Science-to-Practice (S2P) Grant Program

The College of Agricultural Sciences (CAS) Office for Research and Graduate Education and Penn State Extension invite proposals to the Science-to-Practice (S2P) Grant Program for new and renewal projects that integrate research and extension. The S2P program provides funding to support the formation and development of teams proposing to explore innovative methods, structures, and projects that foster the translation of research into outputs for dissemination and implementation. 

Interdisciplinary teams of eligible participants can apply for grants up to $10,000 for one year, renewable as funding permits for up to three years. The purpose of the S2P program is to foster the formation of integrated research and extension teams in order to address pressing, complex challenges that require multiple perspectives and modes of knowledge. The S2P supports applied research-based activities that prioritize the development of collaborative networks in the college across research and extension faculty and extension educators as well as engaging partners beyond, such as practitioners, decision makers, and thought leaders in the field.

The period of performance for S2P grants will begin October 1, 2024, and terminate September 30, 2025.

Eligibility

The team must be composed of a research leader and an extension leader, both of whom will serve as the principal investigators co-leading the project. Team leadership must meet the following criteria:

• Research PI must be a faculty member (tenured, tenure-track, or non-tenure-track) with a research appointment in the College of Agricultural Sciences and an active Hatch project;
• Extension PI must be full-time personnel (e.g., faculty member with an extension appointment, research associate and/or educator).

Additional participants are encouraged and may be from CAS, from other units at Penn State, and from outside the university. However, all funds must be used to directly support CAS activities and personnel. Funds cannot be used to support graduate students, employees, or other persons not employed by or not enrolled in a CAS program.

Current or previous grantees of successful S2P grants are eligible to submit a proposal to renew their project for up to two additional years after the first award. All remaining funds from previous awards do not carry over, and new budgets must be constructed for up to $10,000. Additional criteria for renewals are included in the proposal guidelines for the project narrative and budget.

Proposal Requirements

The full proposal will be submitted online through the InfoReady system. The required components are outlined below with page limits and guidelines for the required content.

Download the 2024/25 S2P Request for Proposals for details. 

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated and scored on the following criteria:

• Identifies outcomes that are easily measurable and scalable
• Contributes to the knowledge base through distribution of results that benefit other efforts
• Presents a clear plan for building or supporting an interdisciplinary team
• Demonstrates the potential for effective strategies to integrate research and extension activities
• Proposes activities that help to initiate, advance, and strengthen teams and projects to obtain extramural support
• Provides clear benchmarks for achieving defined deliverables and expected outcomes and impacts
• Incorporates audiences traditionally not targeted
• Projects that demonstrate considerable opportunities to grow the mission of the College, Extension, and our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion are especially encouraged

Submission

Full proposals must be submitted as a single PDF by 11:59 pm on August 30, 2024, via InfoReady linked below.

SUBMIT A PROPOSAL

Review Process

Proposals will be evaluated by program administrators within the CAS Office of Research and Graduate Education and Penn State Extension. Applicants will be notified of decisions by mid-September. 

Questions

Please contact Gretta Tritch Roman, Director of Research Development and Initiatives, with questions about this competition.