Ohio State University Excellence in Engagement Grants

Sponsored by University Outreach and Engagement

RFP period is closed for 2008.

Word version of the RFP; Cover Sheet; Budget Sheet

Proposals for up to $100,000 in funding will be accepted. We anticipate 2 or 3 proposals will be funded. (A total of $150,000 is available for Excellence in Engagement grants.)
 
For more information on the Excellence in Engagement Grants Program and an overview of the Excellence in Engagement grants funded in 2004-2007, please visit the University Outreach and Engagement website at http://outreach.osu.edu/funding.php.

Purpose of Grant Program: The purpose of this grant is to support an interdisciplinary team to build upon their academic/research excellence and to establish an innovative, creative, scholarly outreach/engagement initiative that will give the team, college/regional campus and university recognition both regionally and nationally for its partnership with the community.

Types of Projects: Applicants are encouraged to be creative and innovative in their submissions. Teams/units can use the dollars to support personnel, buy faculty/staff release time to create and lead new engagement efforts, create dual appointments for faculty/staff connecting research or teaching with OSU Extension appointments, support innovative partnerships across campus for enhanced engagement, etc. How the dollars are used must be clearly described and justified within the budget narrative. The dollars cannot be used for capital improvements.

Application: Proposals must be ranked by your college/regional dean before submitting to University Outreach & Engagement. We suggest that all applicants notify their dean of their intentions to apply prior to February 1 and that they inquire as to the process for ranking so that proposals can be submitted by the February 29 deadline date.

Encouraged: Interdisciplinary teams to build partnerships within and outside the university to demonstrate the Academic Plan by connecting outreach/engagement with research and academic excellence.

Available Dollars: A maximum of $100,000 will be available from University Outreach & Engagement for each grant. We anticipate 2 or 3 proposals will be awarded. (A total of $150,000 is available for grants.) Each grant proposal must identify $1 in match for every $2 requested. A minimum of $0.50 for every $2 requested must be CASH match. The remaining match can be in-kind. Units are encouraged to consider providing additional match that can support the sustainability of the unit’s engagement impact.

Review Process: University Outreach & Engagement will identify a review team for the grants that represents a cross-section of the University. Applicants will meet with the review committee to discuss the goals for the grant and the capacity of the team to achieve the goals.

Timeline: Grant applications are due in the University Outreach & Engagement office (mail: 400 Stillman Hall, 1947 College Rd. CAMPUS; fax: 688-3884; e-mail: outreach@osu.edu) on or before 4pm, February 29, 2008. Grants will be awarded at the April 15, 2008 James F. Patterson Land-Grant University Lecture. Grant dollars must be expended by June 30, 2010.

The Following Must Be Addressed in Your Grant Application:
Grant proposals should be no longer than 12 pages in length. An additional 5 pages in appendix can be included. (This should include letters of support from community partners and letters of commitment for the match dollars.) A completed grant application Cover Sheet must be attached to the 12-page proposal. The sheet must be signed and ranked by the college dean. The grant proposal (12 pages max) should address the following, including #9 and all the requested budget information.

1. Provide a concise overview of the proposed project.

2. Describe the academic/research excellence that will be the basis for this outreach/engagement initiative, how it will enhance the engagement program, and how the engagement will enrich your academic/research mission.

3. Describe how this project will help your unit address its priority or targeted investment areas and how it will be integrated into the other work of your unit (whether it is teaching, research, and/or service). How will this project contribute to our department’s scholarship? If IRB approval will be required, in your timeline (question 7) identify when you will apply for IRB approval.

4. Describe project objectives and expected outcomes/impacts.

5. Describe how this project will contribute to the long-term and sustainable engagement of your team/unit. Universities have had a perceived reputation of engaging with communities and then leaving the community partnership once the grant runs out or their needs are met. Specifically, how will your project work against this perception?

6. Identify the partners involved with the proposal and the responsibility/role of each partner in achieving the expected outcomes. This should include university and community partners. Please identify how this project engages campus partners who are new to outreach and engagement work. Also, include a paragraph that describes how the faculty involved with this project will enhance their scholarship through participation in this project. Outreach and engagement should be scholarly work reflecting research, teaching, and/or service that goes beyond the campus walls in partnership with the community.

7. Methodology for implementing the project. Provide a timeline for the project (including identification of project objectives that will be achieved each yearly quarter of the project).

8. How will you know that this project has made a difference both within the community and within the university? What are the expected outcomes/impacts and how will they be measured? Please identify the quantitative and/or qualitative measures that will tell you that the project made a difference in someone’s life, in the economics of a community, in the quality of life in communities, and/or in how your unit works, etc. What measurement instruments will you use to determine the difference? We encourage you to use an appropriate model to development and document your impact. One option may be to use the logic model. This is a common program planning and development tool that you can learn more about at http://www.uwex.edu/ces/pdande/evaluation/evallogicmodel.html. If you use the model, it should be included in your appendix (it will not contribute to the 5-page appendix limit). Another tool to help you think through your evaluation plan is the SAMMIE (Successful Assessment Methods and Measurement In Evaluation) one-stop website: www.sammie.osu.edu.

9. Budget. Include a budget for each year of the grant. Use this link to the Budget Sheet format (Excel file). A budget narrative describing each line item must be included. Include how match dollars (in-kind and cash) will be used and the source of those dollars.

Please contact Karen Bruns at bruns.1@osu.edu or 614.292.9613 if you have questions about Excellence in Engagement Grants or SAMMIE.

back to top