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Goal 2

Two students working with Kyruakos Stylianou in his lab.

Using an LED reactor, members of the Kyriakos Stylianou Lab can test the photocatalytic activity of porous materials toward water splitting and hydrogen generation.

Lead in fundamental, use-inspired and transdisciplinary scientific research, scholarship and innovation

Research, scholarship and innovation mission

We envision the College of Science as an inclusive global leader in conducting research, creating knowledge and fostering innovations that address critical societal challenges.

Actions and implementation

An implementation committee will develop a timeline for implementing, assessing and adapting the actions and tactics detailed in each of the plan’s four goals. The committee will also develop metrics and key indicators of success.

Action 2.1 - Embed inclusive excellence within our science research activities by promoting strategies to nurture a strong culture of positive science identities for diverse faculty, staff and students.

Encourage faculty and staff excellence in the College of Science by working with our Foundation partners to increase the number of endowed faculty positions, especially for our underrepresented community members


Provide opportunities and promote our faculty and staff to expand the number of members of the National Academies, Fellows in the American Association for the Advancement of Science and Fellows in the professional organization(s) of each department, paying attention to inclusivity and access to opportunities and promotion for our underrepresented community members


Increase the number of College of Science faculty and staff serving on National Academies and equivalent panels and those conducting similar high-visibility, high-impact national and international service


Continue to invest in, expand and encourage professional development training in science communication (such as our OMSI Science Communication Fellow Program), especially as it relates to promoting Equity, Access and Inclusion (EAI)


Invest in and encourage professional development training in positive science identities, especially as it relates to promoting EAI for students

Action 2.2 - Support and expand fundamental and applied areas of research distinction while simultaneously building collaborative and transdisciplinary research opportunities and partnerships within and outside OSU.

Support and expand the depth and breadth of science research and scholarship by providing mechanisms for faculty to diversify and advance their research portfolio


Establish an interdisciplinary committee within the College of Science that explores, through deep engagement, current and emerging areas of opportunity that will be targeted for selective investments and fund raising


Facilitate effective collaboration within the College of Science and among OSU’s colleges that will expand and attract new and diverse research funding opportunities


Work more intentionally with OSU foundation to raise funds for research

Action 2.3 - Expand our growing innovation and entrepreneurship portfolio with an equity lens to leverage government, philanthropic and industry funding opportunities.

Strengthen our support system for College of Science faculty and students interested in innovation and entrepreneurship


Continue to deepen partnership with OSU’s Advantage Accelerator, Impact Studio, and Innovation Advocates program


Engage alumni and donors who are interested in industry partnerships with College of Science faculty and students


Continue to expand and strengthen partnerships with our external Innovation and Industry Council


Work with industry partners to provide paid and equitable internship opportunities for our students


Provide training to our students in understanding the innovation ecosystem

Action 2.4 - Provide cutting-edge, meaningful, transformative and high-quality research experiences for a diverse group of university, K-12 and continuing education students.

Promote and expand internal College of Science graduate and undergraduate research opportunities through a diversity of funding sources and resources for faculty mentors


Continue to support and expand URSA and SURE opportunities, particularly paid research opportunities for our early stage undergraduate students to work on real-world problems


Work with the college EAI committee to accelerate efforts to increase participation of underrepresented minority students in research programs across the College


Support the development of an interdisciplinary graduate program in Translational/Applied Data Science to be hosted by the College of Science

Graphic showing pulsar light traveling to Earth amid a sea of gravitational waves.

What we're doing now

Where innovation, creativity and engagement thrive

Addressing society’s greatest needs demands collaborative research, innovation and entrepreneurship. The university’s new Collaborative Innovation Complex (CIC) will launch OSU’s most advanced research infrastructure to support team-based interdisciplinary research and education in climate and marine science, materials science, artificial intelligence and computation and health science. The CIC opens new opportunities for our scientists to cross interdisciplinary boundaries and collaborate with researchers across the university and beyond.

Pushing the endless frontiers

Scientists in NANOGrav (The North American Nanohertz Observatory for Gravitational Waves Physics Frontier Center) are exploring one of the most exciting frontiers in physics and astronomy. They study the universe through low-frequency gravitational waves, ripples in the fabric of time-space. OSU is the lead institution for the center under the direction of Physicist Xavier Siemens. NANOGrav includes approximately 18 universities and received a $17M award from the National Science Foundation.