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As noted in the BGSU Academic Plan , faculty, staff, and student research and creative endeavors fuel the passion for inquiry across the learning community.
Inquiry is the backbone of academic disciplines, a powerful vehicle for student learning, and a bridge between the University
and society. We must continue to provide an environment that is conducive to promotion of inquiry for all members of the community
at all stages of their lives.
Indicators
Reports from the Office of Sponsored Programs and Research indicate that the University’s level of sponsored grant and contract dollars awarded has been rising steadily over the last five years. The percentage of grant and contract submissions that have been awarded has varied over the last five years.
The University has also made significant progress in receiving federal earmarks.
The UCLA HERI Faculty Survey results reveal that the percentage of faculty survey respondents who are satisfied or very satisfied with their opportunity for scholarly pursuits at BGSU has increased between 1998 and 2001, but remains lower than that of faculty survey respondents at peer Doctoral I and Research
II universities and lower than those at a peer Ohio public university.
Achievements and Improvement Initiatives:
Dr. Folkins announced in September 2005 the following steps to maximize the growth in external funding:
- University incentives are being focused on those areas with strong success records and the greatest prospects for further
success.
- Competition for large grant opportunities is being organized with multidisciplinary and inter-institutional approaches.
- Faculty lines are being added in focused, competitive areas.
- Research facilities are slated for improvement.
A Research Enhancement Initiative was created in June 2005. This initiative provides a plan for investment of University
resources in collaborative research clusters based on BGSU's strengths and strategic opportunities, especially those proposed
by state activities. These clusters expand interdisciplinary collaboration as well as enhance the institutional capacity
to perform research. The research clusters chosen for investment over the next six years were: Molecular Photonics, Adolescent
Well-Being, Comparative Neuroscience Research, Geospatial/Ecological Forecasting, and Learning Sciences. In most cases, these
investments will result in the hiring of additional faculty along with start-up funding, support for post-doctoral research
personnel, and additional graduate research assistants.
The University has identified existing or emerging areas of research that may be competitive for congressionally-directed
funding opportunities. Since 2003 we have received a total of $3 million in federal funding: $900,000 from the Navy in support
of the Wright Photosciences Laboratory "Remote Energy Cure " project, $1.5 million from NASA in support of the Hybrid Electric Vehicle, $450,000 from USDA for "Sewage Sludge, " and approximately $140,000 for a USDA "Greenhouse Survey". Projects totaling another $3.7 million are awaiting final legislative approval. Two million dollars are projected for new
projects including "Solar-Powered Interior Lighting " and "Monitoring of Lake Erie Water Quality with Remote Sensin g"; The remaining $1.7 million is earmarked for continuation projects, bringing the grand total to $6.7 million. All of these
projects are collaborative in nature and include scientists from the University of Toledo, the Medical University of Ohio,
regional private colleges and universities, and local industries.
The Office of Research Collaboration has been operating since Fall 2004. It is charged with supporting collaboration among
BGSU, the Medical University of Ohio, and the University of Toledo. Its mandate is to: 1) bring people together in partnerships
to increase opportunities for networking and funding, 2) build an infrastructure for collaboration, 3) develop communication
avenues, and 4) educate and mentor faculty. On September 12, 2005, the Office hosted a retreat for its inter-institutional
advisory board and began a process designed to develop signature research areas for collaborative research in Northwest Ohio.
Since its development in Fall 2003, the Office of Undergraduate Research has focused on involving an increasing number of
undergraduate researchers in faculty-initiated research projects. This office brings students and faculty members together
to coordinate research opportunities and to plan for presenting their research. The Awards in Support of Undergraduate Research
Program funds undergraduate and creative projects; 16 awards were made to 22 undergraduates in 2006. The Undergraduate Research
Presentation Awards program funds presentations at professional conferences, exhibits, or performances; three awards were
made in 2006. The first Symposium for Undergraduate Research, showcasing the research of students from six different colleges,
was held at BGSU in Spring 2005; the 2006 Symposium included 48 poster sessions from 69 undergraduates. Students who participate
in research at BGSU are encouraged to submit their findings for presentation at the National Conference on Undergraduate Research;
six undergraduates were funded in 2006. The Summer Undergraduate Research Scholars program, new in 2006 with funding for
18 students, provides scholarships to support students doing full-time research with faculty mentors during the summer.
Elementary school students at the Toledo Academy of Learning are assisted one-on-one with basic math skills by their tutors
who are BGSU students in the Academic Investment in Math and Science program. The purposes of the program are to assist needy students with their academic achievements, to provide a positive
learning environment through interaction with positive role models such as the AIMS scholars, to encourage students to reach
their full potential, and to give college students a challenging venue to give back as they learn and grow.
The annual BGSU Research Conference creates opportunities for collaborative research and external funding. Community leaders
representing regional business and industry, government, and institutions of higher education join BGSU faculty, staff and
students at the conference where faculty research initiatives are showcased .
President Sidney Ribeau, in his August 2004 Opening Day Address , announced a major new effort over the next two to three years to establish strategies, targets, and goals for increasing
grants and research funding in both basic and applied research areas.
The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research has developed new methods of supporting and encouraging faculty involvement
in research and sponsored program activity:
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carefully targeted funds in niche research areas to support on-going efforts of the more established faculty
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a variety of electronic resources to assist in the identification of funding sources
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increased emphasis on organizing interdisciplinary projects, facilitating proposal development, assisting faculty members
to develop relationships with industry, and assisting new faculty members in establishing their research agendas
The following programs and research-supported policies recognize research and scholarship at the University:
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The Scholars Assistance Program offers assistance to research-active faculty members. This program is divided into four distinct
fundable activities: Bridge Funding, Research Travel Grants, Research in Difficult-To-Fund Areas, and Small Grants for Unanticipated
Expenses.
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Faculty Research Committee Research Incentive Grants are designed to reward and encourage probationary faculty members who
are attempting to obtain significant external grant support for their scholarly activities.
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The Technology Innovation and Enhancement Grants, funded through the Ohio Board of Regents Research Challenge Fund allocations,
are designed to foster partnerships between the University and industry in emerging technology areas.
The Interactive Distance Education for All Learners (IDEAL) Center , located in CEISP, has taken a leading role in promoting the use of Internet 2 throughout the university to facilitate research
that requires high speed, high bandwidth Internet access and both face-to-face and on-line teaching applications.
The following accomplishments have been achieved through collaboration of members of the BGSU Arts Roundtable: creation of
the Arts Village residential learning community, development of a new interdisciplinary arts class (A&S 110), creation of
a new major in Musical Theatre, development of an Acting for Entrepreneurs class (through partnership with the College of
Business Administration 's Entrepreneurship Program), planning for a new Arts Management major, and the provision of shared arts productions through
collaboration by students in Musical Arts, Theatre, Film, and Dance.
The Department of Sociology has obtained a foundation grant to fund the Generation at Risk project, which involves research
on the children of female offenders.
Grants were received from the U.S. Department of Justice to fund the Transformation Project in the Women 's Center.
The Hybrid Diesel Vehicle Project in the College of Technology is funded by a NASA grant.
List of Centers and Institutes and Their Recent Significant Achievements
The Center for Photochemical Sciences recently received a $1.3 million Hayes Investment Fund award to establish a Laboratory for Kinetic Spectrometry.
The Social Philosophy and Policy Center focuses on the ethical aspects of social policy questions.
The J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior now has six investigators with substantial NIH and NSF funding competitively achieved within the context of the research
center. The enhanced research environment provides opportunities for obtaining shared laboratory instrumentation, for hiring
postdoctoral associates, research professors and technicians to maintain the constant work load, for training graduate students
in high technology areas, and for providing unique hands-on research experiences for our undergraduates.
The Center for Family and Demographic Research has received regional and national recognition through its recent NIH award for infrastructure. The Center generates innovative
and policy-relevant research on health, development and security of children, adolescents and family. Research by its affiliated
faculty is yielding information that will enhance policy makers’ understanding of social issues confronting the nation.
The Center for Biomolecular Sciences was formed to bring together scientists from the departments of biological sciences and chemistry to participate in research
and graduate education to answer basic and applied research questions.
The MidAmerican Center for Contemporary Music is a national center, housed within the College of Musical Arts devoted to the study and promotion of contemporary music.
In recognition of its diverse activities, the Center has twice been awarded the Chamber Music America/ASCAP Awards for Adventuresome
Programming. In addition to a full calendar of concerts and symposia, the Center provides grants to support research, technology,
and development activities in music written since 1945.
The Institute for the Study of Culture and Society promotes scholarly and creative projects in the humanities and arts, as well as in the social sciences and education. This
includes long-term research residencies for university faculty, interdisciplinary Research Cluster Groups for faculty and
graduate students, writing workshops, and a yearly lecture series.
The Applied Philosophy Ph.D. program is ranked among the top three programs in the United States in applied moral philosophy.
Each of the faculty members affiliated with the Creative Writing Program has won National Endowment for the Arts fellowships within the past four years.
The Psychology Department's Industrial-Organizational Psychology Ph.D. program is ranked among the top three programs in that area in the nation.
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