Request for Proposals: 2024-2025 Quartet Pilot Research Project Competition

Submit your application via the ITMAT Pilot Grants application system.

Applications are due by 11:59 PM on Monday, March 18, 2024.

Download the Flyer

The Pension Research Council (PRC) and Boettner Center, the Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics (CHIBE), the Population Aging Research Center (PARC), and the Population Studies Center (PSC) invite investigators to submit pilot proposals for the annual 2023-2024 Quartet Pilot Research Project competition.

Pilot funds are targeted to support small-scale, innovative, or exploratory projects with a duration of one year. Funded projects must have the potential to generate academic publications and priority will be given to projects with potential to develop small-scale or preliminary research findings that would lead to applications for extramural funding, especially to the National Institutes of Health. 

Total costs are generally limited to $10,000-$20,000 per application; however, larger budgets may be considered if the project is well-suited for generating applications for NIH funding.

Proposals focusing on Population Health, Life-course, and Healthy Aging in the following areas are encouraged:

  • New Dynamics of Population Diversity (population composition, migration, race, health inequality, aging and mortality) 
  • Human Resources and Endowments 
  • International Population Research 
  • Population and the Environment
  • Big Data and Population Science
  • Health Disparities in Aging
  • Aging and Household Finance
  • Health Care and Long-Term Care in Older Adults 
  • Cognition and Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) 
  • Early-Life Conditions and Older Adult Health, Behavior and Well-Being 
  • Global Aging and Health 
  • COVID-19 and Aging
  • Lab or Field-based Behavioral Interventions

 

ELIGIBILITY AND SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Any faculty or researcher with an active appointment at the University of Pennsylvania is eligible to submit a proposal. Postdocs and PhD students may apply with a faculty member in a mentoring role on the project. Colleagues at other universities may be co-investigators as long as a member of the Penn research community is the Principal Investigator. Early career scholars are encouraged to apply and priority consideration will be given to their applications. 

Funds may be used to support undergraduate or graduate research assistants, data collection, analyses of secondary data sets, publication costs, summer salary, etc. If your proposed pilot includes a foreign component or if you have any questions, please contact Abby Dolinger at abdol@sas.upenn.edu.

Applications must include the required components, which are detailed as follows. Please download the documents from the table below and use them for your submission.

 

PROPOSAL CONTENTS MUST INCLUDE:

a- NIH Biosketch to NIH guidelines found here
b- Abstract and Face Page
c- Detailed Budget
d- Budget Justification
e- Research Proposal
f- References
g- Protocol Letter (if your application involves Data Sharing or Human Subjects)

Format:
Typeface: 11-point font: Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype, or Georgia.
Paper: 8.5 x 11 sheet with at least 0.5-inch margins (top, bottom, left and right)
Single spaced

 

QUARTET APPLICATION FILES

Form (click to download)

Additional Instructions 

a - NIH Biosketch

Include one NIH Biosketch (2022 version) per PI. Instructions from the NIH  found here need to be followed.

b- Abstract and Face Page

    “Abstract” and “Face Page” documents are combined into one document.  

    c- Detailed Budget

      Total direct cost should be $20K or under. Direct costs can be used to support undergraduate or graduate student research assistants, data collection, analyses of secondary data sets, publication costs, etc. 

      d- Budget Justification

        Include a narrative explaining all expenses for your proposed project as listed in your detailed budget. 

        e- Research Proposal

          Include your Specific Aims and Research Strategy, not to exceed 2 pages in total combined. 

          f- References

            Include citations to any references cited. 

            g- Protocol Letter

              Please review NIH's Key Elements to Consider in Preparing a Data Sharing Plan
              Please review NIH's Exempt Human Subjects Research guide.
              “Data Sharing Plan,” “Human Subjects,” and “Planned Enrollment Report” documents are combined in one fillable PDF.

              h- Terms and Conditions

               Please review Quartet Award Terms and Conditions.

               


              DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION: March 18, 2024

              Funding notifications can be expected in April 2024.

              The project period is July 1, 2024-June 30, 2025.

              For questions or assistance, contact Abby Dolinger at abdol@sas.upenn.edu.

              Information about the Quartet Centers is available at their respective websites:

              PRC/Boettner: https://pensionresearchcouncil.wharton.upenn.edu/
              LDI/CHIBE: https://chibe.upenn.edu/
              PARC:
              https://www.aging.upenn.edu/
              PSC: https://www.pop.upenn.edu/