About Public Impact Research Initiative Grants
PUBLIC IMPACT RESEARCH INITIATIVE GRANTS
We are sorry to announce that we have had to pause the PIRI program for spring 2025 due to mid-year budget reductions.
The Public Impact Research Initiative (PIRI) was established through Public Scholarship and Engagement to recognize and support research that is cogenerated with community partners, is of mutual benefit and has a positive public impact. Through this program we provide financial support for new collaborations or sustaining relationships that will support publicly engaged research with non-university partners (including nonprofit organizations, community leaders, public or private sector partnerships).
We are interested in supporting research that expands opportunities for including non-university partners in the generation of knowledge and recognizes the assets that community members bring to the development of research. We value the inclusion of partners and the consideration of public impacts that have been historically excluded in academic practices.
These awards are intended to position researchers for future funding, capacity building and growth in research areas that include mutually beneficial partnerships.
Publicly engaged research can have an impact at varying scales and disciplines, with many different community partners. For examples of projects previously supported by this program, please see our 2024 PIRI recipients.
Recipients of a PIRI grant will receive between $5,000 to $10,000 for their proposed activities, depending upon budget request and program review.
Questions?
To answer your questions about the program, PIRI “Office Hours” will be held while the application period is open. We are sorry to announce that we have had to pause the PIRI program for spring 2025 due to mid-year budget reductions.
Questions can also be sent to engaged@ucdavis.edu.
Eligibility and Award Criteria
All current Academic Senate and Academic Federation members from any UC Davis location are eligible to apply. Previous recipients of PIRI funds will be considered lower priority for funding, but are still encouraged to submit proposals as long as their prior requirements (blog post, final report) are complete for previous project(s).
We encourage potential applicants who do not yet have an established partner to contact Community Campus Connect for assistance in locating potential partners, or to peruse the Public Engagement Portal to see examples of existing partnerships.
Applications will be evaluated on the quality of the proposal, anticipated impact and potential for mutually beneficial and reciprocal relationships with one or more non-university groups. This can include, but is not limited to, direct engagement with non-university group(s) in the development of collaborative agreements, research goals, questions, and/or methods, as well as incorporating community knowledge, voices and histories to research and creative practice.
For proposed work that reflects an extension of existing research collaborations, proposals should indicate the demonstrated prior accomplishments and desire to deepen, sustain or evaluate ongoing research.
Proposals should address a clear plan for one or more of the following outcomes of the award: a subsequent grant submission within a year after a PIRI grant is complete, a presentation at a national or international conference, or publishing research findings in peer reviewed literature. Each application should also describe a timeline with expected milestones leading to the completion of proposed tasks.