Penn State recently announced the recipients of the inaugural Presidential Public Impact Research Awards (PPIRA), a new program designed to support faculty and students who are working on research projects that directly benefit communities.
The program recognizes and supports teams of two to four faculty members and their graduate or undergraduate students across the Commonwealth Campuses who are already conducting research that benefits their communities alongside community partners.
The award provides up to $10,000 for each faculty member (up to $40,000) — in the form of summer support — and $3,500 for each student on the team.
All awardees provide student experiential learning opportunities during the project, and they partner with local nonprofits, school districts, chambers of commerce and workforce development organizations.
Faculty awardees for 2025-26 are Penn State Brandywine’s Luna Yang, Anna Sigmon and Christine Allen, along with Ahmed Nuriye from Penn State Abington.
The team project is “Preparing a Scientific Workforce to Support the Economic Development and Talent Retention of the Southeastern PA region.”
The faculty are partnering with the Chester County Chamber of Commerce, Mainline Chamber of Commerce, Philadelphia Section of the American Chemical Society, and the Delaware County Workforce Development Board.
“Penn State’s Commonwealth Campuses are uniquely positioned to partner on the local level to conduct scholarship that makes a profound difference in the communities we serve,” said Penn State President Neeli Bendapudi.
“The Presidential Public Impact Research Award program recognizes the vital work being undertaken by faculty and researchers at our campuses, while investing the University’s resources in continuing to enrich communities and empower residents across Pennsylvania.”
Read more about this inaugural awards program at Penn State Brandywine.
