Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center

What Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center does

The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center (PRC) is a non-profit academic research center housed within Penn State's College of Health and Human Development in University Park, Pennsylvania, founded in 1998 by Mark Greenberg to advance prevention science. It conducts longitudinal studies, randomized controlled trials, and implementation research aimed at preventing substance misuse, mental health problems, adolescent behavior issues, and family dysfunction, while promoting human flourishing through mindfulness and compassion interventions. Core offerings include the PROSPER substance-use prevention program (co-developed with Iowa State University), the Friedman PEACE Program on empathy and compassion, the Family Foundations intervention, the Family Life Project longitudinal study, EPIS (evidence-based prevention implementation support), the Evidence2Success community framework (developed with the Annie E. Casey Foundation), and the Standardized Program Evaluation Protocol (SPEP). The PAMT T32 training program develops the next generation of prevention scientists.

The center's business model is grant-funded rather than commercial. Revenue derives from federal research grants (NIH institutes including NIDA, NIAAA, NICHD, plus SAMHSA), state agency contracts (PCCD, DDAP), foundation grants (Annie E. Casey), and philanthropic gifts (notably from Edna Bennett Pierce and Charlene Friedman). Programs and educational resources are delivered at no cost to participating communities and schools. Distribution occurs through direct community-based implementation partnerships, Pennsylvania state agency channels, open-access academic publications, and the Prevention Learning Portal. The center is led by Director Max Crowley (appointed 2023), with the founding director Mark T. Greenberg and a small staff of 17 supported by a broader network of faculty affiliates and trainees. Strategic partnerships include Penn State HHD, Iowa State University, UNESCO (via Mark Brenner's UNESCO Chair), and state-level public agencies.

Name

Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center

Legal name

The Pennsylvania State University

Website

https://prevention.psu.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center is a non-profit academic research center at Penn State, founded in 1998, that conducts prevention science research and develops evidence-based programs targeting substance use, mental health, family functioning, and youth well-being, serving communities, schools, policymakers, and researchers through grant-funded initiatives.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Prevention Science Research

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Child and Youth Services (624110)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Global Health Research, Evidence & Technical Assistance Organizations (HLAJAKAN), Education Policy, Research & Advocacy Organizations (Nonprofit) (BPAGADAN)

Keywords

• Prevention science research
• Evidence-based interventions
• Longitudinal research studies
• Substance use prevention programs
• Implementation science frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

University Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Federal Research Grants: Primary funding from federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), and National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD).
2. Foundation Grants: Funding from foundations such as the Annie E. Casey Foundation for evaluation work on the Evidence2Success framework.
3. Government Contracts: Contracts with state agencies including the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) and Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) for program implementation and evaluation.
4. Philanthropic Gifts: Donations from benefactors including Edna Bennett Pierce and Charlene Friedman's landmark gift to support the PEACE Program. Major donor recognition includes the Mount Nittany Society's Elm Circle.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center conducts prevention science research to develop, test, and disseminate evidence-based programs and policies that promote health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. It delivers this through flagship programs (PROSPER, Family Foundations, Friedman PEACE Program, Family Life Project), training pipelines (PAMT), and implementation frameworks (EPIS, Evidence2Success, SPEP), provided to communities, schools, and policymakers at no cost via grant funding.

Product overview

The Edna Bennett Pierce Prevention Research Center is a research-focused university center (not a commercial product company) that offers a portfolio of prevention science programs, training initiatives, and research frameworks. Core offerings include the PRC itself as the central research hub, six focus areas (Foundational Science, Promoting Human Flourishing, Developing and Testing Innovative Interventions, Implementing and Evaluating Evidence-based Programs, Informing Policy and the Public, Training the Next Generation of Prevention Scientists), and flagship initiatives including PROSPER (substance use prevention), Family Foundations (family intervention), Friedman PEACE Program (empathy/compassion), Family Life Project (longitudinal research), Evidence2Success (community framework), and EPIS (implementation support). Additional offerings include the Prevention and Methodology Training Program (PAMT) for researchers, the Prevention Learning Portal for education, Guided Meditations for mindfulness, the Research Translation Platform for policy communication, and the SPEP™ evaluation tool. These programs work together to translate prevention science research into practical applications for communities, schools, families, and policymakers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Program on Empathy, Awareness, and Compassion in Education (PEACE): A program dedicated to advancing research on mindfulness, empathy and compassion, improving community health through research outreach and translation. Now renamed Friedman PEACE Program following Charlene Friedman's landmark gift.
• Evidence-based Prevention and Intervention Support (EPIS)
• PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience (PROSPER)
• Prevention and Methodology Training Program (PAMT)
• Family Life Project
• Family Foundations

Products and services

• Prevention Research Center (PRC) The PRC is the central research hub conducting prevention science research to promote health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities through evidence-based programs and policies.
• PROSPER (PROmoting School-community-university Partnerships to Enhance Resilience)

Quantifiable outcome

• PROSPER program participants showed better problem-solving skills with romantic partners 18 years after participation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• Penn State College of Health and Human DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PRC is an integral part of Penn State's College of Health and Human Development, sharing the college's mission to enrich human well-being. The center serves as an intellectual hub and research engine within the university structure.
• Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner working with PRC's EPIS initiative to direct funding toward evidence-based programs and ensure their implementation with fidelity in Pennsylvania communities.
• Annie E. Casey FoundationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPRC conducts evaluation of the Evidence2Success framework for the Annie E. Casey Foundation, supporting community-level youth well-being initiatives.
• Iowa State UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partner in developing and implementing the PROSPER program, working with Penn State researchers since 2001.
• Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner with DDAP Systems Coordinator Melissa Tomascik working on prevention programming coordination.
• UNESCOflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMark Brennan holds the UNESCO Chair for Sustainable PEACE through Youth and Community Engagement, collaborating on international empathy research.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Prevention Science Institute at University of Oregon: University-based prevention research institute with overlapping focus areas in substance use prevention, family-based interventions, and implementation science. Directly comparable as a peer academic prevention research center competing for similar NIH and federal grants.
• Child Trends: Nonprofit research organization focused on improving the lives of children and youth through rigorous research. Directly comparable in audience (families, youth, policymakers), evidence-based program evaluation, and nonprofit research model.
• Chestnut Health Systems: Nonprofit research and services organization focused on substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery research. Comparable as a peer applying behavioral and prevention science research with similar federal and state funding sources.
• Oregon Research Institute: Independent nonprofit research organization conducting behavioral and prevention science research with NIH funding. Directly comparable in mission, funding model (federal grants), and focus on evidence-based prevention interventions.
• Iowa State University Community Development Extension: Iowa State University's community-focused extension arm, which co-developed and continues to deliver the PROSPER program alongside Penn State. Directly comparable as a peer implementation partner and co-developer of flagship PRC programs.

Broad incumbents

• MDRC: Nonprofit social and education policy research organization evaluating programs serving low-income populations. Comparable in evidence-based program evaluation, social policy research, and federal/foundation funding model, though broader in scope.
• RAND Corporation: Large nonprofit research institution conducting policy research across health, education, and social wellbeing. Comparable in research-to-policy translation model and federal grant funding, but with much broader portfolio beyond prevention science.
• Mathematica: Nonpartisan research and evaluation organization working on health, education, and social policy. Comparable in rigorous program evaluation, federal contract funding, and policy translation, but operates across many domains beyond prevention science.

Others

• Annie E. Casey Foundation: Major private foundation focused on improving outcomes for children and families in the U.S. Directly connected as a strategic partner funding PRC's Evidence2Success evaluation work and a comparable funder in the same ecosystem.
• Society for Prevention Research: Professional society dedicated to prevention science research and dissemination. Related as the leading convening venue where PRC presents research and from which it has received recognition (e.g., 2026 mentoring award).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCYgtjycjmiDgeyrYKyKlwhA/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/PRCPennState
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edna-bennett-pierce-prevention-research-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/prcpennstate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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