Ohio State Engages January 2026 Newsletter

Colleagues,

Welcome back for spring semester. Despite the cold weather, our campuses are bustling with energy as faculty, staff and students return to learn, innovate and collaborate.

Ohio State has earned the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification from the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation. Thank you to everyone who helped with this year's Carnegie application and to all of our engaged faculty, staff and students who uplift the land-grant mission every day with their work.

We want to highlight several upcoming events for the university community. The America 250 at Ohio State initiative has launched and will include a wide array of programming designed to spark conversation and deepen understanding about the meaning and evolution of the United States. As part of International Love Data Week, we are collaborating with University Libraries to host a workshop on utilizing data to support community-based research.

We have several funding opportunities to share as well. Our call for Outreach and Engagement faculty, staff and graduate student seed grants is still open. Please submit your proposals by Feb. 15 to be considered for funding in this years grant cycle. In addition to these opportunities, we are excited to share the call for proposals for the Ohio State Energy Partners grant program, which recently opened.

I wish everyone a great start to the spring semester.

Sincerely,

Jason Reece
Vice Provost for Engaged Scholarship and
Community Engagement
Office of Academic Affairs

Ohio States community engagement receives national recognition

Ohio State is being recognized for a commitment to community engagement in Ohio and beyond. The university received the 2026 Carnegie Community Engagement Classification, an elective designation awarded by the American Council on Education and the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching that highlights the institutions commitment to community engagement.

Call for proposals and events 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 advance resource stewardship initiatives and/or align with academic sustainability goals; align with advancing access, engagement and student success; or promote research translation. New this year, there is also a call for events through the OSEP awards. Faculty, staff and students are eligible to apply. Submissions are due March 23 for project and event proposals.

Call for Proposals: Engaged Scholarship Seed Grants

The Office of Outreach and Engagement has released a call for proposals for seed grants to support community-engaged research or community-engaged projects, in collaboration with a community partner, that address a specific need or problem within the community. Grants will be awarded a maximum amount of $10,000. Applications are due Feb. 15.

America 250 at Ohio State

As we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in 2026, Ohio State is proud to contribute to this historic celebration. Rooted in our land-grant mission established by the Morrill Act of 1862, Ohio State is committed to fostering public understanding and engagement through innovative teaching, groundbreaking research and community engagement serving the Buckeye State and beyond. By combining our land-grant legacy with the America 250 celebration, Ohio State will showcase its reputation as a center for dynamic research and meaningful community involvement.

Community health workers are changing local care

The latest entry in the For Ohioans series details how Joyce Calamese put off scheduling a routine preventive medical procedure for more than a decade until an Ohio State-trained community health worker strongly encouraged her to make the appointment. That intervention likely saved her life, the 67-year-old said.

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. 15.

Two Ohio State faculty earn grants from the Engagement Scholarship Consortium

Two Ohio State faculty members were among the 15 recipients of the Engagement Scholarship Consortium's 2026 Research/Creative Activities Grants. Eugenia Costa-Giomi, professor and associate director in the School of Music, and Daniel Michel, senior lecturer and director of the College of Pharmacy Learning Lab, earned grants. Ohio State was the only university with two recipients this year.

More community engagement news

• Fulbright Specialist Kaletun drives innovation and global partnerships in food engineering in Italy
• Barboza-Salerno addresses grand challenge to prevent gun violence
• Office of International Affairs 2024-25 annual report highlights the broad range of Ohio States global impact
• Serving those who served: Dentistry students and faculty deliver care to local veterans
• Reducing homelessness for older Ohioans

Opportunities

Apply by Jan. 26: Community-Engaged Course Development Grants

Ohio State instructors are invited to apply for a grant of up to $4,000 to support the development of a new community-engaged course or revising an existing course to include community engagement. Grants can support courses offered on any Ohio State campus and at either the undergraduate or graduate level. The application closes at 9 a.m. on Jan. 26.

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 13.

Diversity of Thought series launches with conversation on religion and public life

Ohio State launches the new Diversity of Thought Speaker Series with an inaugural conversation, Religions Impact on Civic Society, on Feb. 19. Faculty, staff and students are invited to join New York Times columnist and author Ross Douthat and Skeptic magazine founder Michael Shermer for a timely discussion on how belief systems inform shared values, shape public policy and influence the health of our democracy.

Spring 2026 International Student Experience Workshop Series

Join the Office of International Affairs (OIA) this spring for the International Student Experience Workshop Series, designed specifically for faculty and staff who want to gain a deeper understanding of international students perspectives. The three in-person workshops in February and March feature presentations from expert staff in OIA and other campus offices, along with a panel of international students who will share their experiences and answer questions.

Applications open until Feb. 2 for the Schweitzer Fellows Program

Apply now for the 2026-27 cohort of Columbus-Athens Albert Schweitzer Fellows. The Schweitzer Fellows program supports and trains emerging health-focused graduate and professional students in creating and carrying out service projects to address unmet community needs. Applications are due Feb. 2.

CTSI Spark Awards available

Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Spark Awards are designed to support preliminary research and generate essential data for new and ongoing projects. Spark Awards provide investigators with resources to advance their research, aiming to jump-start pilot studies and support future extramural grant applications or scientific initiatives. Applications will be received through March 15, or until designated funds are exhausted.

Call for Proposals open for 2026 Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities (CUMU) Conference

The 2026 CUMU Conference: Anchored in Purpose explores how purpose-driven strategies, rooted in place and responsive to community needs, advance social and economic mobility for students, support regional prosperity, and enhance community well-being. Proposals are due March 19.

Professional development opportunities from the Engagement Scholarship Consortium

The Engagement Scholarship Consortium (ESC) offers webinars and online professional development, as well as networking opportunities for faculty, practitioners, graduate students and university leaders throughout the year. These opportunities are offered exclusively to individuals affiliated with ESC member institutions, including Ohio State.

Explore Campus Compact programs

Through Campus Compact's programs, you have an entire nationwide network at your fingertips. Gain access to valuable information, practical tools and the latest research that you need to move forward locally and across the country. Ohio State is a member of Campus Compact.

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.