The Office of International Studies is pleased to announce the availability of funding to support the preparation and submission of grant proposals to external agencies for the development of new university programs with substantial international content. OIS will provide matching funds (if required by the external funding agency), and financial support for secretarial and infrastructural needs, and, on occasion, release time or supplemental compensation for the author of the grant proposal. Eligibility for these seed grants is limited to proposals for a minimum of $5,000 in external funding to support the following:

(1) new instructional programs;

(2) grants supporting undergraduate and graduate students undertaking studies (at OSU or abroad) of international themes;

(3) funding of interdisciplinary lectures or seminar series;

(4) some service activities that would be beneficial to the citizens of Ohio;

(5) and other institutional programs that generate "collective goods" that benefit the university.

Grant proposals in support of individual faculty research projects are not eligible.

Criteria used to assess requests for funding include:

(1) the extent to which the externally funded institutional grant would benefit Ohio State students, faculty and/or the community at large;

(2) the extent to which this program would enrich international studies or understanding;

(3) the likelihood that the OIS award would generate a volume of external resources at least as large as the OIS seed grant itself;

(4) documentation of the need for seed-money support for the external grant proposal; and

(5) the grant writer's scholarly record.

Applications will be reviewed by a faculty committee composed of six members, at least two of whom will have expertise concerning the merits of the proposal. Most applications for these funds will be comparatively assessed in either the winter round of competition (this year's deadline for which is January 10, 2000) or in the spring (with an application deadline of April 15). However, since some external grants are made available at other times during the year, and require prompt responses from applicants, review committees can be convened on an as needed basis, upon presentation of a documented request justifying special consideration.

The application process begins with the submission to the Office of International Studies (300 Oxley Hall, 1712 Neil Ave.) of a one-page statement which presents a complete description of the nature of the activities for which external funding is sought, including specific line-item requests, identification of the external funding agency and of the amount of funding to be requested from that agency, information concerning the deadline for submission of that grant, and a budget with a brief accompanying narrative detailing the funding requested from OIS.

Those applicants that are deemed eligible (in accord with the above criteria) will then be invited to submit a full application.

Please note that recipients of these grants will be asked to direct a negotiated portion of the DDRS from indirect costs generated by successful external grant applications to an OIS budget account which will be used to replenish these funds for allocation to future grant applicants.

Informal inquiries concerning eligibility or other information relevant to grant submission should be addressed to Richard Gunther (Gunther.1@osu.edu, or, by mail, to the OIS address listed above).