PSOM Update: Funding News & Opportunities

NEW Research Security Training Requirement

Both NIH and NSF have announced new requirements for the completion of Research Security training for PIs and Senior Key Personnel starting in October 2025. The training should be completed at the time of proposal. For more information about Research Security Training, including federal agency timelines for training requirements, please visit the Office of Research Services' dedicated page below.

Please direct inquiries to: Missy Peloso or Jessie Buchanan

Disclosure of Foreign Components to Federal Funding Agencies

In order to assist Penn investigators in complying with recent federal requirements for the disclosure of foreign components, the Office of the Vice Provost for Research created a dedicated website featuring guidance and key information regarding these requirements. See below for details.

Preparing for SEPTA Service Reductions

In response to recent service cuts and fare increases, Penn announced an enhancement to its Commuter Benefits program, which offers benefits-eligible employees a discount of 50% on regional transit passes and a discount of 5% on contributions to the Health Equity Commuter Card. This enhancement increases the maximum benefit from $105 per month to $130 per month.

Please review the information and guidance featured in Penn’s new dedicated website to help you plan.

Public Access to Federally Funded Research – Guidance for Penn Schools

The NIH and other federal research funding agencies have recently implemented public access policies, requiring free and immediate access to articles and datasets that result from federally funded research.

In response to these new requirements, Penn Libraries developed a guide to support researchers and authors. Please refer to this helpful overview, which outlines the requirements and support they provide, from open access publishing agreements to data management plans.

These changes also build on Penn Libraries' expanding Open Access efforts that aim to make Penn research more visible and impactful worldwide. Librarians are available to meet with departments or research groups to talk through the details.

PSOM Resource Hub

Please be sure to visit our Resource Hub where helpful information concerning the current tools, updates, and resources supporting research are seamlessly featured – including the Human Resources Support and FAQs and Wellness pages.

Check out the new PSOM Matching Tool, developed to help departments identify and share available staff capacity.

National AI Research Resource (NAIRR) Pilot - Microsoft Research

Submission deadline: August 30, 2025

Microsoft Research invites you to submit a proposal to collaborate through the National Artificial Intelligence Resource Research Pilot (NAIRR) to advance science and discovery with AI. Awarded projects will receive Azure credits for project usage up to $3.5M per project for use by June 15, 2026. Goal is to support up to 3 projects in these areas:

-Accelerating Drug Discovery and Development

-Accelerating the Discovery of Novel Materials

-Cyber-physical Co-design for Advancing Chip Systems

Please direct inquiries to: Jessica Young

DOD Melanoma Funding Opportunities

Letter of Intent deadline: September 10, 2025

Melanoma Research Program Department of Defense, Defense Health Agency Congressionally Directed Medical Research Programs (CDMRP) featured Funding Opportunities for Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25). See website below for details regarding CDMRP funding opportunities in Melanoma research.

Please direct inquiries to: CDMRP Public Affairs

The Blood Cancer United Translational Research Program (TRP) is Now Open

Letter of Intent deadline: October 16, 2025, 3PM EDT

Blood Cancer United (formerly the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society) is pleased to announce the 2025-2026 application cycle of the Translational Research Program (TRP), which was formed to enhance the transfer of basic research findings to clinical usefulness. Visit www.bloodcancerunited.org for details.

Important: Because of particular contractual requirements, any faculty interested in applying should first seek approval by emailing Michael Ostap, Chief Scientific Officer, and Robert Vonderheide, Director of the Abramson Cancer Center. Careful consideration of proprietary information or potential IP from the proposed work is required; if there are specific questions about IP, please contact Benjamin Dibling, Managing Director of the Penn Center for Innovation.

PSOM Limited Application - Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant Program

Submission deadline: September 18, 2025

The University has been invited to submit one nomination for the 2026 Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant Program. The Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) is managing the final candidate review and selection process. Each school within the University may submit one nomination to OVPR.

Please direct inquiries to: Kaitlyn Hagarty

PERFORM-KUH TL1 - Next Application Round

Submission deadline: Late 2025-Early 2026

The Philadelphia Program for Mentored Research Training in Kidney, Urologic, and Hematologic Diseases (PERFORM-KUH) institutional network award would like to announce the next round of PERFORM-KUH grant applications! Please find attached the RFA to participate in this program. We ask you to identify students or post-doctoral fellows from within your research programs or labs, forward this information to them, and with your help, encourage your trainees to apply.

Please direct inquiries to: Adam Mussell

SBDRC Pilot Grants

Submission deadline: August 29, 2025

The Penn Skin Biology and Diseases Resource-based Center (Penn SBDRC) invites you to apply for Pilot & Feasibility (P&F) awards. As one of six NIAMS P30-supported centers nationwide, we aim to support and accelerate innovative and collaborative skin research with the potential to impact patient lives. Awards up to $50,000; 3 different funding mechanisms.

Please direct inquiries to: SBDRC

AI-4-AI Lab Observer Repository Pilot Awards

Submission deadline: August 29, 2025

The University of Pennsylvania's Artificial Intelligence for Ambulatory Care Innovation (AI-4-AI) Lab is pleased to announce its 2025 Request for Applications for the Observer Repository Pilot awards. Five grants of up to $20,000 each will support a one-year interdisciplinary project that use the Observer Repository - a unique dataset of video-recorded outpatient visits linked with EHR data and patient/provider metadata. This pilot program is supported by the Stephen J. Heyman AI Innovation Fund.

Please direct inquiries to: Lauren Malloy

NIH/NIDDK UPENN Digestive and Liver Center Pilot and Feasibility Grant Program

Submission deadline: September 12, 2025

The UPenn Digestive and Liver Center invites you to apply for a Pilot & Feasibility (P&F) award. As a NIDDK P30-supported DDRCC, we aim to support and unite investigators with interests in digestive and liver physiology and disease and to stimulate others in the biomedical community to enter this area. Awards are $40,000/year.

Please direct inquiries to: Lillian Chau

Frontiers Planet Prize - 4th Edition

Submission deadline: September 30, 2025

The $1M Frontiers Planet Prize recognizes exceptional scientists enhancing our understanding of planetary health and developing solutions to stay within safe operating limits. The deadline for the internal submission is Sept. 30, 2025. Read the full posting for eligibility guidelines, criteria, and detail on the Penn internal selection process.

Please direct inquiries to: Ximena Trujillo

2026 University Research Foundation Grants Program

Submission deadline: September 30, 2025

The University Research Foundation (URF) at Penn supports faculty research and scholarly activities through two grant types: (1) Research Grants and (2) Conference Support Grants. The core mission is to support early-career faculty, help established faculty explore new research areas, and facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations. Applicants for either grant type will apply to one of four panels: Biomedical Science, Natural Science & Engineering, Humanities, or Social Science & Management.

Please direct inquiries to: Office of the Vice Provost for Research

Penn Center for Global Oncology: Foundational Research and Capacity Building Grants in Global Oncology

Letter of Intent deadline: September 5, 2025

Submission deadline: October 10, 2025

The Foundational Research and Capacity Building Grants provide up to $60,000 in funding to a Penn faculty member to support early-stage global cancer research that generates preliminary data for future external grant applications that focus on research and capacity building. Successful proposals will build collaborative teams, advance scientific discovery and capacity building, and lay the groundwork for sustainable global oncology programs at Penn and with partners in LMICs.

Please direct inquiries to: Kierstyn Claycomb

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