Academic Excellence Initiative Announced: Distinguished Professor Named at Ohio University's Honors Convocation
Contact: Chiffon Staebler, (740) 593-1043
ATHENS, Ohio (September 23, 2000) -- Ohio University is establishing a $50,000 Undergraduate Research Fund that not only makes it possible for students to pursue personal research projects, but also provides them with experience in developing a proposal, budget justification, and follow-up report.
Provost Sharon Stephens Brehm announced the Provost's Undergraduate Research Fund at Saturday's annual Honors Convocation, which recognizes scholarship recipients, donors, and distinguished professors. During the 2000-01 academic year, 6,700 scholarship awards worth more than $10 million will be helping Ohio University students obtain a college education. Ursula Belden was named this year's Distinguished Professor of the Year at Saturday's convocation, which drew about 1,600 people to Memorial Auditorium.
In her remarks at the Convocation, Provost Brehm emphasized the importance of building "the programmatic infrastructure that supports our students and faculty in their efforts to establish the very highest standards of academic excellence at our wonderful university."
The undergraduate research awards will be available each year to undergraduate students enrolled on the Athens campus to support original research, scholarship and creative activity. Funds can be used for research-related travel, materials and supplies, with a limited number of awards to support apprenticeship positions. Provost Brehm has indicated that she would like to see the amount of money being awarded increase to meet what she anticipates will be a large number of requests for funding.
To apply for an undergraduate research award, students must submit a proposal describing the research project and justifying the need for the funds being requested. The request for funding must be endorsed by the faculty member who will be supervising the student's project. At the conclusion of the project, the student must submit a report summarizing the results of the research.
A faculty committee, representing all of the colleges, will review the proposals and make funding decisions that will be announced by March 1, 2001. Further details will be publicized on campus during October and will be available on the Honors Tutorial College Web site at http://www.ohiou.edu/honors/
The Provost's Undergraduate Research Fund is one of three programs highlighted by Provost Brehm during the Honors Convocation. The two others were the enhancement of honors programs (both Department Honors Programs and the Honors Tutorial College), and the creation of the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards, which helps select and prepare students to compete for prestigious national and international scholarships such as the Goldwater, Truman, and Rhodes. Additional components of the Academic Excellence Initiative will be announced in early October and, on Oct. 20, during the President's State of the University Address.
