Grants Available to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Universities

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is announcing its Request for Proposals for its 2003 Grant Program. Through the program, one-year research grants with a maximum funding level of $50,000 are awarded to State System of Higher Education and Penn State University faculty members to develop viable policy and program recommendations for our state's rural areas. Multiple-year grants are also provided but must be renewed from year to year.

Faculty may also submit proposals for the Center's Mini Grants Program, which is for projects that will focus on basic data collection and analysis, time-sensitive issues, and/or the preparation of reference materials. Projects selected under the Mini Grants Program will run a maximum of nine months and may receive up to $10,000 in Center support.

The goal of the Center's Grant Program is to develop practical policy solutions for both state and local governments that impact Pennsylvania's 3.7 million rural residents.

Interested applicants must be qualified faculty members of the State System of Higher Education universities or the Pennsylvania State University. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania encourages applicants to form partnerships with other institutions or non-profit organizations if possible.

This year, the Center has targeted 16 research topics for consideration. Researchers may also submit proposals as open topics. All proposals must show a clear relationship to one or more of the Center's mandated areas of rural people and communities, economic development, local government finance and administration, community services, natural resources and the environment, rural values and social change, and educational outreach.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent, which is due at the Center office by Friday, April 19, 2002. Applicants may submit the letter of intent by mail, fax or via email. The Center encourages interested applicants to call and discuss potential projects with Mary Kandray, program manager for grants, before submitting their letter of intent. Applicants whose letter of intent is selected by the Center's Board of Directors will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, August 16, 2002. Selected projects will begin January 2, 2003.

For a copy of the Center's Request for Proposals, interested applicants should call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555, or visit the Center's website at www.ruralpa.org.

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Awards $490,000 in Grant Monies to SSHE and Penn State Faculty

Faculty members from five State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities and two Penn State University campuses this month kicked off research projects that include analyzing the supply of and demand for dental health services among Pennsylvania's indigent populations; assessing the mental health delivery infrastructure, especially as it relates to children and youth from low-income families, in six rural Pennsylvania counties; and analyzing rural Pennsylvania's telecommunications infrastructure. These three projects are among the 12 total projects that are being sponsored through the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's 2002 Grant Program.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has awarded more than $490,000 in grant monies to six faculty from SSHE universities and six faculty from Penn State University to conduct one-year research or demonstration projects beginning January 2, 2002.

Every year, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's Board of Directors identifies research topics that address relevant issues impacting Pennsylvania's 3.7 million rural residents and issues a Request for Proposals (RFP). The Board of Directors then selects the grant proposals that best meet the requirements of the RFP.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania's Grant Program is open to faculty at SSHE and Penn State universities. The traditional Grant Program offers a maximum funding level of $50,000 per project per year. If further research is necessary, grant projects may be funded for up to three years, but each grantee must meet the current year grant requirements and submit competitive proposals to the Center's Board of Directors. The Mini Grant Program offers a maximum funding level of $10,000 per project. Mini grants must be completed in nine months.

The 2002 grant projects will address a variety of timely rural topics and most will run from January 2 to December 31, 2002.

The 2002 grant recipients and their grant project topics are:

• Lisa Davis, Penn State University, Dental Service Supply and Demand for the Indigent Populations in Rural Pennsylvania;
  
• Dr. Frank Lindenfeld and Dr. Yvette Samson, Bloomsburg University, Needs Analysis of Mental Health Services for Children and Youth in Rural Pennsylvania;
  
• Dr. Amy Glasmeier, Penn State University, Advanced Telecommunications in Rural Pennsylvania;
  
• Dr. Bridget Jeffery, Edinboro University, Integration of Rural Transportation Systems in Pennsylvania;
  
• Dr. Samuel A. McClintock and Dr. Beverly Cigler, Penn State Harrisburg, Policy Recommendations for Rural Pennsylvania's Water and Wastewater Infrastructure;
  
• Dr. William Sharpe, Penn State University, The Influence of Well Construction on Bacterial Contamination;
  
• Dr. E. L. Shafer, Penn State University, Nature Based Tourism;
  
• Dr. Charles E. Williams, Clarion University, Assessment of Agricultural Use and Potential of Reclaimed Mine Lands in Pennsylvania;
  
• Dr. Wenfan Yan, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Adult Literacy in Rural Pennsylvania; and
  
• Dr. Martin Shields, Penn State University, Rural Pennsylvania's "New Economy": Identifying the Causes of Growth and Developing New Opportunities.

Mini Grant Program

• Dr. Kimberly J. Husenits, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Impact of Mandatory Managed Care for Medicaid Clients on the Delivery of Mental Health Services to Children and Adolescents in Rural PA; and
  
• Dr. Pamela C. Twiss, California University of Pennsylvania, Exploring Public Housing Use in Rural Pennsylvania.

For more information about the Center for Rural Pennsylvania's Grant Program or the 2002 research projects, contact the Center at (717) 787-9555 or visit the Center's website at www.ruralpa.org.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania's rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

 

 

For Immediate Release

June 19, 2001

Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center Releases Reports on the Effectiveness of Municipal Land Use Regulations and Rural and Urban Internet Usage

Are Pennsylvania’s counties and municipalities effectively using comprehensive planning and land use tools? If so, are these tools helping to achieve the planning goals set by the community? These are just some of the questions that are answered in the report, Measuring the Effectiveness of Comprehensive Planning and Land Use Regulations in Pennsylvania, released by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

The report is based on the results of a one-year research project sponsored by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and conducted by Dr. Stanford Lembeck and Dr. Timothy Kelsey of Penn State University, and George Fasic of West Chester University. The research project focused on measuring the effectiveness of comprehensive planning and land use regulations to determine to what extent the four principal tools of planning are being used in Pennsylvania municipalities and counties; if certain tools are used, unused or underused; if community plans and regulations are achieving the planning goals set by the community; and, if comprehensive plans have been developed, if they are being used in community decision-making. The project also examined whether there are barriers to effective planning, and if so, what they are and what actions could be taken to overcome them. As part of the project, the researchers offer recommendations and actions that may be taken to improve the effectiveness of planning and land use regulations throughout the state.

A separate report, also released by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania, focuses on how the Internet is being used in both rural and urban areas. The report, Cybercitizens of the Commonwealth: How Rural and Urban Pennsylvanians Access and Use the Internet, is based on a nine-month research project, conducted by Dr. James Tomlinson of Bloomsburg University. The project gathered data on how Pennsylvanians are using the Internet. While there has been a growing amount of data released on national trends, little data specifically addresses the Commonwealth. In the report, Dr. Tomlinson provides base-line data for future research and policy recommendations to further enhance Pennsylvania’s position as a leader in technology.

Copies of the reports are available by calling the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or by emailing info@ruralpa.org.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

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For Immediate Release

February 15, 2001

Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos

Communications Manager

(717) 787-9555

Grants Available to State System of Higher Education and Penn State Universities

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, is announcing its Request for Proposals for its 2002 Grant Program. Through the program, one-year research grants with a maximum funding level of $50,000 are awarded to State System of Higher Education and Penn State University faculty members to develop viable policy and program recommendations for our state’s rural areas. Multiple-year grants are also provided but must be renewed from year to year.

Faculty may also submit proposals for the Center’s mini-grants, which are for projects that will focus on basic data collection and analysis, time-sensitive issues, and/or the preparation of reference materials. Projects selected under the mini-grants program will run a maximum of nine months and may receive up to $10,000 in Center support.

The goal of the Center’s Grant Program is to develop practical policy solutions for both state and local governments that impact Pennsylvania’s 3.7 million rural residents.

Interested applicants must be qualified faculty members of the State System of Higher Education universities or the Pennsylvania State University. The Center for Rural Pennsylvania encourages applicants to form partnerships with other institutions or non-profit organizations if possible.

This year, the Center has targeted 13 research topics for consideration. Researchers may also submit proposals as open topics. All proposals must show a clear relationship to one or more of the Center’s mandated areas of rural people and communities, economic development, local government finance and administration, community services, natural resources and the environment, rural values and social change, and educational outreach.

Interested applicants must submit a letter of intent, which is due at the Center office by Friday, March 30, 2001. For the first time, applicants may submit the letter of intent via email or through our website at www.ruralpa.org. The Center encourages interested applicants to call and discuss potential projects with Mary Kandray, program manager for grants, before submitting their letter of intent. Applicants whose letter of intent is selected by the Center’s Board of Directors will be invited to submit detailed proposals. The deadline to submit proposals is Friday, August 10, 2001. Selected projects will begin on January 1, 2002.

For a copy of the Center’s Request for Proposals, interested applicants should call the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555, or visit the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

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For Immediate Release

January 18, 2001

Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos, Communications Manager, (717) 787-9555

Center Awards $300,000 in Grant Monies to SSHE and Penn State Faculty

Developing strategies to enhance e-commerce, determining the availability of long term care services and analyzing alternative education practices are just three topics that will be assessed through the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s 2001 grant program.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania, a legislative agency of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, has awarded more than $300,000 in grant monies to six faculty from the State System of Higher Education (SSHE) universities and three faculty from the Pennsylvania State University’s main and Commonwealth campuses to conduct one-year research or demonstration projects beginning February 1, 2001.

Every year, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s Board of Directors identifies research topics that address relevant issues impacting Pennsylvania’s 3.7 million rural residents and issues a Request for Proposals (RFP). The Board of Directors then selects the grant proposals that best meet the requirements of the RFP.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s grant program is open to faculty at SSHE and Penn State universities. The traditional grant program offers a maximum funding level of $50,000 per project per year. If further research is necessary, grant projects may be funded for up to three years, but each grantee must meet the current year grant requirements and submit competitive proposals to the Center’s Board of Directors. The mini grant program offers a maximum funding level of $10,000 per project. Mini grants must be completed in nine months.

The 2001 grant projects will address a variety of timely rural topics and most will run from February 1 to January 31, 2002.

The grant recipients and their grant project topics are:

- Dr. Prashanth Nagendra, Indiana University, Assessment and Strategies for Enhancing E-Commerce in Rural Pennsylvania;

- Dr. Sara A. Grove, Shippensburg University, Availability of Long Term Care Services in Rural Pennsylvania;

- Dr. Dennis Shea, Penn State University, Supply and Demand of Long-Term Care In Rural Pennsylvania;

- Nathaniel Hosley, Lock Haven University, Survey and Analysis of Alternative Education Practices;

- Dr. Constantinos Christofides, East Stroudsburg University, Income Gap Between Rural and Urban Residents;

- Lisa Davis, Pennsylvania Office of Rural Health at Penn State University, Effects of New Medicare Reimbursement Methodologies on Rural Home Health Agencies and Their Beneficiaries; and

- Mr. Joseph Segilia, Penn State University - Fayette, Establishing a Rural TeleCounty.

Mini Grant Program

- Dr. Marie E. Twal, Indiana University, Analysis of the Children’s Health Insurance Program in Rural PA; and

- Dr. Wenfan Yan, Indiana University, Report on Rural Schools.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

August 4, 2000

Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos

Communications Manager

Center for Rural Pennsylvania

(717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Releases Report on Cost of Living in Pennsylvania

The cost of living continues to be lower for most Pennsylvania rural residents than urban residents, according to a report released by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania. The report, Differences in the Cost of Living Across Pennsylvania’s 67 Counties, is based on a one-year study conducted by Dr. James A. Kurre of Penn State University Erie, and is a follow-up to a cost-of-living study conducted by Kurre on behalf of the Center in 1992.

For the study, Kurre developed cost of living estimates for every Pennsylvania county for 1997. In addition to overall cost of living, the study looked at six subindexes including groceries, housing, utilities, transportation, health care and miscellaneous goods and services. The indexes were helpful in identifying high- and low-cost locations in the state.

The key finding was that rural counties in Pennsylvania tend to have lower costs of living overall and for each of the six subindexes studied than urban counties. However, not all rural places are less expensive than all urban places. The report notes that urban Lycoming, Cambria and Luzerne counties tended to have lower costs than many rural counties and Pike and Monroe counties tended to have higher costs despite their rural classifications.

Copies of the report are available by contacting the Center for Rural Pennsylvania at (717) 787-9555 or at email: info@ruralpa.org.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

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For Immediate Release

April 7, 2000

Contact: Christine Caldara Piatos

Communications Manager

(717) 787-9555

Center for Rural Pennsylvania Releases Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is pleased to announce the release of the Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide on its website at www.ruralpa.org beginning April 9, 2000. The Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide is an extensive database that includes over 350 resources of information on state, federal, and nonprofit grants, loans and other assistance.

Representative Sheila Miller, chairman of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania says: "Providing rural and small communities with the information they need to remain viable and healthy is at the heart of the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s mission. We redeveloped the original Rural Access Guide and are introducing it as part of our website so that more rural and small communities may take advantage of the wealth of information that the guide offers."

The Center first published the Rural Access Guide in 1994 as a booklet, which was a scaled down version of a much larger database of information. The booklet included a sampling of state, federal and nonprofit grants, loans and technical assistance programs and highlighted each program’s goals and objectives, funding availability and contact information. The booklet was widely distributed throughout the state and was well received by rural residents, local government officials, and community organizations. However, anyone who wanted more information about other programs needed to contact the Center for Rural Pennsylvania for that information.

In this updated version of the guide, which was developed by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and the Pennsylvania State Association of Township Supervisors, the entire database is immediately accessible through the Center’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

"Being able to offer the entire database is a wonderful advantage of using the Internet," Rep. Miller says. "Another advantage is that the information can be updated more frequently and offered immediately to users, because the Center plans on updating the database at least once a year."

Recognizing that some rural residents may not have convenient access to the Internet, the Center for Rural Pennsylvania will also publish a booklet version of the guide for limited distribution. The booklet will be available in late spring.

While the Rural Access Guide includes an extensive listing of information, Rep. Miller offers that it should not be the final stop for information.

"It is a starting point from which rural and small town residents might more successfully begin their journey through the maze of financial and informational sources that are available at both the state and national levels," Rep. Miller says. "We encourage rural residents to take advantage of the programs offered in the Rural Access Guide so that they might continue to answer the needs of their communities and organizations."

To use the Pennsylvania Rural Access Guide, visit the Center for Rural Pennsylvania’s website at www.ruralpa.org.

The Center for Rural Pennsylvania is a bipartisan, bicameral legislative agency that serves as a resource for rural policy research within the Pennsylvania General Assembly. It was created in 1987 under Act 16, the Rural Revitalization Act, to promote and sustain the vitality of Pennsylvania’s rural and small communities. To preserve and enhance the rural environment that makes the Commonwealth a unique place to live, work, or visit, the Center awards grants for applied research and model projects; maintains and disseminates information on rural trends and conditions; develops publications to share research and project results; and sponsors local, state and national forums on rural issues.

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