Introduction

The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly (GAPSA) and Penn Provost Vincent Price sponsor a prestigious and competitive award for graduate and professional student-conceived interdisciplinary projects that includes a summer fellowship stipend of up to $6,000. Projects may range widely in topic and purpose, integrating knowledge from different disciplines. Project Teams can range in size from a single individual to large groups, and composition will preferably be made up of individuals from different departments or schools. Up to two Project Team Leaders may receive a total of $6,000 of summer stipend funding through this program offered jointly by GAPSA and the Office of the Provost.

Background

The Penn Compact, outlined by Penn President Dr. Amy Gutmann in 2004, builds on the Penn tradition of pragmatic engagement with local and global issues and by integrating knowledge. The GAPSA-Provost Award further builds upon the Penn Compact by offering graduate and professional students the opportunity to pursue local and global issues by integrating different knowledge bases. The first Awards for Interdisciplinary Innovation were announced in 2006 by Provost Ron Daniels and GAPSA Chair Lela Jacobsohn.

Purpose of the Fellowship

The fellowship will enable graduate and professional students to integrate knowledge across academic disciplines in a summer project. The fellowship will provide up to $6,000 of stipend support for work that harnesses the knowledge of different academic disciplines to explore societal issues. This fellowship also begins to address the lack of summer funding in certain disciplines. Under the terms of the fellowship, up to two Project Leaders may receive up to a total of $2,000 per month during June, July and August to support them in their work.

Eligibility

Only full-time graduate or professional students may apply for the Award, and only students without full summer stipend support will be eligible for the fellowship. Fully funded students may apply for the prestige associated with winning the Award, but will not receive the fellowship funding.

End Products of the Fellowship

End products may vary widely depending on the focus and nature of the project. Examples may include: an academic paper (publishable or presentable), a business plan or strategy for a profit or non-profit, a policy idea or proposal for local, state, or federal government (referenda, bills, etc.), a piece of artwork, etc. Award recipients will also be asked to submit a report at the end of the summer documenting (1) their findings or end product, (2) hurdles encountered doing their interdisciplinary work and (3) unique skills or knowledge gained through working in an interdisciplinary fashion. Finally, fellows will participate in a poster session during October in the academic year following the summer they are supported. The poster session will provide a venue for fellows to present their work, receive feedback from the larger Penn academic community, and encourage future interdisciplinary collaborations. The poster session will be organized in conjunction with the Graduate Student Center. GAPSA will take the lead role in organizing the event.

Applications

Applications should either (1) draw upon theories or methods of different disciplines by an individual student; or (2) use the skills and knowledge of students from different programs – including collaborations between professional programs and academic programs. Each application must specify an end product (e.g., white paper, manuscript for publication, work plan, or program). The product will be a part of the poster session. Application Instructions

2009 DEADLINE: Monday March 2, 2009 at 5pm

Criteria for Selection

Applications will be accepted from full-time individual graduate and professional students or from teams of graduate/professional students. Criteria for selection will include (1) demonstration of using bodies of knowledge (theoretical or methods) from more than one discipline to address the issues; (2) feasibility of the proposed project within the three month timeframe; and (3) relevance of the project to the local or global community. Applications will require a letter of support from a faculty member who is willing to work with the team during the summer months, and a note of approval for summer stipend support from the applicants graduate program, which include the contact information of a Business Administrator who is able to process stipend payrolls. Only full-time enrolled Penn graduate or professional students are eligible. The selection committee will be composed of graduate and professional students, faculty, and a representative from the Office of the Provost.

Award Winners

Winners are typically announced at the beginning of April. For a list of past Award winners, click on one of the year links listed below:

• 2006
• 2007
• 2008
• 2009