University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and Provost Vincent Price announced the first recipients of the Penn China Research and Engagement Fund (CREF) awards.
Established last spring (Almanac April 14, 2015), CREF will award up to $10 million over the next five years in the form of matching research grants to Penn faculty to stimulate and support research activity and engagement in China.
“Penn’s China Research and Engagement Fund builds on the deep connections between Penn and China forged over nearly two centuries,” Dr. Gutmann said. “Advancing Penn’s dual mission of research and learning, the awards expand access to Penn’s exceptional intellectual resources as one of the world’s leading research universities and strengthen collaborative relationships between Penn’s eminent scholars and researchers and our Chinese peers to spur innovative broad thinking in seeking real world solutions on issues that confront all societies.
“Penn’s engagement in China via research, academic and student exchanges and broad partnerships with Chinese institutions benefits Penn’s campus and community and enhances global understanding and discovery by bringing the world to Penn and Penn to the world.”
The inaugural Penn CREF grants, totaling nearly $3.8 million during the first three years of the fund, support 16 projects involving researchers across Penn’s 12 schools and also six centers and institutes that are working in collaboration with 35 Chinese institutional partners, as well as more than 10 organizations worldwide.
“Penn has a historic commitment to the integration of knowledge across disciplines,” Dr. Price said. “The complexity of global issues requires multidisciplinary solutions, especially for future challenges that are difficult to anticipate. These exciting projects demonstrate this breadth of expertise among our 12 schools, drawing their strength and innovation from perspectives that span diverse areas of inquiry.”
From Prenatal Ambient Air Pollution and Fetal and Child Development in South China to Improving the Productive and Health Efficiency of the Chinese Dairy Industry, the CREF-sponsored projects cover a broad array of issues including economic history, connections between health and the environment, improving treatment for disease, urbanization and the growth of cities in China and state-owned enterprise reform. The awards support visits to China by more than 100 faculty and students per year and deepen Penn’s understanding of China and collaboration with Chinese partners.
In addition to research-based proposals, there are three projects that expand Penn student programming in China, increasing the opportunity for Penn students to travel in and around China, as well as two new short-term global seminars to be held in China.
Penn’s connections in China include nearly 4,000 Penn alumni who currently live in China and Hong Kong and more than 10,000 alumni who live throughout Asia. Chinese students make up a large percentage of Penn’s international undergraduate and graduate student population on campus, and annually Penn sends many students to China for study abroad programs and internship exchanges. At present, Penn has 180 faculty members with more than 275 projects in or relating to China.
The CREF awards represent another major milestone in Penn’s engagement in China following the opening of the Penn Wharton China Center in Beijing in March (Almanac March 17, 2015). The Center provides logistical support for research, academic and student exchanges and for broad partnerships with China, as well as events and symposia on important academic topics for students, faculty and alumni.
As another opportunity to connect with alumni in China, the University convened the annual Silfen Forum in Beijing last Thursday. Named for David Silfen, a 1966 Penn alumnus, and his wife, Lyn, the forum brought together world-renowned figures in conversation with President Gutmann to reflect on the roles of China and the United States in the world.
2015 Recipients of the China Research and Engagement Fund Awards
Below are the recipients for the 2015 funding cycle, listed in alphabetical order by last name of the Principal Investigator.
• Prenatal Ambient Air Pollution and Fetal and Child Development in South China; Jere Behrman, W.R. Kenan Jr. Professor of Economics; SAS, Population Studies Center and Penn Partners: PSOM (pharmacology); GSE (psychology); SAS (sociology); Center for the Study of Contemporary China and Chinese Partners: Guangdong Women and Children’s Hospital.
• A Tale of Two Capitals: A Comparative Study of Development in Beijing and Ulaanbaatar; Mien-hwa Chiang, director, Chinese language program; senior lecturer in foreign languages; Co-Principal Investigators: Melissa DiFrancesco, associate director, Center for East Asian Studies; David Dettmann, US director, American Center for Mongolian Studies (ACMS); SAS, Center for East Asian Studies and Penn Partners: SAS, American Center for Mongolian Studies and Chinese Partners: Inter-University Program (IUP) for Chinese Language Studies; Peking University.
• The United States, China and International Law; Jacques deLisle, professor of law; Co-Principal Investigator: William W. Burke-White, deputy dean, professor of law and Richard Perry Professor and Inaugural Director, Perry World House; Penn Law and Penn Partners: Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Perry World House and Chinese Partners: Tsinghua University (Law School); Shanghai Jiaotong University (Law School).
• China in the Global Economic History; Jesus Fernandez-Villaverde, professor of economics; SAS (economics) and Chinese Partners: Tsinghua University.
• Improving the Productive and Health Efficiency of the Chinese Dairy Industry; David Galligan, professor of animal health economics and Co-Principal Investigators: Jim Ferguson, professor of nutrition; Zhengxia Dou, professor of agricultural systems; School of Veterinary Medicine and Penn Partners: School of Veterinary Medicine (New Bolton Center, clinical studies) and Chinese Partners: Inner Mongolia University; Zoetis and Other Partners: Wu Nutritional Consulting (Oxford, PA), Pennsylvania Center for Dairy Excellence, Walmoore Dairy Farms (Chatham, PA).
• New Horizons in East Asia; Mauro Guillen, director, Lauder Institute and Co-Principal Investigators: Frederick Dickinson, deputy director, Center for the Integrated Study of Japan; Kenric Tsethlikai, managing director, Lauder Institute; Wharton, Lauder Institute and Penn Partners: Center for East Asian Studies, Center for the Study of Contemporary China, Center for the Integrated Study of Japan, James Joo Kim Program, Wharton (Wharton external relations) and Chinese Partners: Beijing Foreign Studies University; Fudan University and Other Partners: Kyoto University (Kyoto, Japan); Seoul National University (Seoul, Korea).
• Penn China Cardiovascular Imaging Project; Yuchi Han, assistant professor of medicine and Co-Principal Investigators: Dinesh Jagasia, professor of clinical medicine; Yundai Chen, chief, cardiovascular medicine, PLA General Hospital; PSOM and Penn Partners: PSOM (non-invasive cardiovascular medicine, interventional cardiovascular medicine and radiology) and Chinese Partners: PLA General Hospital (cardiovascular medicine), Peking Union Medical Center Hospital (cardiovascular medicine).
• Advancing Dental Research and Clinical Practice in China; Syngcuk Kim, Louis I Grossman Professor of Endodontics & associate dean for global affairs and Co-Principal Investigators: Songtao Shi, chair and professor, anatomy and cell biology; Dana Graves, interim chair and professor of periodontics, vice dean for scholarship and research, director for doctor of science in dentistry program; Hyun Koo, professor of orthodontics; School of Dental Medicine and Penn Partners: School of Dental Medicine (biochemistry); PSOM (Center for Targeted Therapeutics and Translational Nanomedicine; Penn Center for Musculoskeletal Diseases); SEAS (bioengineering and chemical & biomolecular engineering) and Chinese Partners: Sichuan University (West China College of Stomatology); Peking University School and Hospital of Stomatology (oral and maxillofacial surgery); Wuhan University (School of Stomatology); Fourth Military Medical University (School of Stomatology); Drum Tower Clinical Medical College of Nanjing Medical University (rheumatology and immunology).
• Linguistic Diversity in China; Mark Liberman, director, Linguistic Data Consortium and Co-Principal Investigators: Christopher Cieri, executive director; Jiahong Yuan, associate director of speech research; Linguistic Data Consortium, SAS and Penn Partners: SAS (East Asian languages and civilizations and linguistics) and Chinese Partners: Beijing Normal University; Minzu University; Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (dialectology and phonetics); Beijing Language and Culture University (School of Linguistic Sciences).
• Ownership Challenges and the Next Round of Reform of Chinese State-Controlled Enterprises; Marshall Meyer, professor emeritus of management and sociology and Co-Principal Investigators: Ann Harrison, professor of management and business economics and public policy; Minyuan Zhao, associate professor of management; Linda Zhao, professor of statistics; Wharton (management and statistics) and Penn Partners: Wharton Global Initiatives and Chinese Partners: Shanghai Jiaotong University (Antai School); Peking University (Cisco Leadership Program, Guanghua School); Gavekal Dragonometrics; Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (School of Business).
• Building Capacity for Interprofessional Pain Education and Evidence-based Practice to Improve Perioperative Pain Care in China; Rosemary Polomano, professor of pain practice; professor of anesthesiology & critical care and Co-Principal Investigators: Renyu Liu, associate professor of anesthesiology & critical care, co-director, Penn-China Anesthesia Partnership Program; Joshua H. Atkins, assistant professor of anesthesiology & critical care, co-director, Penn-China Anesthesia Partnership Program; School of Nursing and Penn Partners: PSOM (anesthesiology and critical care) and Chinese Partners: Peking University (School of Nursing); PKU Third Hospital; Peking Union Medical College.
• Duration; Ali Rahim, professor of architecture; Stefan Al, associate professor of urban design; School of Design and Penn Partners: School of Design (with Dean Marilyn Taylor, Professor Eugenie Birch and the Mellon H+U+D Colloquium) and Chinese Partners:Contemporary Architecture Practice (CAP).
• The PennDesign China Research Program; Marilyn Jordan Taylor and Co-Principal Investigators: Richard Weller, Martin and Margy Meyerson Chair of Urbanism and professor and chair of landscape architecture; John Landis, professor of city & regional planning; Stefan Al, associate professor of urban design; Randy Mason, professor and chair of the graduate program in historic preservation and executive director of PennPraxis; Nancy Davenport, assistant professor of fine arts, photography; School of Design and Penn Partners: Carnegie Mellon-Penn Center for Safe and Effective Transportation Technologies (T-SET); Penn IUR; SEAS; Wharton; SAS; Penn Museum; PennDesign (landscape architecture and regional planning, city & regional planning, fine arts, architecture, graduate program in historic preservation) and Chinese Partners: Tongji University; AECOM; Beijing Forestry University; Southeast University; Xi’an University of Architecture & Technology; South China Agricultural University; Chongqing University; Chinese University of Hong Kong; University of Hong Kong; Peking University; Tsinghua University; World Heritage Institute of Training and Research for Asia and the Pacific and Other Partners: Lee Kuan Yew World Cities Program; Center for Livable Cities Singapore; Urban Land Institute, Asia.
• The Rise of the City in China; Susan Wachter, Sussman Professor of Real Estate; Wharton (real estate) and Penn Partners: Wharton (management) and Chinese Partners: Peking University.
• Community in-Alliance for Recovery: Challenging Mental Health Stigma in Rural China; Yin Ling Irene Wong, associate professor and Co-Principal Investigators: Mao-Sheng Ran, University of Hong Kong, Social Work & Social Administration; An-Li Wang, Annenberg Public Policy Center; David Metzger, psychiatry; SP2 and Penn Partners: Annenberg Public Policy Center Health Communication, PSOM (psychiatry) and Chinese Partners: University of Hong Kong (social work and social administration).
• Penn Media Scholars in China; Guobin Yang, associate professor; Annenberg School for Communication and SAS (sociology) and Chinese Partners: Peking University (Center for Public Communication and Social Development, School of Journalism and Communication); Zhejiang University (College of Media and International Culture).