10-9-97
Faculty and staff at Ohio University have been spending some extra time in classrooms, learning the do's and don'ts to writing grant proposals. Their work has resulted in an increase in proposals submitted to external funding agencies and has helped the university reach a record high for external support of research and educational activities.
Ohio University received $34.4 million from external funding sources in fiscal 1997, up from $30.7 million in fiscal 1996. The numbers reflect an increase in funding from federal agencies and the private sector, but equally important, is the increase in the number of grant proposals that were submitted, said Carol Blum, interim vice president for research and graduate studies at Ohio University.
"This increase represents the hard work by the faculty and staff at this institution," Blum said. "The number of grant proposals being submitted by faculty and staff has increased, which is directly related to the increase in funding."
In fiscal 1996, faculty and staff submitted 536 proposals for external funding. In fiscal 1997, that number jumped to 652.
The fact that more proposals are coming in wasn't a great surprise to Claire Carlson, director of research and sponsored programs for the university. Carlson and others in her office have been responding to an increasing demand from faculty and staff who want information on preparing successful grant proposals. The demand has led to the expansion of workshops and training programs to teach faculty and staff how to write grant proposals that meet funding agencies' criteria.
"We were responding to requests from faculty for more information on the proposal process," Carlson said. "They have expressed more interest in getting this support, and we've been increasing the outreach workshops we offer to accommodate those requests."
Ohio University received 465 awards from external agencies and businesses in fiscal year 1997, also a record high.
"I am very proud of our faculty for their research initiatives," said Ohio University President Robert Glidden. "In a time when most universities are experiencing declines in the percentage and amounts of research awards, Ohio University continues to improve. Some of this is due to excellent young faculty whose brightest research contributions are still ahead of them, but happily, some of our increased productivity is due to senior faculty who are working harder than ever in pursuit of their research aspirations."
The biggest increase in external funding came for support of research, which rose to $16.8 million in fiscal 1997 from $13.5 million in fiscal 1996. Internal funding for research was at $5 million in fiscal 1997, bringing the support for research to a record high of $21.8 million.
Support for nonresearch activities, which include instructional and public service activities, increased slightly to $17.5 million from $17.1 million.
Nonresearch activities include programs such as Kids on Campus, which brings hundreds of children to the university campus for camp each summer, and the Childhood Immunization project, operated by the College of Osteopathic Medicine
. "The increase in all external funds awarded to Ohio University is a very impressive achievement. As everyone knows, the competition for such funds continues to become even more intense, and the standard for quality and creativity continues to rise," said Ohio University Provost Sharon Brehm. "To succeed in this environment is a clear reflection of the excellence of our faculty."