The Ohio State University has selected nine proposals, including six from the College of Arts and Sciences, for Good-to-Great Grant Program support. Sponsored by the Office of Academic Affairs (OAA), Good-to-Great Grants provide substantial strategic investment for up to five years to tenure-initiating units that identify aspirational targets and a proposed path to ascending to new heights of excellence.

Units were encouraged to draw upon the many assets of Ohio State; create partnerships across departments, colleges and disciplines; consider their faculty on all campuses; engage with centers and institutes; collaborate with external communities; advance Ohio State’s Shared Values; and identify national and international opportunities.

A faculty advisory committee, led by Janet M. Box-Steffensmeier, Distinguished University Professor and the Vernal G. Riffe Professor in the Department of Political Science, oversaw review of the 59 proposals submitted this year. Approximately 600 reviews were conducted by more than 60 faculty members during the process.

Good-to-Great Grants support the university’s goal of continuously improving academic, administrative and operational excellence as outlined in its Academic Plan. The proposals selected demonstrated significant vision and collaboration, and will be prime targets for future investment, including through philanthropic support. In applying for funding, units reflected on current assets, outlined a vision for excellence and described how additional strategic investment would enable their transition from good to great.

“I am grateful for the units that shared their best ideas for creating partnerships across departments, colleges and disciplines at Ohio State,” said Melissa Gilliam, executive vice president and provost. “I am excited about what lies ahead during the coming years as these Good-to-Great Grants come to fruition.”

Funding will begin in the 2023-2024 academic year.

2023 Good-to-Great Grant Program recipients in the College of Arts and Sciences

Department of Geography, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering (College of Engineering)
Growing Ohio State’s Meteorology Research, Education and Outreach: A High Impact Investment
Investment in a mobile weather radar unit will provide critical research and teaching infrastructure, including meteorology-related field research and as an experiential learning educational tool. The grant will also support funding for two new faculty members, strengthening partnerships between the two departments and across the university.

Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures
Establishing a Center for the Study of Germanic Cultures and the Environment
The creation of this new center will build on the department’s strengths in the environmental humanities and have a far-reaching impact, enabling significant opportunities for research and teaching collaborations with other centers and programs at Ohio State. The grant will also enable the development of workshops, conferences, postdoc and graduate student recruitment grants, graduate student internships and library creation.

Department of Physics
Advancing Physics from Good to Great
This investment in faculty hiring will focus on two rising national priorities: advancing space station privatization and developing U.S. chip/semiconductor manufacturing technology expertise. Additionally, collaborations among new faculty and colleagues in mechanical and aerospace engineering and astronomy will connect research, build new connections and leverage resources.

Department of Political Science
Sociopolitical Analysis and Artificial Intelligence (AI)
Artificial intelligence is a critical topic for the future of social sciences, and this initiative will enhance graduate training through new coursework and interdisciplinary research projects at the intersection of social science and computer science. While adding new faculty with related expertise, the project will focus on the integration and enhancement of expertise and student learning across multiple units regarding the politics and social impact of artificial intelligence.

Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies
The Center for Feminist Research, Education and Engagement (The FREE Center)
Creating the FREE Center will enable the department to deepen and broaden its community engagement by sustaining collaborative interdisciplinary research and teaching partnerships among its core faculty, affiliated faculty, students and community partners. Additionally, the center will elevate the department’s distinction and mobilize faculty across Ohio State to be on the leading edge of community-engaged scholarship.

College of Public Health, Department of Anthropology, Department of Sociology
Ohio State Health and Environment Modeling – HEALMOD
This proposal establishes a community of scholars dedicated to convergence research and education on human health and environmental sustainability. HEALMOD will provide a thought space and education hub for faculty, research scientists, postdoctoral scholars, and undergraduate and graduate students who are interested in using quantitative frameworks to investigate pressing global problems while training the next-generation workforce.

The full list of award winners is available on the Ohio State News website.