NCPI affiliate Michael Podgursky (University of Missouri-Columbia) and Robert Costrell (University of Arkansas) were awarded a two year grant in the amount of $250,000 by the Smith Richardson Foundation. With these funds, Podgursky and Costrell will continue their study of teacher pensions. The grant will also be used to underwrite a national conference on reform of teacher retirement benefit systems. Currently, the conference, which will be hosted in partnership with the National Center on Performance Incentives, is scheduled to be held at Vanderbilt University in the spring 2009.