The 25 projects selected to move into phase three of the revamped Pitt Seed initiative will each receive $2,000 and the lead applicant will participate in training sessions over the next 10 weeks to learn to navigate logistical problems.
The Pitt Seed program, which debuted in 2018, provides funding for initiatives that align with the new Plan for Pitt, have broad institutional impact and prioritize interdisciplinary collaboration.
The grant program has evolved to help applicants move from an innovative idea to a fully formed, scalable and impactful project over six phases.
"We need to help project leads succeed in the University of Pittsburgh ecosystem," said Julia Spears, associate vice provost for academic innovation in the Office of the Provost. "Our new approach is more thorough, and detailed work begins for us now. The cohort will convene over the next 10 weeks. Teams will continue to develop their projects and look for collaborative partners that will strengthen their proposal for potential advancement to the next phase of Pitt Seed funding."
Phase four will see up to 10 projects awarded $75,000 of Pitt Seed funding this summer. Those projects will have a year to pilot their ideas.
Phase five, the “golden ticket” round, focuses on scaling up and will award two projects an additional $500,000 in June 2023. These projects will have one to three years to demonstrate an implementation plan to scale up the project to an institutional level. Those teams will work with Melissa Schild and the Office of Strategic Planning and Performance, which developed the new Plan for Pitt, to consider how their project will integrate with the University's strategic goals.
Phase six is the final stage and will see one of those two projects transitioned to an institutional level and included in the new budget model for ongoing funding.
Here are the 25 primary applicants and projects moving to the next phase of Pitt Seed:
Jennifer Decima, Pitt IT: ATTAIN
Kelsey Voltz-Poremba, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: Beyond the Bell: K-12 Youth After-school Program
Lynissa Stokes, School of Medicine: Black Women in Academia Study: Building on Lessons Learned
Randall Walsh, Department of Economics, Dietrich School of Arts & Sciences: Breaking Classroom Walls: Engaging Students in Collaboration With the Private and Public Sectors to Solve Real-World Problems Using Data Analytics and Economic Modelling
Emily Rook-Koepsel, University Center for International Studies: Building Global Competency Across Multiple Modalities
Trupti Sarode, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs: Building Student Capacity to Lead Public Interest Innovation
Ronald Idoko, Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: Center for Inclusion and Social Change
Yun-Oh Whang, Katz Graduate School of Business: Connecting Pitt to the World
Susan Graff, School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences: CUPID: Community, Pedagogy, Identity and Difficulty Project
Rachel Rubin, University Library System: Disrupting Health Disinformation through Nursing Education
Michele Reid-Vazquez, Department of Africana Studies, Dietrich School: Ethnic Studies Faculty and Student Research Initiative
Ann Sinsheimer, School of Law: Fostering Psychological Resilience and Increasing Engagement in Law Students Through Tailored, Targeted, and Well-Timed Interventions
Chloe Shearer, Human Engineering Research Laboratories: Fresh Start
Belkys Torres, University Center for International Studies: Global Leaders Network
Carl Wang-Erickson, Department of Mathematics, Dietrich School: Mathematics in Community: Education and Empowerment
Omid Fotuhi, Learning Research and Development Center: Netflix for Student Services
Sheila Confer, Academic Village, Theater Arts and First-Year Studies: Pitt–Greensburg Center for Well Being
Joseph Yun, Swanson School of Engineering: Pitt Initiative for Digital Well-Being
Carrie Benson, Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Sexual Violence Prevention Hub
Jamilah Ducar, Office of Government Relations: Supporting Off-Campus Student Life
Sera Linardi, Graduate School of Public and International Affairs: Sustaining Impact: Building Ecosystems for DS4SJ
Zsuzsanna Magdo: University Center for International Studies: Transnational Pittsburgh: Place-Based Global Education through Personalized Learning
Laura Nelson, Office of International Services: Trans Uplift Resource Network
Jennifer Woodward, Sponsored Programs and Research Operations, Pitt Research: University of Pittsburgh Master's and Certification Programs in Research Administration
David Sanchez, Swanson School of Engineering: University-wide Innovation Distinction