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Who is eligible?

Students or Employees at Institutions of Higher Ed: Prospective PIs applying to the U-POWER RPPP can be graduate students, post-doctoral scholars, or faculty at any institution of higher education. Investigators may be from any disciplinary background.

Other Interested Applicants: Applicants who are not students or employees of an institution of higher education may apply using a multiple PI (mPI) model, where the mPI is a faculty member at an institution of higher education.

Priority will be given to applications that include new interdisciplinary teams, interdisciplinary approaches, junior investigators, or investigators from under-represented groups. 

May I request assistance with my application? 

All investigators, but particularly junior investigators and graduate students, are encouraged to request support from U-POWER staff and investigators before submitting a pilot project application. Interested applicants should contact Dr. Camie Schaefer, Associate Director of U-POWER (camie.schaefer@utah.edu) for more information on any of the following programs:

  • Writing assistance and pre-submission review
  • Scientific concept review
  • Grant-related professional development activities (e.g. mock peer reviews and pre-submission application critiques)
  • Assistance with finding a community partner for collaboration
  • Assistance with identifying a mentor

Interested applicants are encouraged to reach out for assistance as soon as possible, but at least two weeks before the application due date. Recipients of assistance are not obligated to submit a final application, nor are they guaranteed successful funding.

What are the important dates?

The deadline for complete applications is November 15, 2024, and awardees will be announced by January 15, 2025. The anticipated performance period is February 2025 – February 2026.

What kinds of projects are likely to be funded?

U-POWER’s Research Pilot Project Program (RPPP) is interested in innovative research from any discipline that illuminates connections between work, health, and power. We welcome work across the translational spectrum from research that identifies or develops our understanding of issues to research that explores what changes we could make within individual workplaces, industries, or within our larger society. Potential areas for projects include (but are not limited to):  

For other questions, please consult the Call for Applications and Detailed Application Instructions. If these documents do not answer your question, please contact Dr. Camie Schaefer at camie.schaefer@utah.edu.