I-Corps@Ohio Program Request for Proposals

We are pleased to announce the release of the 2019 Request for Proposals for the fifth year of the I-Corps@Ohio Program.

The I-Corps@Ohio program incorporates Lean Startup, Customer Discovery, and Business Model Canvas methodologies to accelerate commercialization of technologies from Ohio universities, colleges, and research institutions while expanding the business acumen and networks of faculty and students across the state. The resulting companies will drive sustainable technology-based economic development in Ohio.

Registration begins on Oct. 23, 2018, and you have until Jan. 15, 2019, to submit your application for funding provided by the Ohio Department of Higher Education to be selected to participate in the 2019 I-Corps@Ohio cohort. Form your team now and submit your university technology using the online questionnaire to begin the process of taking your technology from lab to market.

Click here to view the RFP.

Shauna Brummet, president and CEO of BioHio Research Park, coaches CFAES I-Corps@Ohio teams. If you are interested in submitting a proposal, contact Shauna.

Click here to apply.

I-Corps@Ohio is a statewide program to assist faculty and graduate students from Ohio universities and colleges to validate the market potential of their technologies and launch startup companies. I-Corps@Ohio is modeled after the National Science Foundation’s successful I-Corps program, which is proven to increase innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry collaboration.

Affordable Learning Exchange

The RFP is now open for Affordable Learning Exchange (ALX) grants! ALX is a cross-campus partnership between the Office of Distance Education and eLearning, University Libraries, Undergraduate Student Government, and the University Center for the Advancement of Teaching. Our mission is to reduce the cost of textbooks and other course materials at Ohio State by advocating for open educational resources and other low-cost alternatives. These goals are directly in line with President Drake’s 2020 Vision. We have already funded 48 projects and are on track to save students $10M by 2020.

Grant award amounts range from $1,000-$24,000 per project. We are looking for projects of all sizes, from high-enrollment GE courses to small seminars and everything in between. Our goal is to continue to support the excellent and innovative teaching and learning practices of our faculty, while providing significant savings for our students in the process. Award amounts are flexible based on a project’s needs, and there are varying levels of support available. Grants may require matching funds from your department.

This first phase of the application process will remain open throughout Sept. 12, and is meant to simply collect your ideas. All you need to supply is some basic information and we’ll be in touch to help you through the next phase, where you’ll complete the full proposal.

Proposals can be submitted on the website.

SEEDS RFP for FY19 Issued

The new FY 19 Request for Proposals for SEEDS: The Research Competitive Grants Program is now available online. Click here to access the RFP.

Faculty proposals will be due Wednesday, Oct. 10, 2018, at 5 p.m.
Undergraduate proposals will be due Friday, Dec. 14, 2018, at 5 p.m.
Graduate proposals will be due Wednesday, Dec. 19, 2018, at 5 p.m.

Everyone is invited to attend informational sessions on the SEEDS faculty RFP. The dates and times of these sessions are:

Tuesday, Sept. 11
250A Ag. Admin (Columbus)
10-11 a.m.

Wednesday, Sept. 12
250A Ag. Admin (Columbus)
2:30-3:30 p.m.

Thursday, Sept. 13
130 Research Services (Wooster)
10:30-11:30 a.m. AND 1-2 p.m.

Informational sessions on the student RFP will be announced at a later date. Please be on the lookout for a future announcement.

Based on comments and recommendations in the panel meetings over the course of the past year, the Request for Proposal (RFP) FY 2019 was updated. Significant changes include:

FACULTY RFP

Partnership Grant Competition (pg. 2)
No in-kind contributions or purchases by outside parties can be used to satisfy the Partnership matching funds component.

Eligibility and Service as an Investigator (pg. 4)
Active projects and final reports must be completed by the proposal application due date (Oct. 10, 2018), in order to be eligible for new funding. Additionally, any P.I. serving as a faculty advisor to a student with an overdue SEEDS report will be ineligible for new SEEDS funding for themselves or for other student projects until the overdue report is filed.

Submission Process (pg. 5)
Due to the high volume of submissions, no technical or administrative questions will be answered by the SEEDS Coordinator on the day of submission unless they are related to website submission errors.

STUDENT RFP

Graduate Student Proposal Deadlines (pg. 3)
In order to have graduate projects start earlier in the spring, the graduate proposal deadline has been moved up to Dec. 19, 2018.

Submission Process (pg. 3)
Due to the high volume of submissions, no technical or administrative questions will be answered by the SEEDS Coordinator on the day of submission unless they are related to website submission errors.

Current Funding (pg. 5)
We are now asking students to include a list of current funding.

Gary Pierzynski, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Education, will be encouraging the selection panels to place greater emphasis on using SEEDS funding to make faculty members or teams more competitive for external funding. Therefore, presenting a clear plan for how this will be accomplished should the grant be funded will strengthen the proposal.

In FY 2018, 49 SEEDS applications were submitted requesting $2,412,158 in funding. Overall, 19 faculty awards were made, an investment of $894,745. In addition to the faculty awards, 51 student proposals were submitted this year. Three undergraduate and 20 graduate awards were made for an investment of $107,579.

Funding Opportunity for Sustainable Agricultural Systems

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) announced the availability of up to $80 million in funding for integrated projects to increase sustainable production of food and agricultural products. Funding is made through a new program in NIFA’s Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) – Sustainable Agricultural Systems (SAS) program. AFRI is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, which aims to address challenges in food, agriculture, natural resources, and human sciences.

SAS program focuses on system-level approaches that promote transformational changes in food and agricultural systems within the next 25 years. SAS supports trans-disciplinary projects that aim to transform agricultural systems that provide safe, nutritious, abundant, and affordable food for a growing population, while enhancing economic opportunities for Americans, especially those in rural areas.

Applications are solicited for projects focused on increasing agricultural productivity; optimizing water and nitrogen use efficiency; protecting yield losses from stresses, diseases and pests; reducing food-borne diseases; and advancing development of biobased fuels, chemicals, and coproducts.

Eligible applicants include colleges and universities, 1994 land-grant institutions, and Hispanic serving agricultural colleges and universities. NIFA reviews all proposals accepted in NIFA’s competitive grant programs through an external peer review process. Specific details on panel meetings, review formats, and evaluation criteria may vary among programs.

A letter of intent is a prerequisite for the submission of an application. The deadline to submit a letter of intent is June 27, 2018.

The deadline for applications is Oct. 10, 2018.

See the SAS Program Request for Applications for more details.

Mershon Center Grants and Scholarships Program

Each year, the Mershon Center for International Security Studies holds a competition for Ohio State faculty and students to apply for research grants and scholarship funds.

Research Grants

Applications for Faculty Research and Seed Grants and Graduate Student Research Grants must be for projects related to the study of national security in a global context. We are also interested in projects that emphasize the role of peace-building and development; strengthen the global gateways in China, India and Brazil; relate to campus area studies centers and institutes; or address the university’s Discovery Themes of health and wellness, energy and the environment, and food production and security.

In recent years the center has funded several dozen faculty and graduate student research projects with grants for travel, seminars, conferences, interviews, experiments, surveys, library costs, and more. To learn more about the types of projects funded, please see faculty project summaries on the Mershon Center website under Research and graduate project summaries in past Annual Reports.

Study Abroad

The Mershon Center has also established International Security Scholarships for Undergraduate Theses and Study Abroad to support undergraduates whose professional career plans lie in the field of international security and who would benefit doing research for an undergraduate thesis or studying in a foreign country. Applications will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary review committee that will make recommendations to the director of the Mershon Center. Scholarship amounts typically range from $2,000 to $3,000.

How to Apply

Application forms and instructions for all Mershon Center grants and scholarships can be found in the Grants section of the Mershon Center website. The deadline for all applications is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 28, 2018.

Field Research Grant for Graduate and Professional Students

The Tinker Foundation has awarded a Field Research grant to the Center for Latin American Studies, which will be used to provide graduate students with funds for travel to and within Latin America to conduct pre-dissertation research.

This award, combined with matching funds from the Office of International Affairs, will provide $20,000 in 2018 to graduate and professional students seeking to travel in Latin America for master’s thesis and doctoral research. Grant funding is renewable for a three-year period. Up to $3,000 per student may be awarded.

The Tinker Foundation promotes the interchange of information within the community of those concerned with the affairs of Latin America. Field Research grants allow students to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of language and culture, familiarize themselves with information sources relevant to their studies, conduct pilot studies and preliminary investigations, and develop contacts with scholars and institutions in their respective fields.

The application will be available on the Center for Latin American Studies website on February 1 with a deadline to apply by March 15, 2018.

Click here for more information.

Grant Development Support Unit Offers Free Services

The Grant Development Support Unit (GDSU) is a resource available to all CFAES faculty to assist with grant proposal development and submission. Some of you may remember when there was a proposal fee associated with this service, but GDSU’s services are now FREE. GDSU has three grant specialists: Lori Kaser (CFAES Grants and Contracts Administrator), Pam Schlegel, and Melissa Burant. The GDSU has locations on the Columbus and Wooster campuses. You can contact any of these individuals directly or through the general GDSU email address:

It is always best to contact GDSU early in the proposal process and notify them of your needs and timeline. Our services are on a first-come, first-serve basis, and we recommend trying to get on our schedule as soon as you know you will be pursuing a funding opportunity. Otherwise, the staff may be fully booked and will direct you to other resources. As part of the engagement process, your GDSU grant coordinator will start with a review that outlines roles, responsibilities, requirements, and limitations when working with the GDSU.  Once there is agreement to move forward, she will set up a Buckeye Box with forms and templates tailored specifically to your proposal needs. The templates will include a budget worksheet with Office of Sponsored Program’s (OSP) most current fringe and F&A (indirect cost) rates.  The team has worked with a wide range of granting agencies and have a great working relationship with OSP.

In addition to assisting with grant proposal development, GDSU offers a New Researcher Onboarding packet and hosts a variety of training opportunities. The GDSU staff is always available to answer general grant-related questions. The website offers a wealth of information and resources.  If you are not receiving the monthly newsletter, Research News, please email Kayla Arnold (Arnold.1065@osu.edu), Grants Office Associate, to be added to the listserv.

 

InFACT Linkage and Leverage Grant Program

The Initiative for Food and AgriCultural Transformation (InFACT), a Discovery Themes program, invites teams of faculty, staff, students and external partners to submit proposals for our Linkage and Leverage grant program. Projects should focus on addressing food insecurity.

Three grant cycles will be offered during the 2017-18 academic year with multiple awards of up to $35,000 funded each cycle. The second cycle closes Wednesday, Jan. 31. Click here for more information.

iPad Digital Flagship Program

Digital Flagship, in collaboration with the University Institute for Teaching and Learning, is pleased to announce the Digital Flagship Educators cohort, a new opportunity for instructors and graduate students teaching general education courses to enrich their courses with technology.

Accepted instructors will receive professional development, technology and support in creating an “iPad Required” section of their 1000- or 2000-level course(s). Applications are due Thursday, Feb. 15. Click here for more information.

Academic Enrichment International Research Grants

The Office of International Affairs is seeking applications for its Academic Enrichment International Research Grants, which support activities with lasting impact across the globe. The grant competition is open to faculty, graduate students and undergraduates whose applications focus on research projects that address global issues, connect discipline-specific research to programs in diverse cultural settings, explore the languages, cultures, arts, social sciences and area studies and/or promote active collaborations with institutional partners.

Deadline to apply is Friday, February 9.

Click here for more information about the grants and to apply.

SERC Seed Grant Solicitation

The Ohio State University Subsurface Energy Resource Center (SERC) was established to advance and disseminate our understanding of energy resources from underground sources and the intertwined environmental and socioeconomic issues. New for this year, we are expanding the scope of our Seed Grant Solicitation to include research under the broadest umbrella of energy and environment related research. This could include, but is not limited to:

  • alternative and clean energy sources;
  • environmental and social issues as related to specific or broader energy and resource management issues;
  • economic, environmental, and social costs/benefits of energy development (alternative and fossil fuel);
  • hazard and risk assessment of different methods of energy production on various endpoints/receptors;
  • development of frameworks for managing energy development; and (f) restoration/reclamation of lands
    damaged by energy extraction.

To promote and facilitate cross‐disciplinary research and collaboration at OSU, SERC is seeking applications from OSU faculty and research staff for seed grant funding. The total expected budget is $50,000, from which we will fund 3 to 4 proposals. Priority will be given to Seed Grant proposals that demonstrate the potential to leverage the SERC funding as a first step to obtaining high return to the university (e.g., extramural funding from NSF, DOE, NIH, or foundational dollars).

To build synergy and foster cross-disciplinary collaboration at OSU, we would consider funding 1 to 2 collaborative projects in the $20,000 range. Some example metrics for this return include the development of campus-based or online courses, workshops, publication of review papers that establish avenues for future fundable research, submission of proposals for competitive funding sources, and funding obtained from proposals that were generated, in part, from seed funds (e.g., proof‐of‐principle experiment or new model leading to a viable proposal). We will also entertain proposals to support modest travel costs to attend energy‐related workshops, and proposal or project planning meetings. Conference travel will not be considered through this funding mechanism. Proposals that demonstrate cross‐campus integration and have a diversity of departmental and institutional affiliations will be evaluated highly. Cost share is not required, but it will be considered in the applications. The purpose of these funds is not to support individual research projects unless they identify proof‐of‐principle concepts that lead to a follow‐on extramural proposal.

Proposals should be submitted to Mike Kositzke (kositzke.2@osu.edu) by January 31, 2018. The SERC Management Team will review proposals and make their decision by February 15, 2018. The body of the proposal should be no longer than four pages including the narrative, figures, references and a budget. The proposal should include a title, team members and their affiliations, project summary, background, proposed work, expected outcomes and two page CVs of the PIs.

For proposals to receive serious consideration, they must demonstrate a clear relevance to energy-related issues in areas such as technological advances, environmental impacts and/or socio‐ economic issues. The funding is for one year and requires a mid‐term and final report. The final report should detail the success of the project and outline the next steps to be taken that leverage the SERC funds for any follow‐on effort.

Questions pertaining to this solicitation should be directed to Prof. David Cole, Interim Director, SERC
(cole.618@osu.edu).

Accelerator Awards

The Accelerator Awards is a funding program based upon the idea that an initial amount of capital, strategically focused, can make a large difference in advancing a technology along the commercialization pathway. This is a great way for faculty to fund their inventions.

The Accelerator Awards program provides Ohio State researchers up to $100,000 to advance and further develop promising technologies and bring them closer to market. Researchers can use the award for concept development, prototyping, coding, market studies and customer validation efforts. Ohio State researchers who have disclosed their inventions to technology commercialization in the Corporate Engagement Office are eligible for the award.

Applications for this round of funding are due by 10 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 15 and can be accessed through Innovate or go.osu.edu/accelawards.

Slovene Research Initiative Call for Proposals

The Slovene Research Initiative (SRI) at The Ohio State University invites proposals for the SRI Visiting Scholar Exchange Program. SRI is a collaborative program focused on faculty exchange administered by the Center for Slavic and East European Studies (CSEES) at Ohio State made possible by the generous support of the Slovene Ministry of Education and Science and the Research Center at the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts.

SRI seeks to advance the study of and research on Slovenia and the broader region of Central and Southeastern Europe. The Initiative will cover either two or four weeks of housing in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and access to conduct research at the Research Center of the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts. It does not support travel or any other expenses. Proposed exchanges should take place in late spring or during the summer. The SRI Committee might opt to select two proposals that request two weeks of housing, or one that requests four. Visiting Scholar Exchange proposals can focus on any discipline, but should clearly demonstrate how the research or work conducted on the exchange will advance the understanding of the region.

Questions and proposals should be sent to Eileen Kunkler (kunkler.10@osu.edu), Center for Slavic and East European Studies. Deadline for submission is January 15, 2018.

Click here for more information.

Foods for Health Discovery Theme Seed Grant RFP Released

The FFH Seed Grant Competition is a university-wide initiative with a primary goal of advancing the use of metabolomics-based technology in food and nutrition research for the improvement of health. Successful proposals will focus on food and nutritional metabolomics, are innovative, collaborative, create value, result in presentations at professional meetings and peer-reviewed publications, and catalyze the submission of competitive extramural grants. The proposal deadline is January 8, 2018

Budget:
As many as five proposals will be awarded with a maximum of $25,000 per award for direct costs during a 12-month project period. No faculty salaries, fringe benefits or capital equipment (>$2,500 purchase price) will be supported. Travel essential for research is permitted, whereas travel expenses for professional meetings is not. Funds will be available for a 12-month project period with earliest starting date of March 19, 2018. Award funds will be incrementally transferred to the PI’s unit to initiate the investigation (60 percent) and after receipt of an acceptable progress report at 6 months (40 percent).

Eligibility:

  • One tenure track member of the faculty will serve as principal investigator (PI) along with one or more collaborating Co-PI(s). A minimum of one co-PI must be from a different department than the PI.
  • PI recipients of previous FFH Seed Grant Awards are not eligible to serve as PI for the 2018 competition. However, there is no restriction on the number of proposals for which an individual may serve as co-PI.
  • Co-PIs may include OSU faculty, research scientists and post-doctoral researchers.
  • New collaboration distinct from ongoing activities.

Click here to access the RFP.