News and Information for Ohio State Faculty
FACULTY AFFAIRS
March 2026
Three faculty members honored for distinguished university service
Three Ohio State faculty members are being recognized for their exceptional commitment to service and leadership across the university. Caroline T. Clark, professor of teaching and learning; Susan Cole, professor and chair, Department of Molecular Genetics; and John E. Davidson, professor of German languages and literatures, are recipients of the 2026 President and Provost’s Award for Distinguished Faculty Service. The honorees were recently notified of their awards during surprise visits from university leadership.
Make sure your voice is heard! Take the COACHE Faculty Satisfaction Survey by April 2
Your feedback drives change at Ohio State. The COACHE Faculty Satisfaction Survey is more than just data collection; it is a roadmap for enhancing the faculty experience. By spending 25 minutes on this survey, faculty help leadership make informed decisions about academic life. The survey closes on April 2.
You can hear more about the COACHE survey by listening to this episode of the Faculty Affairs Leadership Podcast.
Learn More About the COACHE Survey
Faculty Affairs Leadership Podcast: Insights from COACHE Faculty Satisfaction Survey Implementation
In this episode, we sit down with Corrie Davis, senior associate provost for faculty affairs and professor at Georgia State University, to explore their institution’s experience with the COACHE Faculty Satisfaction Survey. We discuss their goals for administering the survey, strategies for encouraging faculty participation, and how they approached analyzing and sharing the results with stakeholders.
Ohio State faculty excellence initiative launches with appointment of chief judge
The Ohio State University announced this month that it is appointing a chief judge for the U.S. Court of Appeals and one of the nation’s leading constitutional scholars to the Moritz College of Law, kicking off a key faculty excellence initiative that will bring exceptional talent to Ohio and elevate the university’s academic stature. His appointment is the first under Ohio State’s new Game Changer Scholars initiative, a program to attract more world-class faculty to the university.
Assistant Vice Provost for Leadership Development
Faculty Affairs is seeking an Assistant Vice Provost (AVP) for Leadership Development. Faculty Affairs leads a series of leadership development programming, such as the President and Provost’s Leadership Institute (PPLI) and the New Chair Program. As a member of the Faculty Affairs team within OAA, the AVP will design, develop, coordinate and implement university-wide faculty leadership development programming for the PPLI and New Chair Program as well as future programs. Additionally, the AVP will coordinate leadership programming with other units across the university.
Faculty Affairs is excited to relaunch PPLI in autumn 2026. More information about PPLI will be available in April.
Learn More
Award-winning professor advances folklore at Ohio State
The study of folklore at Ohio State — ranging from tales of ghosts and goblins to stories of cultural heritage throughout the world — dates back nearly 100 years. In recent decades, developments in the field and the establishment of the Center for Folklore Studies have led to extensive growth, with Professor Mark Bender among those at the forefront.
Promotion and tenure training session: April 13
Starting in April, the Office of Academic Affairs will hold three workshops to provide an overview of the promotion and tenure (P&T) review process — each of these sessions will cover the same content. This session will be most relevant for: promotion and tenure teams (TIU heads, Committee of Eligible Faculty and P&T committee chairs, procedural oversight designees (PODs), and associate deans for faculty affairs), but all are welcome.
Opportunities
SB 1 syllabi posting requirement update
To comply with Senate Bill 1 (SB 1) requirements for syllabus access, the university is adopting Simple Syllabus, an online repository for course syllabi. A faculty committee is guiding the implementation and establishing expectations for instructors. As the launch of the system approaches, updates will be shared with the university community.
Learn More About the Requirements
Call for Submissions: 2026 Faculty Author Showcase
The Office of Academic Affairs is pleased to announce the inaugural "Written in Scarlet and Gray: Faculty Author Showcase." This premiere event, taking place on April 16, is dedicated to recognizing the intellectual contributions and creative achievements of our esteemed faculty. We invite all Ohio State faculty members who published book-length (standard length classifications — 50,000 to 110,000 words) works during the 2025 calendar year to participate in this celebration of scholarship.
- Eligibility: Books published between Jan. 1, 2025, and Dec. 31, 2025.
- Submission Period: March 11-31, 2026.
Faculty Pathways 2025-26 programming
Starting out as a faculty member can be challenging, but our Faculty Pathways program is designed specifically for new and early career faculty at Ohio State to provide essential resources and development opportunities.
This program offers practical workshops and learning experiences to help you build skills in teaching, research and service. It’s also a chance to connect with other faculty members who are navigating similar stages of their academic careers. The next sessions are:
Limited Submission Opportunities
The Office of Foundation Relations manages the limited submission process for private foundation opportunities, which are listed on the Research Funding and Awards site.
Open and Upcoming Opportunities:
- William T. Grant Scholars Program
Internal deadline: April 20; Funder deadline: June 10 - Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust Awards Programs — Catalyst Award
Internal deadline: April 6; Funder deadline: June 1 - Pew Scholars Award
Internal deadline: April 13; Funder deadline: Sept.6 - Brain Research Foundation — Scientific Innovations Award
Anticipated opening date: March 16; Anticipated internal deadline: April 20; Funder deadline: September (date TBD)
Call for proposals: Battelle Engineering, Technology and Human Affairs funding
The Battelle Engineering, Technology and Human Affairs (BETHA) endowment is accepting proposals for its 2026 grant competition through March 27. Administered by ERIK, the BETHA grants seek innovative projects that examine the relationship between science and technology with impact on broader social and cultural issues.
Call for proposals and events open for the annual OSEP awards
In collaboration with Ohio State Energy Partners (OSEP), the Office of Academic Affairs has opened a call for grant proposals that advance resource stewardship initiatives and/or align with academic sustainability goals; align with advancing access, engagement and student success; or promote research translation. New this year, there is also a call for events through the OSEP awards. Faculty, staff and students are eligible to apply. Submissions are due March 23 for project and event proposals.
Learn More and Submit a Proposal
Spark Grants for arts engagement
Funded by the Mellon Foundation, Spark Grants provide seed funding for community-engaged arts projects. The competition is open to faculty, students and staff members on any Ohio State campus for projects that center the arts and that are done in partnership with community organizations. Proposals involving communities served by our regional campuses are especially welcome and will receive priority consideration. Proposals are due March 13.
Nominations sought for 2026-27 Ohio State Artist Laureate
The Office of Academic Affairs is seeking nominations (including self-nominations) for the 2026-27 Ohio State Artist Laureate. The program is designed to help the university enhance impact through external engagement. The aim is to bring the arts to underserved communities across the state, often with the assistance of our regional campuses, and to engage with those communities in shared experiences that will, ideally, enrich and inform audience and laureate alike. The laureate must be a tenured Ohio State faculty member. The nomination deadline is Friday, March 13.
CTSI Spark Awards available
Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) Spark Awards are designed to support preliminary research and generate essential data for new and ongoing projects. Spark Awards provide investigators with resources to advance their research, aiming to jump-start pilot studies and support future extramural grant applications or scientific initiatives. Applications will be received through March 15, 2026, or until designated funds are exhausted.
Request for Proposals: 2026 Student Academic Success Research (SASR) Grants
The Student Success Research Lab is requesting proposals for the 2026 Student Academic Success Research (SASR) Grants program. Proposals are sought for research projects that focus on improving, expanding and/or revising student success programs and services. Grants will be between $5,000-$25,000 with typical project timelines of one to two years. The submission deadline is March 13.
SB 1 in Practice: Teaching Strategies that Foster Intellectual Diversity
Join a collaborative workshop hosted by the Drake Institute for Teaching and Learning and the Center for Ethics and Human Values. Offered in January, February and March, the sessions explore teaching strategies, encourage reflection and support ongoing professional growth. The next workshop is on March 30.
Submit nominations for Excellence in Lab Safety Awards
Submit nominations for the 2026 University Laboratory Committee "Excellence in Safety" Awards through March 31. These awards recognize a university faculty or staff member (Individual Award), student (Individual Student Award) and a laboratory research group (Group Award) who have made a considerable contribution to improving laboratory safety on an Ohio State campus.
On-demand training: Make your CarmenCanvas content accessible
Need quick, accessible training directly related to your teaching platform? A valuable resource is waiting for you in CarmenCanvas! Access the self-paced course, available through the CarmenCanvas help menu. This course is designed to teach you how to make your course content accessible, ensuring you're ready to meet the new accessibility standards. It’s a perfect, on-demand way to learn the skills you need for creating accessible content.
Faculty Affairs events calendar
Faculty Affairs has a wide range of engaging events throughout the year. Check out the events calendar for the latest on opportunities for the 2025-26 academic year!
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