Penn Global Research & Engagement Grant Program China Research and Engagement Fund
Fund Priorities
Penn's China Research and Engagement Fund catalyzes and supports projects and initiatives that:
- Advance the interdisciplinary study, teaching, and engagement of China and position Penn as a key source of knowledge and ideas on China-related issues, topics, and challenges
- Strengthen relationships between the Penn Wharton China Center in Beijing (PWCC) and the greater Penn community
- 44 Total number of grants supporting projects across disciplines.
- 37 Number of Penn faculty engaged with primary affiliations with 11 of Penn's 12 Schools.
Current & Past Projects
Established in 2015, Penn's China Research and Engagement Fund (CREF) was designed to stimulate and support research activity and engagement in China. Since then, CREF has supported a range of projects that integrate knowledge to address issues of local, regional, and global significance, including The Penn Project on the Future of U.S.-China Relations which develops recommendations on U.S. policies toward China from “next generation” China scholars and analysts. The Project focuses on six key issue areas: National Security; Trade & Competitiveness; Technology; Human Rights, Law, & Democracy; Climate & Environment; and Research, Education, & Academic Freedom. The Project launched in January 2020 with its inaugural fellowship cohort. Following its period of performance under CREF, the Project secured further funding from the Henry Luce Foundation as well as the Carnegie Corporation of New York to continue sponsoring fellowship cohorts as well as to produce additional public-facing content, including a soon-to-launch podcast.
CREF projects have also spurred new initiatives that expand Penn's engagement with China. Professor of Germanic Languages and Literatures Katherine Hellerstein’s China and Ashkenazic European Jewry project led to the creation of a new seminar for Penn undergraduates on the history of Judaism in China. Learn more about the work of current and past CREF faculty awardees.
Professor of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Renyu Liu’s Targeted Stroke Therapy Awareness project aims to promote the stroke awareness in China through various platforms and measure the effectiveness of such promotion and the overall outcome of stroke patients. The project has produced 11 peer-reviewed journal publications, a Chinese-language stroke awareness video that has been viewed hundreds of millions of times, and a short film that won Best Short Narrative Film at the 2021 New York International Film Festival. Starting in 2023, the scope of Dr. Liu’s work expanded with Holman Africa Research and Engagement Fund support to engage new partners and communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
For Applicants & Awardees
Apply for a Grant
Penn Global welcomes proposals from members of the Penn community seeking support for their global research activities or convenings. Learn more about both grant opportunities.
Manage My Grant
If you are receiving support from the Penn Global Research and Engagement Grant Program, learn about what you need to do to get started and to effectively manage your grant.
Apply for a Grant
Penn Global welcomes proposals from members of the Penn community seeking support for their global research activities or convenings. Learn more about both grant opportunities.
Manage My Grant
If you are receiving support from the Penn Global Research and Engagement Grant Program, learn about what you need to do to get started and to effectively manage your grant.
Beyond Penn's China Research and Engagement Fund, there are a number of ways the Penn community can engage China. To start, we encourage you to learn more about the history of Penn and China and to learn of Penn's ongoing efforts to advance University engagement in and with China. We also encourage the Penn community to visit our valued partners, whose work centers on the study and understanding of China. Partners include but are not limited to the Penn Wharton China Center, Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Center for East Asian Studies, and the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations.
