Ohio State’s graduate school is accepting proposals for a five-year, $1.5 million grant to encourage using telecommunications to improve health care, education, business development and international communication.
The SBC Faculty Research Grant Program has been awarded annually since 1993. The award is given to faculty and full-time staff with the purpose of enlarging Ohio State’s research in the use of telecommunications in education and to introduce faculty into telecommunications research.
William A. T. Clark, associate dean of the graduate school said the SBC grant is important to those seeking financial aid for research projects because few places offer grants for faculty members.
“We’re looking to fund things that are outside the regular norm,” Clark said. “We intend it to be very liberal.”
Proposals will be judged on the criteria significant to the field of telecommunication along with a strong focus in health care, education, business development and international communication. Depending on the proposal, the amount of individual grants ranges from $10,000 to $30,000.
“Typically three to five grants are given each year, up to $30,000 each,” Clark said. “It depends on the requests and budgets we receive.”
Jean-Michel Guldmann, professor of city and regional planning, received funding from the SBC Faculty Research Grant for his 1997 study of international communication. The study specifically dealt with international telephone calls and their relevance to trade and economic production. Guldmann monitored the number of telephone calls between different nations to explain variations in different societies.
Guldmann found that an increase in connection to the Internet usually indicated fewer telephone lines.
“E-mail may possibly be replacing telephones,” he said.
Peter Swire, professor of law and past recipient of the grant, used the funding to research financial privacy. The grant supported several law review articles, including his report, “The Role of Law and Assuring Financial Privacy.” Swire’s research took him to the White House.
“The grant directly led to a number of law articles on financial privacy, and indirectly led to being appointed as chief counselor for privacy for the Clinton administration from 1999-2001,” Swire said.
While in Washington, D.C., Swire worked on many privacy reports contributing a financial privacy act Congress passed in 1999. The act made it a federal crime to obtain bank account information from banks and bank customers who use false pretenses.
“The funding helped me develop the expertise that allowed me to contribute more effectively when I went to the White House,” Swire said.
Applications for the SBC Faculty Research Grant are available in the graduate school office at 250 University Hall or on the graduate school’s Web site. The deadline for application submissions is May 2.
