Program assists research at the regional campuses

By Kelee Riesbeck

Faculty at Ohio University's five regional campuses now have access to a program designed to develop, strengthen and implement their research plans and make them more competitive for grant funding.

The Regional Campus Research Development Program gives priority to tenure-track faculty who are in the early stages of independent research, scholarship or creative activities. Those selected for the program will attend workshops and meetings aimed at developing the skills and knowledge needed to design a successful research plan. They also will be linked with a faculty mentor at Ohio University or another institution.

"This is the first program for regional faculty that focuses on development of all the skills needed in grant funding and serves to encourage faculty to engage in research activities," said William Willan, assistant vice president for regional higher education. "An important part of the program is to pair a new investigator with an experienced faculty member who can help them learn the various and sometimes complex steps in gaining grant funding."

While regional faculty always have been encouraged to participate in research and creative activities, the new program will help faculty fine-tune research plans to make them more competitive for internal and external funding, said Charles Bird, vice president for regional higher education. Faculty members also are encouraged to create a synergy between teaching and research by using non-traditional research methods, he added.

"We encourage non-traditional research methods such as service-oriented projects that benefit the regional community and serve to strengthen the faculty member's research project," Bird said.

Each faculty member will receive $3,000 and one course-load reduction for one quarter to allow time for completing the research, creative or scholarly activity. Recipients also are given up to $450 to visit a potential funding agency, as well as travel money to attend internal development workshops. Up to $3,000 in Research Challenge funds and other support also may be available to faculty members who submit at least one proposal for external support.

The program recently awarded a total of $72,000 to 12 faculty members during its first cycle. The projects range from a study of the use of telemedicine in rural settings to analyzing the foraging behavior of snakes. The program is funded by the Office of Regional Higher Education and the Office of the Vice President for Research.

Kelee Riesbeck is a freelance writer.