News and Information for Ohio State Faculty
FACULTY AFFAIRS
January 2026
Three Ohio State scientists elected to National Academy of Inventors
Three Ohio State professors have been elected to the National Academy of Inventors 2025 class of Fellows. Among the 169 fellows named are Anant Agarwal, a professor in electrical and computer engineering; Alan Luo, a professor in materials science and engineering and integrated systems engineering; and Dehua Pei, a professor in chemistry and biochemistry. Their addition brings the number of Ohio State Fellows in the academy to 24.
Nominations open for Provost’s Midcareer Scholars: Scarlet and Gray Associate Professor Program
A new cycle is open and nominations are being accepted for the Provost's Midcareer Scholars: Scarlet and Gray Associate Professor Program. It supports tenure-track faculty who have recently been appointed to the rank of associate professor and is designed to acknowledge and reward scholarly, teaching and service excellence. Nominations due Jan. 16.
Learn More and Submit a Nomination
Distinguished University Professor nomination deadline Jan. 30
Distinguished University Professor award nominations are due Jan. 30, 2026. The Office of Academic Affairs awards the permanent, honorific title of Distinguished University Professor on a competitive basis to full tenure-track professors who have truly exceptional records in teaching, research, scholarly or creative work and service.
Learn How to Submit a Nomination
Faculty Affairs Leadership Podcast: Tim Davey
In this episode, Tim Davey, PhD., executive coach and vice provost for faculty recruitment at Virginia Commonwealth University, explains what career coaching is and how it differs from other professional development or mentorship. The conversation highlights the benefits of career coaching for individuals at various career stages, including navigating transitions and overcoming challenges.
Spring semester faculty/instructor resources and support
The Office of Academic Affairs is sharing resources and support to assist all Ohio State faculty and instructors during the spring semester, including AI and academic integrity, digital accessibility and more.
Learn More
Berger-Wolf elected Fellow of AAAI
Tanya Berger-Wolf has been elected as a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), the premier international AI organization. She is recognized for significant contributions to advancing AI for science, biodiversity and conservation.
Berger-Wolf is director of the Translational Data Analytics Institute and a professor of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, Computer Science Engineering, and Electrical and Computer Engineering.
Opportunities
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:
- Packard Fellowship for Science and Engineering (David and Lucille Packard Foundation)
Internal deadline: Feb. 9; Funder deadline: March 13 - RRF Foundation for Aging Grants
Internal deadline: Jan. 14; Funder deadline: Jan. 30 - New Innovator in Food and Agriculture Research Award - Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research
Anticipated opening date: January TBD; Anticipated funder date: Feb. 1 - Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust Awards Programs - Catalyst Award
Anticipated opening date: Feb. 16; Anticipated internal deadline: March 23; Funder deadline: June 1
Nomination deadline extended to Jan. 16: Faculty Athletics Representative
The Athletic Council has established a search committee to identify and recommend candidates to serve as the university’s Faculty Athletics Representative to the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA. This individual will play a vital role in representing the faculty voice in intercollegiate athletics. Both self-nominations and nominations of colleagues are encouraged. The deadline for nominations has been extended to 6 p.m. on Jan. 16.
Turning student feedback into actionable insights with MLY
Students’ open-ended feedback on the end-of-course Survey of Student Learning Experience (SSLE) offers valuable insights, but the volume of responses can make it challenging to synthesize themes and identify next steps. MLY (pronounced mil-LEE), an AI tool from Explorance, is designed to help educators and academic units summarize student feedback to make data-informed decisions. Register for an upcoming workshop to learn how to use MLY for your course or program.
National Academy of Medicine membership nominations
The nomination period for membership in the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) runs from Nov. 1 to Feb. 1. While the process is confidential and nominations must come from outside the nominee’s institution, we encourage faculty to familiarize themselves with NAM’s criteria and consider colleagues whose contributions to health and medicine may merit recognition. Institutional support, such as providing CVs, biosketches and other materials upon request, can play a valuable role in facilitating nominations.
On-demand training: Make your CarmenCanvas content accessible
Need quick accessibility training directly related to your course content? 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.
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.
Don’t forget: You have full access to NCFDD
A quick reminder that our institution has a university-wide membership, which means every faculty member can create a free account and access their full suite of resources. If you haven’t activated your account yet, now is a great time to log in and explore everything available to you. NCFDD offers practical, research-informed tools to support your productivity, writing, work-life balance and overall well-being as a faculty member.
Apply now: Community-Engaged Course Development Grants
Ohio State instructors are invited to apply for a grant of up to $4,000 to support the development of a new community-engaged course or revising an existing course to include community engagement. Grants can support courses offered on any Ohio State campus and at either the undergraduate or graduate level. The application closes at 9 a.m. on Jan. 26.
Call for Proposals: Engaged Scholarship Seed Grants
The Office of Outreach and Engagement has released a call for proposals for seed grants to support community-engaged research or community-engaged projects, in collaboration with a community partner, that address a specific need or problem within the community. Grants will be awarded a maximum amount of $10,000. Applications are due Feb. 15.
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.
Academy of Teaching Conference Call for Proposals
Mark your calendar for the annual Academy of Teaching Conference, to be held at the Blackwell Inn and Conference Center on May 11. Proposals on this year's theme, "Teaching and Learning Amid Shifting Landscapes," will be accepted through Jan. 23.
Learn More and Submit a Proposal
Drake Institute spring programming preview
The Drake Institute has been thoughtfully planning its spring 2026 programming lineup to offer a variety of workshops across multiple core competency areas, including Active Learning, Educational Technology, Effective Learning Environments and more.
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 first workshop is on Jan. 26.
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!
In the News
- Two College of Education and Human Ecology faculty members honored as Fellows
- Teaching and learning technology updates for spring 2026
- Socializing alone: The downside of communication technology
- Examining poverty, work and mental health in LGBTQ+ communities
- How doubting your doubts may increase commitment to goals
- Bacteria resisting viral infection can still sink carbon to ocean floor
- Ohio Sea Grant releases 2025 summary of Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative
- A decline in churchgoing linked to more deaths of despair
- Shedding new light on the tiny bubbles sending signals between cells