GRANT NEWS

Oklahoma Higher Education
October-November 2013
In This Issue
NIH Grant to Oklahoma
PHS Research Park
OU Award
NCURA International Research Fellow
New OK Online UGR Journal
NSU Grants
Article Headline
UCO Grants
SGU Grant
SE Grant
LU Grants
OSU Grants
OSU-OKC Grant
RSU Grant
OSUIT Grant

Research Capital of the Plains State of Oklahoma Grant
                   
  National Institutes of Health - $20.3 million

 

Oklahoma received a multi-million NIH grant to fund medical research and serve the state's rural population. The National Institutes of Health grant was given to the OUHSC in collaboration with the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa and Norman, and the Oklahoma City Intertribal Health Board. The project will provide life-saving research helping with biostatistical support, help design studies, support students to seek grant funding, offer patients new opportunities to participate in different kinds of research, help recruit outside scientists 

and insure that rural medical care has the newest data and best treatment practices for health improvement.

 

Oklahoma ranks 43rd in the
in overall health outcomes. The state has long ranked poorly in resident rates of cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and arthritis, and underserved populations are disproportionately affected. This project will improve outcomes for stroke victims. It allows Oklahoma to make great strides in improving all these factors.

 


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PHS Research Park Purchased by OU 

The Presbyterian Health Foundation Research Park has been sold to OU for $85 million. The 700,000 sq. ft. development hosts research companies and research related agencies and entities.

One OU goal is to expand basic cancer research, and they will hire more research scientists and create more lab space for animal testing, which is necessary before any cancer research trials begin with people. The OU Health Sciences Center will use the research park as a springboard to further biomedical research, encourage commercialization of innovative equipment and technologies, and grow advanced health care jobs in Oklahoma. The research park will continue to be a major engine for economic growth and a resource for learning, discovery and innovation in today's knowledge-based, technologically driven, global society.

PHF will continue to provide grants focusing on biomedical companies. A bioscience coalition, made up of PHF, i2E, the Greater Oklahoma City Chamber, OUHSC, and
OMRF, will greatly impact the bioscience industry in Oklahoma.

OU RESEARCH FACILITIES AWARD

The University of Oklahoma Research Campus was named the nation's top research park for 2013 by the Association of University Research Parks. The award recognizes OU for research innovation. Past recipients of the award include Research Triangle Park in North Carolina, Purdue Research Park in Indiana and University City Science Center Pennsylvania. The association made the announcement at the AURP International Conference in Philadelphia.

The National Weather Center, a 257,000-square-foot facility that opened in 2006, anchors the OU Research Campus on the south. 1,700 workers utilize the Research Campus.

In less than a decade, the 277-acre OU Research Campus has been transformed from an empty field to the home of public- and private-sector collaborations in nearly a million square feet of space representing $300 million of investments.  

NCURA International Research Fellow 

  

                     
  NCURA (National Council for University Research Administrators) sponsored Dr. Linda Mason as the 2013 International Research Fellow, working with Dr. Yulia Matskevich, EU Research Manager for Brunel University. OSRHE (Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education) co-sponsored the experience. Mason was one of 8,000 NCURA members selected for the fellowship. 

 

The two weeks of work were packed with 1) learning about the United Kingdom research resources, 2) interviewing top researchers and administrators, and 3) planning strategies to stimulate collaborative UK and OK research projects.

 

Collaborations between researchers in different countries are difficult at best, and strained at worst. One reason that collaborations do not happen is the lack of conversations about the importance and huge benefits of collaborations among the researchers and grant facilitators. We see collaborations happen when two or more researchers have needs that might be fulfilled by working together. We also see collaborations happen when the grant facilitators create interactions between one country's researcher and another. The results go far beyond the research results; the benefits include broader perceptions, enhanced knowledge, broadened audience of beneficiaries, and sharing of political influence on the global marketplace. The support for this experience that NCURA has created is needed all over the world of research. The discussions need to be multiplied in order to affect the world of research.

 

Dr. Mason will provide a videoconference report of the International Fellowship Brunel Experience, and include tips for how YOU can win the NCURA fellowship in the future. The seminar is on Wednesday, December 11 at 2:00-3:00 pm. To attend the videoconference or in person, send an email to [email protected].

  

New OK Online Undergraduate Student Research Journal!
                   
 Watch for information about a new online undergraduate student research journal that will be launched soon. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education is sponsoring the journal so that the many high quality undergraduate researchers can share their research professionally through publications. The journal will be open access and multidisciplinary. Undergraduate students from all Oklahoma higher education institutions are encouraged to submit articles about their research for publication. The editorial committee will be made up of students and faculty, so students may participate in peer review of the journal article submissions. The Editorial committee will be formed soon.

 

Watch for more details! Questions may be submitted to [email protected].

 

Dear Faculty Members, Staff and Administrators, 


        With this issue of GRANT NEWS, we are sharing some of the great news about grants that were obtained by you and your colleagues in Oklahoma Higher Education. Last year, Oklahoma public colleges and universities obtained almost $600 million in grants for improving Oklahoma higher education with research and development. That represents almost 2/3 of the amount of the whole state allocation of over $900 million that is added to Oklahoma public higher education through grants for new projects. These projects are creative, innovative and some serve underserved audiences. Congratulations to all those persons who have given their enthusiasm, energy and commitment to making Oklahoma higher education better through research and program development!
         If you want to share information about your grants through this regular newsletter, please send the information by the 27th of each month to [email protected].
  
Thanks to all!  
NSU GRANTS
  

INBRE - $8,800

 

 

Dr. Sapna Das Bradoo, Dr. Kevin Wang and Dr. Joseph Ahlander each received support for the Summer Mentor Program 2013 from the INBRE (Idea Network for Biomedical Research Excellence) through the OUHSC. This support provided summer training and supplies for 4 students to participate in research.

 

TABERC - $1,000

Dr. Kevin Wang received funding from the Tulsa Area Bioscience Research & Education Consortium Foundation for support of one 8-week undergraduate internship for summer 2013 research.

 

INBRE - $125,539

Dr. Kevin Wang received NIH funding through the Oklahoma INBRE Junior Investigator program for research to produce a novel blood clot-dissolving enzyme against acute Ischemic Stroke by way of expressing the fibrinolytic enzyme (DSPAs) from the salivary gland of blood-feeding vampire bats in transgenic tobacco plants for the large-scale production of active and safe clot-dissolving proteins.

Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation - $5,000 

 

Dr. Allyson Watson, Dr. Debbie Landry, and Dr. Vanessa Anton received funding for Transforming Clinical Teacher Preparation. The project provides program development and future implementation of video reflection/assessment instruments, targeting student populations that are majoring in Elementary Education.

  

 

  

Envision University - $2,100

 

Dr. David Lewerenz received funding from Envision University to provide funding to better prepare NSU Optometry students for the low vision rehabilitation clinic by having a workshop with real patients and expert attending clinicians. The workshop significantly elevated the educational experience for the students and prepared them for subsequent clinical evaluations.

 

 US Department of Education - $15,750

Dr.Tobi Thompson and Dr. Ingrid Massey received US Department of Education funding from the Maryetta Public Schools to make a systemic change in the Marietta School system by providing training and professional services such as research-based literacy strategies. This will improve literacy for children from ages three through eighth grade at Maryetta Public Schools.

  

INBRE - $12,222

Dr. Dragos Albinescu received NIH funds through Oklahoma INBRE to synthesize and important intermediate in the synthetic pathway of the hydroxyvitamin D core structure, which will ultimately allow the synthesis of the hydroxyvitamin D, a novel cancer chemo preventive agent and a potent inhibitor of the renin gene expression in the heart and kidney.

 

INBRE - $117,182

Dr. Jessica Martin received NIH funding through the Oklahoma INBRE Junior Investigator program to provide examples of marine siderphore structures by screening open-ocean fungal strains for the iron-binding compounds under conditions of iron limitations. It will isolate the iron-binding from the open-ocean fungal strains then determine the structure(s) of siderphore(s) produced by open-ocean fungi using amino acid analysis, NMR and mass spectometry.

 

 

ECU GRANTS
                          

US DHHS Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)-$260,000 

ECU and various Pontotoc County community agencies received funding for a Drug-Free Communities Support Program. This grant will increase community understanding and education on youth alcohol issues and youth prescription drug issues by organizing and providing community events and/or campaigns.  Holli Witherington, Director of ECU's Brandon Whitten Institute for Addiction and Recovery, authored this proposal.

  

US Department of Education Office of Postsecondary Education-$88,300  

Melissa Malm, director of ECU Child Development Center, received a Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS) grant.  This four year grant will fund a sliding fee scale scholarship program for the children of Pell grant-eligible students who do not qualify for outside child care assistance.

  

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education-$7,000 

Synchrony in Literacy Development:  The Reading-Spelling Connection will provide Ada Public School teachers in-service training that will help teachers recognize and understand that there is synchrony in literacy development with a special emphasis on the use of appropriate instruction materials.

 

National Security Language Initiative: STARTALK-$85,341  

In Search of the Firebird: Connecting Generations through Tradition is a three-week program designed to immerse ninth through 12th grade students in the Russian language and culture.  Dr. Mara Sukholutskaya is the project director.

 

 

 

Oklahoma State Department of Education-$50,000

Dr. Rahmona Thompson received a $50,000 grant to underwrite the Oklahoma State Science and Engineering Fair which is held on ECU's campus every spring.

UCO GRANTS
  

National Science Foundation through the Mathematical Association of America - $799,678

 

UCO SimmonsDr. Charlotte Simmons, Interim Dean of the UCO College of Mathematics & Science, is the Principal Investigator on a grant awarded by the National Science Foundation to the Mathematical Association of America. "Travel Grants for Presentations by Undergraduates at National Meetings," is a five-year project. The grant will provide travel support to approximately 1,800 undergraduate students from across the US to present their mathematics research at a national conference.

 

US Department of Transportation via the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office - $21,871
  
Tracy Morris, Department of Mathematics & Statistics, College of Mathematics & Science, received funding for Motor Vehicle Collision Data Analysis to conduct a survey for the Oklahoma Highway Safety Office and analyze state collision data sufficiently to establish statewide 5-year traffic collision reduction goals. 
  
US Fish & Wildlife Service through Texas A&M University - $10,086
Joseph Grzybowski, Funeral

Service Department, College of Mathematics and Science, received funding to assemble relevant infor-

mation on grassland-shrubland ecosystems and Black-capped Vireos, Bell's Vireos and Painting Buntings in Oklahoma.

  

 

National Science Foundation through OSU - $5,000

The 2014 Oklahoma Research Day (ORD) will be held at the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO). Since its inception, ORD has had approximately 500 poster presentations by students and faculty of all college and universities in Oklahoma and has over 1,000 participants. As in past years, the 2014 ORD will experience strong support and host an excellent keynote speaker. UCO will be responsible for the organization and presentation of the 2014 ORD on the campus of UCO for the State of Oklahoma and all requests will be of benefit to the ORD Sponsors.

  

OSRHE - $7,000

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education awarded Keith Higa, Department of Curriculum & Instruction, College of Education and Professional Studies, funding for Multicultural Institute Minority Youth Leadership Session to encourage culturally and linguistically diverse secondary students to consider college as a post-secondary school option, to help them to interact with college students, to expose them to a college campus, and to expose them to the necessary skills that may be useful for a college career. The Youth Leadership Session will take place on Feb. 28, 2014 during the annual Multicultural Education Institute at UCO.

OSRHE - $9,000

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education funded Scholarships for Teacher Recruitment to Urban Schools to Karyn Hutchens, Department of Teacher Education Services, College of Education and Professional Studies, to provide 16 teacher education students recruited in the Urban Teacher Preparation Academy with $562.50 each in scholarships. These students must apply to be a part of the program and are subjected to a rigorous interview process. Once students are selected, they begin an intensive training program designed to help them be successful with the challenges they will face in the urban area.

  

OSRHE - $8,846; OSRHE - $7,358

The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education provided funding to Susan Scott, Department of Educational Sciences, Foundations & Research, College of Education and Professional Studies, for Prospective Teachers Academy Year 2, the second year for to expose high school juniors and seniors to careers in teaching by hosting workshops, seminars and interactive activities about the profession. The academies may occur at any time during the year of the grant award and must engage students in a way that is exciting and educational. Karyn also received funding for Preparing K12 Students for College, Career & Teaching, a LEAP Middle School Program in the metropolitan and greater state area, ACE High School Programs, FEA chapters, and non-participating schools who have students interested in a teaching career will have the opportunity to visit UCO. The day will enable students to learn about UCO and the teacher education program, while experiencing a day in the life on a university campus.

 

Oklahoma Arts Council - $7,500

Greg White, School of Music in the College of Fine Arts & Design, received funding for Broadway Tonight FY14 to underwrite outside artistic and production fees for the Broadway Tonight schedule.

 

Oklahoma Arts Council - $2,800

Keith White, School of Music, College of Fine Arts & Design, received funding for the CFAD Chamber Orchestra to underwrite outside artistic and production fees for the UCO Chamber Orchestra concerts.

ST. GREGORY'S UNIVERSITY GRANT 
Knights of Columbus - $27,500

The Oklahoma chapter of the Knights of Columbus continued their tradition of supporting the academic efforts of St. Gregory's University with presentations during a recent Mass. Knights of Columbus State Deputy Ron Schwarz and former scholarship chairman Paul Martin began by presenting three students with scholarships for academic excellence.

The Al Wheeler Outstanding Freshman Scholarship Award was presented to Lauren Mach, a philosophy major from Arlington, Texas. Fellow philosophy major Emily Kimmel, of Robstown, Texas, received the Outstanding Sophomore Scholarship Award, while Janeth Vasquez, a criminal justice major from Duncan, received the Outstanding Junior Scholarship Award.
Schwarz and Martin then presented St. Gregory's University President Greg Main with a check for $27,500 to support the university's continued mission of educating students according to traditional Catholic and Benedictine values.

SE GRANTS

 

US Department of the Interior via US Bureau of Reclamation - $20,288                    

Dr. Tim Patton, Associate Professor of Biological Sciences, received funding for Channel Catfish Diets in the San Juan River. The purpose of the project is to describe the diet of channel catfish in the San Juan River, particularly with respect to how it may affect other fish species and the San Juan River ecosystem.

 

US Department of the Interior via US Bureau of Reclamation - $31,560

Dr. Tim Patton, received funding for Pecos River TX Assessment of Fish Communities to add to baseline data on the fish populations of the Lower Pecos River, with emphasis on rare and special-concern species and their habitats.

 

US Department of Education - $433,739

Teriki Barnes, Director of the Educational Opportunity Center, received funding to provide assistance and information to adults who seek to enter or continue a program of post-secondary education. Services include counseling on educational opportunities, college admissions, testing, career options, student financial aid assistance, financial literacy counseling, tutoring, and coordination with other agencies and post-secondary institutions. The Southeastern Oklahoma State University's Educational Opportunity Center serves 1,535 adults in 10 counties in southern Oklahoma and north Texas.

 

US Department of Education - $414,772

Chris Wesberry, Native American Center for Student Success and Project Co-Director with Tim Boatmun, Academic Advising and Outreach Center, received funding for the Connect2Complete Program to increase the retention and graduation rates of Native American students attending Southeastern; to provide faculty, staff, and student professional development regarding Native American students; to renovate key areas on campus; and to provide assistance with advanced degrees.

 

Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma - $14,000

Chris Wesberry received funding for Careers for Native Students to provide career readiness training to 20 Native American students through interview skills, dressing for success, resume building, career exploration, and communication skills enhancement.

National Science Foundation via Oklahoma State University Louis Stokes - OK Alliance for Minority Participation - $32,000

Dr. Brad Ludrick, Assistant Professor Biological Sciences, received funding to increase the number of under-represented minorities entering the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields by providing research opportunities and mentors, scholarships, and summer internships.

 

 

 

 

Choctaw Nation Child Care Assistance - $19,000       

SE Hensley

Scott Hensley, Director of Career Management

Center and Continuing Education, received funding for the Southeastern Child Care Resource & Referral Library. The project will provide funds for 50% of the Resource and Referral Specialist salary and fringe benefits.

 

 

Oklahoma Department of Human Services via Oklahoma Partnership for School Readiness/Smart Start Oklahoma - $66,363      

Scott Hensley, Director of Career Management Center and Continuing Education, and  Heather Smiley, Continuing Education Department, received funding for Smart Start Durant. The purpose of the project is to advance community efforts that assure quality experiences and opportunities for Bryan County's young children and families.  Grant funds will be used to support activities for families and providers in Bryan County.

 

US Department of Education Upward Bound Math-Science - $278,766   

Larry Dresser, Director of Upward Bound, received funding to provide comprehensive services designed to increase high school graduation rates, increase competency in challenging subject matters, encourage eligible students to pursue math and science studies and careers, and help gain parental participation in the growth of their children to the 63 eligible participants per year who meet Federal guidelines.  The participants are selected from eight surrounding counties in southeastern Oklahoma and Grayson County Texas. During the academic year, participants will be offered tutoring and trips for cultural and educational enrichment. 

 

US Department of Education Student Support Services - $327,080

Susan D. Dodson, Director of Student Support Services, received funding to provide a variety of services to low-income, first generation college students and students with disabilities.  These services include tutoring, personal and academic counseling, cultural experiences, career guidance, enrollment assistance specially designed workshops, and special services for students with disabilities. 

 

US Department of Education Student Support Services Project:  TEACH - $202,031

Dr. Rozanna San Miguel May, Director of Project TEACH, received funding to provide a variety of services to low-income, first generation college students and to students with disabilities.  These services include tutoring, personal and academic counseling, cultural experiences, teacher career experiences, enrollment assistance, specially designed workshops, and special services for students with disabilities. 

 

Oklahoma Department of Commerce - $260,000

Dr. William D. Carter, State Director of the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center, received funding to provide small business management consulting to entrepreneurs throughout Oklahoma.  The program is funded by and through a partnership with the U. S. Small Business Administration, Oklahoma's public universities, and funds appropriated by the Oklahoma Legislature that are administered by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce. 

 

US Small Business Administration - $350,000.00 

Dr. William Carter, State Director of the Oklahoma Small Business Development Center, received funding to address the need for disaster preparedness and business continuity across the State of Oklahoma.  A part time counselor will be placed in the Oklahoma City area to provide counseling services to business owners who were affected by the May tornadoes. 

LU GRANTS
  

US Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency - $99,622

Dr. Chongo Mundendereceived an award for the project entitled Risk Management Education for Small Producers in Oklahoma.

  

 

 

 

 

 

OSU/EPSCoR - $19,980
 
Dr. Steve Zeng receive internship funds for the NSF EPSCoR Research Infrastructure Improvement Track I Project entitle "Adapting Socio-ecological System to Increased Climate Variability."  

  
  

Oklahoma Department of Transportation - $25,000                                                                                                           

Wilson Brewer received an award from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation for ODOT Materials Training.

 

US Department of Education - $4,375,000

D. Corey Moore received an award from the Department of Education for a project entitled: The National Rehabilitation Research & Training Center on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities.  

  

Indiana University-IU-HBCU STEM - $19,288                                                                                                            

Dr. Abebaw Tasesse received funding from Indiana University for Enhancing the Competitiveness of Undergraduate Multicultural Scholars in Animal science: A Collaborative Approach.

 

U.S Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration - $22,500                                      

Wilson Brewer received funding for 3 Langston University students for the Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowships. The fellowship will include either tuition or stipend, and a one-time expenditure to attend the Transportation Research Board Annual Meeting January 2014 in Washington DC.

 

USDA-NIFA Renewable Resources Extension Act Program $11, 000                                      

Dr. Terry Gipson received an award for his project titled Rehabilitation of Urban and Suburban Landscapes: An Eco-Friendly Partnership between Langston University and Tribal and Municipal Governments.

                         

OSU GRANTS

 

National Science Foundation - $500,000

Stanley Fox, an Oklahoma State University zoology professor, received funding to look at aggressive behavior among collared lizards, also known as the mountain boomer, Oklahoma's state reptile. During the study, the team will be working with lizards living on Sooner Lake Dam, about 30 miles north of Stillwater in Pawnee County. When mature, these lizards can be more than a foot long. The team is looking at behavior among male hatchling lizards. The young male lizards seem to be aggressive toward other male hatchlings, but aren't as hostile toward female hatchlings, Fox said.  In particular, the researchers are looking at a set of orange stripes that young male lizards develop on their sides. The project also allows researchers to bring graduate and undergraduate OSU students into the field with them to participate in research. Allowing undergrads to work on research projects gives them an idea of what a career in science might look like. Some of the students in OSU's undergrad research program go on to pursue careers in science, while others decide they don't like it.

 

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma - $250,000

 

The Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences has received a grant to expand the OSU TeleHealth network and provide additional access to health care for residents in rural areas of the state. The primary mission at the OSU Center for Health Sciences is to provide primary care physicians for rural and underserved Oklahoma. Money from the grant will be used for new distance-learning sites at rural hospitals in Altus, Ardmore, McAlester and Stillwater and to establish a fixed telemedicine site for medical consultations at Arkansas Verdigris Valley Health Centers in Porter. The OSU TeleHealth network includes more than 60 sites in 49 cities and towns stretching from Felt in the Oklahoma Panhandle to Idabel in southeastern Oklahoma. The university also operates the Mobile Telemedicine Clinic to offer TeleHealth services in communities without a fixed site.

  

National Science Foundation - $500,000

 

A multidisciplinary research team with 17 investigators has received funding for acquisition of an infrared spectroscopic and imaging system to establish a new research facility at Oklahoma State University. The project will be led by Aihua Xie, professor of physics at and fellow of American Physical Society, in collaboration with professors Robert Burnap, Junpeng Deng and Wouter Hoff. The integrated infrared spectroscopic and imaging system will increase accuracy in the collection of information about function and formation of proteins, cells and tissues. It will support six independent types of experiments, including fast measurements and low temperature measurements of proteins and materials. It will also provide chemical imaging of single-living cells. This advanced system will have broad applications in biology, chemistry, material science and bio-engineering, including drug-protein interactions, development of vaccines, bioenergy and cancer diagnosis.

  

 

OSU-OKC GRANT

 

Veteran Support Foundation - $10,000

 

OSU-OKC received funding to create a veteran emergency loan program. The program will provide up to $300 in emergency loans to veterans coping with personal emergencies such as car repairs, job loss, housing needs and unforeseen medical bills. The program will begin in the spring 2014. OSU-OKC also received an estate gift to create scholarships for veteran students in the Nurse Science program from Lois Johnson in memory of Army veteran Fred H. Johnson. OSU-OKC's Veterans' Services Center provides a place for veterans to gather and socialize with each other. Veterans have access to a study hall and resources regarding their VA benefits, as well as the opportunity to seek assistance from a readjustment counselor who visits campus once a week. The Veterans' Services Center currently serves more than 400 veterans, including veterans from the Vietnam War through Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. For the fifth year in a row, GI Jobs magazine named OSU-OKC in its list of military-friendly schools. The honor places OSU-OKC in the top 15 percent of nationwide institutions serving veterans.

  
RSU Logo
RSU GRANT
  

OneOK - $135,000

 

Rogers State University has received funding for the purchase of a natural gas generator for the new RSU Student Dining Hall under construction at the Claremore campus. The university will purchase the generator to provide an emergency backup power source with the capacity to maintain power, heat, air and light operations for the building's basement shelter. The generator also will serve the dining hall's food preparation and storage systems. The 17,300-square-foot, two-story dining hall will include an open dining space with capacity to serve up to 1,000 students, kitchen facilities and a basement/storm shelter that can provide protection during severe storms. The $5 million facility will open for the fall 2014 semester.

  

OSUIT GRANT

 

US Department of Labor - $2.75 million

 

OSUIT received funding to help further the Career Pathways for Adult Workers project through an advanced manufacturing grant. The OSUIT was the only institution in Oklahoma to be awarded money from the Labor grants.

OSUIT Career Pathways for Adult Workers provides participants with academic and student support so they can enter, retain and complete workforce training. The grant allows for the expansion of the program to include night and weekend classes and lab offerings, as well as add blended learning through online offerings of select courses.

US Department of Labor - $1.67 million

OSUIT also received funding for an Orthotic and Prosthetic program through a consortium grant with five other colleges. The total grant of $11.2 million will allow the five colleges to focus on recruitment and retention and provide a way to give credit to students for prior learning experiences and military vocations. The grant also seeks to create innovative online learning opportunities, accelerate training pathways, support job placement and develop stackable credentials.

The awards are part of the Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training grant program, which is a $2 billion multiyear federal initiative designed to expand targeted training programs for unemployed workers. The federal grant money helps the development and expansion of training programs in partnership with local employers.