COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant

Deadline April 24th, 2020

The BRIDGE initiative (Building Research on Inequality and Diversity to Grow Equity) at Rice University is seeking to support new projects aiming to explore inequalities as they relate to the novel coronavirus pandemic, which includes the impact of the viral spread as well as experiences and changing well-being linked to increased social distancing (e.g. school closures, business shutdowns). We are interested in projects that document and/or explore inequalities that have emerged or been exacerbated due to this crisis with new information that can inform the unfolding crisis within Houston and the broader Gulf Coast Region. The intention is to fund urgent or quick-response research on these topics, or in other words, to provide immediate support for Rice researchers who are working to study these issues as they are emerging in our community.

We seek proposals for new research endeavors that lead to the generation of new data or knowledge and/or academic partnerships that address or inform our understanding of inequality. Although it is not strictly required, it is strongly encouraged that each application includes a minimum of two principal investigators at least one of whom should be a faculty member.

Although a maximum of $10,000 (over a three-year period) will be considered, we particularly encourage applications for smaller amounts of funding (e.g., $1,000-$5,000) that can enable immediate activity and generate external funding in the longer term.

Proposal Requirements

Proposals must be submitted as a single PDF file and should be written for an interdisciplinary audience. The PDF should include:

  • A project description of no more than two pages in 11-point font (including any figures or tables). This description must outline a clear program of scientific, scholarly, or policy-related innovation that speaks to the initiative’s goals; as relevant, the means of addressing the issues listed under “Selection Criteria” below; and a clearly articulated plan of scholarly and/or publicly accessible publication.
  • A one page budget indicating how the requested funds would be used and indicating resources sought or acquired from other sources.
  • A list of any current and pending support for the proposed project that includes the funding source, the Principal Investigator, and the amount requested or provided.
  • An abbreviated curriculum vitae (no more than 3 pages) for each Principal Investigator.

Budget Requirements

Seed grants can be used for research-related expenses, including, but not limited to: support for graduate or undergraduate assistants, information collection, production expenses, or supplies.

Selection Criteria

The selection committee will consider the demonstrated ability of the investigator(s) and the potential for the proposal to:

  • Identify, explore, and/or address COVID-related inequality with intellectually innovative and/or policy relevant approaches.

In addition, the committee will favor proposals that satisfy as many of the following as possible:

  • Lead to external, private, or public funding.
  • Generate new information or extend current information holdings in a way that is usable by others.
  • Engage existing Rice University resources, centers, institutes, or programs.
  • Engage Houston community partners or stakeholders in ways that are mutually beneficial to the research and the partners or stakeholders.
  • Build interdisciplinary linkages across departments/schools.

Proposal Submission and Timeline

Proposals are due on or before April 24th, 2020 at 12 midnight. Proposals must be submitted by email to BRIDGE@rice.edu. Awards will be announced by May 2020

Congratulations to our Inaugural BRIDGE COVID19 Rapid Action Grant Awardees!

BRIDGE COVID19 Rapid Action Grant Awardees

  • Dr. Elaine Ecklund, “How Houston’s Religious Communities Are Responding to At Risk Populations in a Time of COVID19”
  • Dr. Mikki Hebl, “How Discrimination Shapes People’s Experiences During COVID19: The Impact on Parents and their Adult Children and the Responsibility of Organizations”
  • Dr. Melissa Marschall and Dr. Anshumali Shrivastava, “Census 2020 During the Coronavirus Pandemic: Do Digital and Virtual Complete Count Methods Exacerbate Racial and Socio-Economic Disparities in Non-Response?”
  • Dr. Ozge Gurcanli, “The Effect Of Covid-19 On Student Experience: Working With Online-Learning, Socio-Economic And Immigration Related Contexts”
  • Dr. Claudia Ziegler Acemyan, Dr. Philip Kortum, Dr. Robert M. Stein, Dr. Elizabeth Vann and Dr. Daniel Wallach, “Making Voting Safe for Voters and Poll Workers: Meeting the Challenge of the COVID-19 Virus”