Small Grants for Faculty Research
The University of Michigan’s Population Dynamics and Health Program (PDHP), part of the Population Studies Center at the Institute for Social Research, is pleased to accept applications for its Small Grants Program. PSC offers four types of small grants — (1) Pilot Project Seed Grants, (2) Methods Development Small Grants, (3) Mini Seed Grants for Project Development, and (4) Mini Grants for Computing and Secure Data Analysis — each described further below. While each of these types of small grants serves different research goals, the funds for this program are designed to strengthen subsequent applications for external funding and to improve the scientific innovation and impact of research in population science.
We prioritize funding research within the scope of the Population Dynamics Branch of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, particularly in our three primary research areas:
- Family and Intergenerational Influences on Health and Wellbeing
- Reproductive Health, Fertility, and Romantic Relationships
- Population Health, the Life Course, and Biosocial Processes
If your proposed research activities include population science topics that do not fall neatly under these three areas, or if they involve what NIH defines as a foreign component or a clinical trial, we cannot fund it through this mechanism, but we may be able to fund it using PSC endowment funds from our generous donors. Please include detailed information in your application materials so that we can evaluate them for their match with our funding sources.
- Ronald and Deborah Freedman Fund for International Population Activities: Supports demographic research with a focus on fertility, family planning, and family dynamics.
- Albert and Jolene Hermalin Fund: Supports interdisciplinary research involving new interactions between demography and the other fields as well as international collaborations.
- Eva L. Mueller New Directions in Economics and Demography Fund: Supports research in demography and economics, especially projects focusing on low income countries and those dealing with the socioeconomic position of women and investments in children’s health and human capital.
- Marshall M. Weinberg Fund: Supports international population research by junior faculty.
Human subjects: For projects that will involve human subjects, no funds will be released until all IRB permissions are in place. Please plan accordingly so that the research may commence on time.
Click on the links below for details about each type of small grant and its application form.
| Type of Small Grant | Purpose | Award Size | Eligible Faculty | Application Due Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilot Project Seed Grants | To fund pilot projects in population science that enhance the strength of subsequent proposals to NIH (or other external sources) for full-scale population science research projects | Most grants will range from $10,000 to $20,000, but grants above this range will also be considered | All U-M faculty | September 30, 2024 |
| Methods Development Small Grants | To support work that advances population science by developing, testing, and implementing new methods that meet researchers’ needs across existing projects and/or in new proposals | Most grants will range from $10,000 to $15,000, but grants above this range will also be considered. | PDHP Faculty Affiliates | March 17, 2023 |
| Mini Seed Grants for Project Development | To support PHDP Faculty Affiliates who are developing projects that are externally funded or are likely to lead to external funding and are in need of relatively small-scale support | Up to $3,000 | PDHP Faculty Affiliates | Applications reviewed on a rolling basis |
| Mini Grants for Computing and Secure Data Analysis | To support PDHP faculty affiliates in need of high-performance computing and other computing resources (including setting up secure workspaces for sensitive data) | Up to $3,000 | PDHP Faculty Affiliates | Applications reviewed on a rolling basis |