Support for Innovation

A central aim of the CU Population Center is to provide early support for innovative, collaborative projects with the potential to substantially advance understanding in one of CUPC’s central research themes, all of which are related to the mission of the NICHD Population Dynamics Branch (PDB).

For this purpose, CUPC awards approximately $50,000 in Developmental Grants each year. This includes both larger Pilot Research Grants for amounts between $3,000 and $20,000 as well as Rapid Response Small Grants limited to $3,000.

Please contact Jason Boardman, Development Core Director, for any questions about these grants. Also, see below for a list of current and prior projects supported by the CUPC seed grant program.

In addition, the Institute of Behavioral Science also offers pilot grants for projects. Population-focus scholars with a project that does not fully fall within the scope of NICHD Population Dynamics Branch activities can apply for these funds instead.

Finally, the CU – Boulder Research and Innovation Office offers larger seed grants to foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and which many of our affiliates have obtained to further develop extramural research grant applications and fully develop research projects.

Recent Intramural Grants Awarded to Affiliates

CUPC pilot grants (NICHD-funded):

Colleen Reid and Jessica Finlay: “Toxic Homes? A mixed-methods study of Marshall Fire health impacts” ($20,000)

Jane Menken, Krister Andersson, and Alan Zarychta: “Sustaining Improvements in Health Service Delivery and Health under Decentralization Reform: Current and Future Collaborative Research in Honduras” ($7,000)

Christine Steeger: “Understanding Disparities in Nicotine and Cannabis Vaping among Youth” ($15,000)

Terry McCabe and John O’Loughlin: “Dynamics of climate change impacts in Kenya: Extending a panel survey to multiple livelihood, population, migration, and ethnic contexts” ($5,650 from CUPC and $5,000 from IBS)

View projects supported in previous years.

Institute of Behavioral Science pilot grants:

Krister Andersson and Komal Preet Kaur: “From token to meaningful representation: an experimental study of local governance” ($15,000)

Lori Peek, Mary Painter, and Melissa Villarreal: “Understanding Social Vulnerability: The Role of State Hazard Mitigation Officers (SHMOs) in Reducing Risk for Marginalized Populations” ($15,000)

David Pyrooz, James Densley, and Jose Sanchez: “New approach to surveying about gang membership” ($15,000)

Other CU-wide grants:

IBS Director Lori Hunter received a CU Boulder Research and Innovation Office Seed Grant for her project “Socio-Environmental Data Integration for Population-Environment-Health Research: A South African Illustration.” This project, directly connected to CU Boulder’s Grand Challenge and in collaboration with Dr. Wayne Twine of the University of the Witwatersrand (South Africa) uses data from the Agincourt Health and Demographic Surveillance System to examine the implications of different techniques to anonymize demographic data through geographic masking. The aim is to identify appropriate masking techniques allowing for less costly development of — and easier access to — the geographic coding necessary for facilitate population-environment research.