PENN GLOBAL RESEARCH & ENGAGEMENT GRANT PROGRAM Apply for a Convening Grant

As part of its mission to promote global engagement in all its forms between the University of Pennsylvania community and the wider world, Penn Global manages a competitive grant program that provide resources to help members of the Penn community pursue activities both in specific focus countries and regions and around the world. The grant program includes four funds including:

• Global Engagement Fund
• China Research and Engagement Fund
• India Research and Engagement Fund
• Holman Africa Research and Engagement Fund

Before applying, all applicants are strongly encouraged to familiarize themselves with our grant program priorities, in addition to our fund-specific goals (see above). You may also choose to download a copy of our grant priorities and fund-specific goals. 

Download the Priorities & Goal

Penn faculty and senior administrators are eligible to apply. In addition, Penn-affiliated graduate students, Ph.D. students, post-doctoral researchers, and researchers holding an appointment of one year or more at the University are also eligible to apply, provided that:

• The use of award funds is completed at least six months prior to degree completion or end date of the applicant’s appointment at Penn, and

• They obtain two Letters of Support, including:

  • A Letter of Support from a willing faculty sponsor who holds a standing faculty appointment at the University

  • A Letter of Support or e-mail copy from a Business Administrator from their faculty sponsor’s School or Center confirming the Business Administrator would fulfill the prospective Awardee’s purchasing needs, account reconciliation/reporting, and account set-up needs.  

Penn Global Convening Grants primarily support one or more workshops, conferences, and/or other events, and generally do not exceed $10,000 per Award. 
 
These awards are designed to support conferences, symposia, workshops or scholarly meetings with clear end products and avenues for continued research, curricular or course development initiatives, and/or significant contributions to broader debates on global issues. Convenings should provide enrichment opportunities to interested faculty, students, and staff and enhance existing research and scholarly programs, particularly in disciplines where external funding is difficult to obtain. Priority will be given to inter- or cross-disciplinary conferences that include primary collaborators from more than one School or Center.  

Support for virtual, hybrid, and in-person models for conferences and gatherings are supported, the latter two pending compliance with University of Pennsylvania and public health guidelines. 

• For projects with a focus on India: Our India Research and Engagement Fund (IREF) recipients are strongly encouraged to partner with the University of Pennsylvania Institute for the Advanced Study of India (UPIASI) to perform projects and activities in India. UPIASI-partnered activities are subject to a 10% facilitation fee. Project PIs and BAs are expected to keep this facilitation fee in mind if they plan to engage UPIASI. 

• For projects with a focus on China: Our China Research and Engagement Fund (CREF) recipients are required to engage with the Penn Wharton China Center as part of their project (e.g. conferences hosted at the Penn Wharton China Center), and all project expenditures (excluding additional matching funds beyond those that match CREF's initial 50% contribution) are subject to a 20% facilitation fee. Please figure this PWCC facilitation fee into your budget proposal. 

Allowable & Unallowable Costs

Please click here for a list of allowable and unallowable costs for Convening Grants expenditures. You will be prompted to enter your PennKey and password in order to view them.

TERM 
Penn Global Convening Grants must be spent within one year of award. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis. 

BUDGET 
Penn Global Convening Grants will be funded up to $10,000.  

Allowable & Unallowable Costs 
As you build your budget, applicants and their business administrators are strongly encouraged to review our list of allowable and unallowable costs. You will be prompted to enter your PennKey and password in order to view them. 

MATCHING FUNDS 
For convening grants, Penn Global strongly encourages matching funds, with a goal of catalyzing impactful dialogue. A range of matching fund ratios can be accepted, but matching funding will increase the likelihood of awards.  

Matching funds do not have to be in-hand when proposals are submitted, but the proposal review process will take into consideration likelihood of securing match funds as evidenced by letters of intent or other documented expressions of support. The expectation is that any matching funds will be in-hand at the time of award.  

Penn Global looks for projects that enhance Penn’s engagement with one or more countries or regions outside the United States or issues, trends, topics, or challenges that are of global importance. Projects must focus on international and/or multinational issues that are not United States-centric. 

Successful applications can be measured by a variety of criteria; there is no “one-size-fits-all” model. But in general, benchmarks for successful applications may  be measured by any or more of the following: 

• Academic outputs (e.g., conference reports, videos, podcasts, etc) 
• Engagement with new partners 
• Creation and development of new educational opportunities for the Penn community and international partners 
• Ability to attract Penn school/center and/or external matching funding 
• Potential for media coverage 
• Research or policy impact. 

Penn Global welcomes all proposals that meet its minimum criteria, but proposals that feature the following will receive preferential consideration: 

1. Led by faculty, senior administrators, post-doctoral researchers, Ph.D. students or other graduate students from  two or more Penn Schools and/or Centers, and/or involve faculty members, students, researchers, or other collaborators from two or more distinct disciplinary fields, including the natural and applied sciences; the social sciences; the humanities; and clinical or professional training; 
2. Involve tenure-track but currently untenured faculty members; 
3. Demonstrate potential for strong and equitable partnerships between Penn and collaborating institutions, organizations or communities abroad; and 
4. Include a clear plan for obtaining matching funds equal to or greater than the amount requested from a Penn Global fund.