Faculty Research Grants

*Applications for the 2022-23 grants are currently closed - please review off-cycle request instructions below*
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Overview

The Mershon Center for International Security Studies is pleased to invite applications for Faculty Research Grants. The mission of the Mershon Center is to advance interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to international, national, and human security. Our understanding of international security draws from a wide range of perspectives, approaches, and substantive foci. Consequently, successful applicants may come from a variety of disciplines, including anthropology, communications, economics, geography, history, law, philosophy, political science, public affairs/administration, public policy, psychology, sociology, and other disciplines that engage international security broadly conceived.

Selection and Expectations

Proposals will be evaluated based on their fit with the center’s mission, quality and innovation of the proposed research, and potential for gaining external funding. Interdisciplinary proposals are especially welcome. Faculty who receive awards will be expected to be an active member of the Mershon Center. Grant recipients will be expected to attend center lectures and participate in a variety of programs throughout the academic year. In particular, grant recipients will be required to:

  • Write a public-oriented post for the Mershon website and/or newsletter about the project;
  • Give a presentation about the project (either at the Mershon Center or virtually)
  • Attend center events; and
  • Include Mershon as a recipient of indirect funding in external grants; indirect costs should be in proportion to Mershon’s funding of the project.

Note: Ten percent of monies granted will be withheld until all of the requirements have been fulfilled.

Proposals Requirements 

Proposals must include five parts:

  1. Standard coversheet including a 250-word abstract (available below).
  2. Itemized budget (available below).
  3. A research plan (limit three double-spaced pages, excluding figures and references) describing the proposed project.
    • Please include a clear research question, background and/or a brief literature review, proposed methods, plan of analysis, anticipated outcomes (e.g., datasets, peer-reviewed papers, op-eds, etc.), and a timeline. Likelihood and plan for external funding.
  4. An interdisciplinary plan (limit one double-spaced page) including how the project meets the following criteria:
    • Will speak to multiple audiences, indicating a clear outcome linked to each audience;
    • Makes a clear connection to center’s mission in some manner; and
    • Has a high likelihood of obtaining external funding and continuation beyond the one year of funding.
    • Note: Strong preference will be given to proposals identifying at least two faculty from different disciplines, departments, or schools at Ohio State.
  5. A leveraging plan and future plans (limit two double-spaced pages) that illustrate how the project will lead to external funding. Examples of a leveraging plan could include, but are not limited to:
    • Describe a direct relationship of the proposed study to a specific call for proposals (e.g., RFP, RFI);
    • Summarize a discussion with program officers at specified funding agencies (e.g., MSF, Carnegie, Templeton) indicating enthusiasm toward the project; and/or
    • Summarize potential partnerships with government agencies, private sector, NGOs, or other universities.

Importantly, please also address any other plans for the project beyond the one year of funding.

Submission Instructions:

All application materials should be sent as email attachments to mershon.faculty@osu.edu. Please identify each electronic document with your last name and document type (i.e. smithvita.doc or smithproposal.doc).

For questions regarding the uploading of application materials, please contact Kyle McCray, Business & Operations Manager at the Mershon Center, at mccray.44@osu.edu or 614-292-3810.

Specific grant instructions, deadlines and criteria will be listed in the form below.

Off-cycle requests

For any off-cycle grant requests, please complete the application form below and submit your proposal to mershon.faculty@osu.edu with the subject line, "OFF-CYCLE REQUEST."  Please also reach out to Kyle McCray at mccray.44@osu.edu or 614-292-3810 to notify him that an off-cycle request has been submitted.  These will be reviewed periodically by the selection committee.  If there is a specific timing issue that needs to be considered, please indicate that to Kyle McCray in your notification email. 

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION FORM