The Population Studies and Training Center (PSTC) invites applications for its 2026 Research Seed Awards. We welcome all proposals focusing on the causes and consequences of population dynamics, in line with our center mission of supporting data-driven research that can advance efforts to improve population health (broadly defined) and inform public policy. While we welcome proposals on any topic relevant to our mission, this year we have allocated additional funding to support projects in the broad area of social policy and population welfare, particularly those examining the effects of specific policies or programs on population health and well-being.

The purpose of these awards is to encourage faculty to develop projects that will obtain funding from competitive extramural sources, including but not limited to the Population Dynamics Branch (PDB) of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). The number of seed awards made this cycle depends upon the number, cost, and quality of the applications received. Seed requests of any size up to $40,000 will be considered. Project requests for larger amounts should signal a larger, collaborative effort involving multiple faculty or postdoctoral researchers.

This program receives support from both Brown University and NICHD.

Faculty Associates of the Population Studies and Training Center are eligible to be PI. Projects using a range of methods and projects targeted to funders other than NIH are welcome. We particularly encourage collaborations among PSTC faculty and projects that will be administered at PSTC. 

All proposals should include the following information in a single document:

1. Title
2. Short Abstract (maximum 250 words)
3. List of Key Investigators
4. Proposal (3-page maximum):
   1. Specific aims
   2. Significance (Why is this project important and relevant for population health, broadly defined?)
   3. Innovation (How is this project new and field-shifting?)
   4. Proposed activities
   5. Project timeline
   6. Planned applications for external funding, with tentative submission dates
5. Budget, with brief justification
6. CV or NSF or NIH biosketch, for all key investigators

Applicants should indicate whether the seed project has human subjects or foreign components at the time of application. Applications with human subjects will need to obtain necessary IRB reviews before any seed award is finalized. No funds can be released until IRB approval is forwarded to PSTC. Applicants should also have current CITI certification and will need to confirm active certification at the time of application.

Apply here. 

Proposals will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary Faculty Review Committee. Review criteria include the project’s significance and innovation; its relevance to the PSTC mission; the importance of the seed project for advancing a larger project and future grant proposal; feasibility and cost-effectiveness; and PSTC engagement. 

We will announce award decisions by late March 2026.

Generally, seed funds cannot be used for faculty salary support at Brown or elsewhere or for travel to professional meetings. However, faculty who are ESI (early-stage investigators, per NIH) and are appointed as 12-month research faculty at PSTC, may request up to 10% effort in salary support. Funds may be used for other research expenses such as hiring data analysts or hourly RAs; conducting interviews; and field-testing questionnaires. PSTC staff programming time, including assistance with construction of data files and/or spatial analysis, is also an allowable expense.

We encourage all award recipients preparing external or PDB proposals to workshop their proposal in an informal small group meeting with researchers who have external funding experience. Recipients may also request funding to obtain feedback on their proposal from external experts in their field, if those scholars are not at Brown.

The award period is April 1, 2026, to March 31, 2027. A brief project update summarizing progress with respect to applications for external funding, grants, publications, and presentations will be due August 31, 2026, with a final report due March 31, 2027. 

Please contact Kristin McCutcheon of the PSTC for questions regarding preparation of a seed funds application. Please contact Margot Jackson (PSTC Director) or Zhenchao Qian (P2C Development Core Director) for advice regarding subject matter areas and match between your potential project and funding agencies.