Research Grant Program

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania Research Grant Program is administered by a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly that was established under the Rural Revitalization Act of 1987. The Center’s mission is to promote and sustain the vitality of rural and small communities across Pennsylvania by supporting applied policy research, disseminating data, publishing findings, and facilitating dialogue on rural issues. Through this grant program, the Center provides funding to academic researchers to generate evidence-based insights that inform state and local policymaking relevant to rural conditions and trends. The purpose of the 2027 Research Grant Program is to support one-year applied research projects that address critical issues facing rural Pennsylvania. Projects are expected to produce actionable policy recommendations or strategies that can inform legislative or programmatic decisions. The Center has identified three thematic priority areas for 2027: economic development, health and wellness, and agriculture and the environment. Within these themes, specific targeted topics outline required research outcomes, though applicants may also propose open-topic research that aligns with the Center’s broader mandated areas such as rural communities, economic development, education, agriculture, health, and environmental concerns. Funding is available through two primary structures. Full research grants offer up to 60000 dollars for projects typically lasting approximately 14 months, including research, draft reporting, and final revisions. Mini grants provide approximately 18000 dollars for shorter-term projects, usually around nine months in duration, and are intended for more limited scope work such as data collection or case studies. Applicants requesting full funding must also submit a scaled-down version of their research design that could be completed under a mini grant budget. All funded projects are expected to produce a final report that will be published publicly through the Center’s website and Penn State Libraries Open Publishing platform. Eligibility for funding is restricted to qualified faculty members from specific Pennsylvania institutions, including The Pennsylvania State University, universities within the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, and regional campuses of the University of Pittsburgh. The faculty member must serve as the principal investigator or project director, and their institution is responsible for confirming eligibility. While the primary applicant must meet these institutional criteria, the program strongly encourages interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships with other academic institutions, community organizations, public agencies, and industry stakeholders to strengthen research design and policy relevance. The application process begins with a mandatory Letter of Intent, which serves as a gating requirement for submission of a full proposal. The Letter of Intent must include a cover sheet and a narrative of up to two pages describing the project’s purpose, methodology, policy implications, and partnerships. Only applicants whose letters are approved will be invited to submit a full proposal. The submission must be emailed as a single PDF document, and applicants must verify data availability and participate in a required virtual meeting if invited to advance. The full proposal process includes planning discussions, internal and external reviews, and final selection by the Center’s Board of Directors. The timeline for the 2027 cycle begins with the release of the Request for Proposals on March 20, 2026. Letters of Intent are due by June 1, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Selected applicants are notified by July 8, 2026 and invited to submit full proposals, which are due September 18, 2026. Review occurs through early November, with final funding decisions made in December 2026. Projects begin in early 2027 following agreement execution in February. The program operates on an annual cycle, with recurring opportunities expected in future years based on similar timelines. Applicants are evaluated based on their alignment with thematic priorities, methodological rigor, policy relevance, feasibility, and demonstrated ability to produce meaningful outcomes. Strong proposals clearly address required outcomes for targeted topics or establish compelling rationale and defined outcomes for open-topic research. Collaboration, data accessibility, and potential policy impact are key considerations in the review process. For inquiries or submission, applicants must contact the program through the Center’s designated email and phone channels, ensuring compliance with all submission and formatting requirements.

Align proposal closely with one of the three themes; clearly address required outcomes for targeted topics; demonstrate policy relevance and data availability; include strong interdisciplinary or cross-institutional collaboration