Grant to fund inter-school work

Penn's graduate and professional students have been given a new incentive to bridge departments in their work.

The Graduate and Professional Student Assembly and the Office of the Provost announced the creation of the GAPSA-Provost's Award for Interdisciplinary Innovation yesterday. Each of this summer's six awards includes a $6,000 fellowship for student projects.

Graduate students wishing to pursue projects that span departments in Penn's 12 schools are eligible for the award.

Its winners will be announced on May 12.

Provost Ron Daniels said that while the University supports the program, its creation was largely the result of graduate students' initiative.

"What we like about this idea is that we are able to nurture interdisciplinary activity, which will be driven by the students' senses of the issues they are anxious to address," Daniels said.

Interdisciplinary education is a key facet of the Penn Compact, University President Amy Gutmann's plan to improve the University.

GAPSA Chairwoman and Communication graduate student Lela Jacobsohn said that she was frustrated by the lack of funding available to graduate students and took the issue to the Provost's Office last summer.

"I really felt like these opportunities weren't there at the graduate student level," Jacobsohn said. "I felt like we were really losing out."

Daniels and Jacobsohn expect that the funding will be applied to problems like obesity in the United States, for example, an issue which Jacobsohn says spans the realms of public health, medicine, science and even economics.

The $36,000 required for the six fellowships will be covered by GAPSA and the Provost's Office, each of which will pay half of the sum.

However, Jacobsohn says the award is about more than just the funding.

"The award has prestige of its own" that is independent of the monetary fellowship, she said. The award can be given to groups that already have sources of funds but whose projects merit recognition.

First-year Medical student Ori Benhamou said that he is looking forward to possibly applying for a project of his own.

"The prestige thing is a big deal that definitely would look very good" on a resume, Benhamou said. "I definitely think it's a great idea."

Benhamou, who studies the HIV/AIDS epidemic, said that he may consider an interdisciplinary project, such as how the law affects HIV patients or the economic effects of HIV on American health care.

"I'm definitely going to check it out and I'm definitely interested in applying" for the award, Benhamou said.

Jacobsohn said that she is happy to see the University putting its money where its mouth is when it comes to implementing Gutmann's plan.

"There is a focus on encouraging interdisciplinary work ... and not letting money be the thing that stops them," Jacobsohn said.

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