Description and Community Need (up to 1,000 words)

• Clearly describe the community challenge or opportunity the project addresses.
• Explain how the project was co-developed with community partners.
• Describe expected public impacts and how they benefit the community.

2. Research Methodology and Data Plan (up to 1,000 words)

• Outline the proposed research design, methods, and data collection plan, as well as potential IRB and Data Security considerations.
• Describe how findings will be shared with the community partner(s) and stakeholders.

3. Student Engagement Plan (up to 500 words)

• Describe how student researchers will be integrated into the project, including roles in design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
• Explain how the experience will support student learning, skills, and career development.

4. Project Timeline and Milestones (up to 500 words)

• Provide a timeline covering the one-year project period.
• Identify key milestones, including points at which external grant proposal development or sustainability planning will occur.

5. Faculty and Student Time Use (up to 500 words)

• Explain how faculty effort will be used to support mentorship, research activities, and partnership development.
• Describe how student time and stipends will be used to support their engagement.

6. External Funding Potential

• Identify potential targets for additional funding (e.g., specific foundations, philanthropic sources, commercial entities, federal or state agencies, or other funders) that could extend or scale the project.

7. Community Partner Letter of Support

• Provide a Letter of Support or “sponsorship” letter from a community group or partner that:
• Confirms interest in the collaboration.
• Describes the community need and potential benefit.
• Outlines the partner’s anticipated role and contributions.

8. Budget Overview (up to 1 page)

• Provide a simple budget narrative and table describing how requested funds will be used (e.g., faculty summer effort, student stipends, travel, materials, data, dissemination).
• Indicate any additional committed or anticipated resources, if applicable.

Expectations for Awardees

Awardees will be expected to:

• Participate in a facilitated learning community with other PPIRA teams from across the Commonwealth, focused on peer learning, interdisciplinary connections, and proposal development for external funding.
• Engage in evaluation activities designed to understand the impact of PPIRA on faculty research, student development, and community outcomes.
• Share brief progress updates and a final summary highlighting key impacts, lessons learned, and next steps for sustaining or scaling the work.

Efforts will be made to minimize burden on awardees while ensuring that the program continues to generate evidence about effective public impact research practices.

Eligibility

• Teams must be based at Penn State Commonwealth Campuses.
• Each team must include two faculty co-leads and at least one student at the time of application, with a plan to engage approximately five students during the project period.
• Projects must involve at least one community partner located in the communities served by the campus(es), and a letter of support for the research proposal is required from the Community partner.

Submission Details

Applications are now being accepted for PPIRA and will be accepted until close of business on May 4th, 2026.

• Proposals should be submitted as a single PDF to evidencetoimpact@psu.edu.
• Review will begin on a rolling basis.

Questions about eligibility, proposal development, or the submission process may be directed to evidencetoimpact@psu.edu.

The PPIRA program is an initiative of the Public Impact Research Strategic Initiative.