Ohio State Engages February 2025 Newsletter

Colleagues,

I am excited to share a new professional development opportunity from the Office of Outreach and Engagement, the Engaged Scholars Academy. It is a one-year, cohort-based leadership and professional development initiative that supports faculty at the ranks of assistant and associate professor in strengthening their engaged scholarship.

Participating in this program offers numerous benefits, including building relationships with local community organizations and partners, and a cohort of engaged scholar peers. Members will have networking opportunities across the university and state, and with a national group of leaders in community engagement and engaged scholarship. A $1,500 stipend is also provided to support the academy members' research.

We anticipate supporting up to 12 academy scholars in each cohort. The academy will run from August 2025 to April 2026. We are accepting applications for the program until March 24 and will select participants later this spring. We hope you will consider applying for this opportunity.

Sincerely,

Jason Reece
Vice Provost for Urban Research and
Community Engagement
Office of Academic Affairs

Outreach and Engagement Documenting Impact Grants

Applications are being accepted for the Outreach and Engagement Documenting Impact Grants. Grants support program evaluation and impact reports for community-engaged research or community-engaged projects, in collaboration with a community partner, that addresses a specific need or problem within the community. Applications are due Feb. 25.

Apply for the Engaged Scholars Academy

The Engaged Scholars Academy has been created to develop engaged scholars at Ohio State. It is a one-year, cohort-based leadership and professional development initiative that supports faculty at the ranks of assistant and associate professor in strengthening their engaged scholarship. Applications are due March 24.

Engaged Scholar Q&A: Eric Anderman

"In all of my research, I have ensured that the projects are partnerships, so that the schools derive real and tangible benefits from collaborating with The Ohio State University," said Eric Anderman, professor in the College of Education and Human Ecology.

Outreach and Engagement Graduate Student Engaged Scholar Seed Grants

The Office of Outreach and Engagement is offering seed grants to support graduate students to undertake community-engaged research or community-engaged projects, in collaboration with a community partner, that address a specific need or problem within the community. Funding must be for work that is essential to the student's dissertation, thesis or exit project for their degree program. Apply by Feb. 25.

Buckeyes for Charity raises more than $1.1 million for Ohio nonprofits

The 2024 Buckeyes for Charity campaign raised more than $1.1 million in support of nonprofit organizations across the state of Ohio. For more than 26 years, Ohio State faculty, staff and retirees have supported their neighbors and communities through Buckeyes for Charity, raising more than $27 million to date. Thank you for supporting Buckeyes for Charity!

Call for Applications open for the annual OSEP awards

In collaboration with Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP), the Office of Academic Affairs has opened a call for grant proposals that align with the university's sustainability goals; align with advancing access, engagement and inclusive excellence goals; or promote research translation. Submissions are due March 17. Faculty, staff and students are eligible to apply. Awards range from $10,000 to $50,000.

Jepsen named 2025 "Leader in the Field" by Journal of Agromedicine

Dee Jepsen, professor in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences, was recently named as the 2025 "Leader in the Field" by the Journal of Agromedicine, a publication showcasing research on agricultural health, medicine and safety in terms of behavior, mental health, climate change, rural healthcare, epidemiology, policy and technology.

More community engagement news

• Kevin McClatchy: Using the arts to support autistic and military communities across Ohio
• Ohio State Early Head Start Program to expand through $23 million federal grant
• Roush making a meaningful impact in early childhood mental health

Opportunities

Spark Grants for arts engagement

Funded by the Mellon Foundation, Spark Grants provide seed funding for community-engaged arts projects. The competition is open to faculty, students and staff members on any Ohio State campus for projects that center the arts and that are done in partnership with community organizations. Proposals involving communities served by our regional campuses are especially welcome and will receive priority consideration. Proposals are due March 17.

Nominations sought for 2025-26 Ohio State Artist Laureate

The Office of Academic Affairs is seeking nominations for next years Ohio State Artist Laureate. The program is designed to help the university enhance impact through external engagement. The aim is to bring the arts to underserved communities across the state and to engage with those communities in shared experiences that will, ideally, enrich and inform audience and Laureate alike. Nominations are due March 3.

Judges sought for Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair

Judges are needed on May 14 for the Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which is being held in Columbus. Regeneron ISEF is the worlds largest international pre-college science competition. More than 1,600 students representing 60-plus countries, regions and territories will be competing for nearly $9 million in awards, scholarships, internships and prizes. Ohio State is the key academic partner for ISEF 2025. The application deadline is April 29.

2025 Federal Administration Transition

The Enterprise for Research, Innovation and Knowledge (ERIK) continues to work with the Office of Government Affairs and others to stay abreast on developments related to the federal administration transition. To help our research community track actions impacting federally funded research, ERIK has developed a webpage with information on handling proposals and awards as well as other helpful resources.

Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference call for proposals

The call for proposals is open for the 2025 Engagement Scholarship Consortium Conference on Oct. 8-9 in Roanoke, Virginia. This year's conference theme is "Bridging Resources to Build Stronger Communities." Presentation proposals will be considered on any topic clearly connected to the advancement of community engagement. Ohio State is a member of ESC. Proposals are due March 31.

Call for Proposals: Academy of Teaching

Share your innovative teaching strategies and insights at Ohio States Annual Conference on Excellence in Teaching & Learning. This years theme is Teaching Transformations. Join us at The Blackwell Inn on May 5. The proposal deadline is Feb. 17.

Proposals sought for SASR Grants program

The Student Success Research Lab is requesting proposals for the 2025 Student Academic Success Research (SASR) Grants program. Grants will be between $5,000-$25,000 with typical project timelines of one to two years for research projects that focus on improving, expanding and/or revising student success programs and services. The submission deadline is March 14.

Call for Proposals open for 2025 CUMU Conference

The 2025 Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities Conference (The Power of Place) explores how campuses nurture and build upon local assets to promote social and economic mobility, drive regional development and foster community well-being. The conference will take place Oct. 26-29 in Baltimore. Presentation proposals are due March 10.

Make connections with the Outreach and Engagement listserv

Did you know you can connect with colleagues through the Outreach and Engagement listserv? You can share your work and events, look for partnerships and much more by emailing the list at outreach@lists.osu.edu.