Workforce Success Initiative

RHE WORKFORCE SUCCESS INITIATIVE

Revised on February 7, 2024

I. PURPOSE- The Office of the Executive Dean of Regional Higher Education seeks to enrich campuses and communities served through enhancing workforce development activity in southeast Ohio and surrounding geographic areas served by RHE. This funding opportunity will serve as the framework for the RHE Workforce Success Initiative with the intent to provide financial support for activities led by faculty and/or staff to improve workforce development opportunities for the RHE campus(es) and communities.

Funded projects will focus on positive impacts to the region’s workforce. This initiative will be competitively awarded based on the review and recommendations of the RHE Workforce Success Initiative Review Committee.

II. PROJECT ELIGIBILITY- Applications will be accepted from faculty or staff in good standing and employed by Ohio University for at least two (2) years. Exceptions may be requested by faculty or staff employed for less than two years and should include a letter of support from their direct supervisor or dean.

Applications shall seek support for projects focused on creating or enhancing workforce development opportunities which:

• are envisioned to produce measurable impact for the campus(es) and / or communities served;
• include one or more of the following approaches:
  • research;
  • scholarship;
  • creative activities;
  • career exploration activities for OHIO students, high school students, or students from feeder school districts in communities served; and/or
  • student-focused efforts to impact improvements to the region’s workforce (such as stipends for student work experiences, internships, and similar activities.)

Applications shall be complete and include all required proposal elements to be considered. The Review Committee may decline to consider incomplete or late submissions.

III. ANTICIPATED AWARDS- The RHE Workforce Success Initiative will provide funding not to exceed $5,000 per award. There is no minimum request amount; however, applicants are urged to request only sufficient funding deemed necessary to support the size and scope of the proposed project.

Contingent upon available funds, it is anticipated that multiple projects will be funded each year of this initiative where resource needs are modest and in areas where opportunities for external funding are limited. If seeking the maximum request of $5,000, the applicant may indicate the request is for seed funding for the purpose of obtaining significant external funding. In this case, applicants are encouraged to identify a targeted external funding agency in their application. And, if funded by this Initiative, the applicant must agree to submit a proposal to the agency or similar funding opportunity within one year of project completion.

IV. REVIEW COMMITTEE- An application review committee will read, review, and score each application and make recommendations for award. This committee will be invited to serve by the Vice Provost for Regional Higher Education and shall include faculty and staff from across the institution as indicated:

• Three (3) members shall hold the rank of faculty, with two (2) in service to RHE
• Two (2) members shall be staff (classified or administrative)
• The review committee will be facilitated and led by Kim Addis.

V. FORMATTING REQUIREMENTS- All applications shall be formatted with 1” margins and twelve- point Arial font. All narrative sections must be double-spaced. For tables or graphs, ten-point Arial font and single-spacing are acceptable. The application shall not exceed the specified page limits for individual sections. There are no exceptions to these limits. Handwritten copy will not be reviewed.

VI. APPLICATION TIMELINE-

For consideration for funding approval, eligible applicants must submit their applications in Microsoft Word format from an ohio.edu email account to:workforcesuccess@ohio.edu.

Applications received after the deadline will not be considered.

Submitted applications may not exceed pages limits as indicated in this RFP. Applicants will receive an email confirming receipt of submission. 

Applications deemed incomplete will not be scored.

VII. PROPOSAL COMPONENTS:

1. Application Cover Page: (1 page, 0 points.) The application cover page shall include:
   • Applicant name (s)
   • Name of Project
   • Campus and/or Center to be served by the proposed project
   • County /counties to be served
   • Targeted employment sector and type of proposed activity
   • Amount of request (If seeking maximum funding, please indicate intent for prospective use of the funding for seed money for future project. Applicant shall indicate an external funding agency anticipated for future funding.
2. Statement of Applicant Funding and Past Productivity: (not to exceed 2 pages, 2 points)

The Statement of Applicant Funding and Past Productivity is required of all applicants to inform the review committee of any grants from external funds or internal funds offered by any program, college, or department of OHIO University. Please do not exceed 250 words to describe:

• the results of previous grants from external and internal sources, if applicable
• any attempts to secure external funding.

This statement is required for all proposals. If there has not been any prior grant effort by the applicant, please indicate “N/A” in lieu of a full response. One statement is required per applicant. For projects that include co-applicants, co-principal investigators, this statement form must be completed for each.

3. Project Narrative: (not to exceed ten (10) pages, total value 80 points)

The Project Narrative constitutes the principal basis for judging the merit of the proposed project. As the Review Committee is interdisciplinary in membership, applicants are expected to ensure that the narrative can be understood by a lay audience and should avoid using professional jargon. The narrative must include a clear and concise presentation of sections A-D below in the order indicated. Subheadings must be clearly labeled. (See below for the per section point value.)

A. Introduction and Background (value 10 points)

• Provide an overview of the proposed project, including a clear statement of the problem and the objectives of the proposed project;
• Describe the background of the project, including appropriate data sources or literature review;
• Justify the significance of the research or creative activity to the discipline.

B. Project Description (value 45 points)

• Describe the goals and objectives of the project, clearly identifying the targeted sector and intended workforce impact;
• Provide a detailed description of project activities and how the project aligns with the priorities of this RFP;
• Justify how the project’s design is appropriate to meet the project’s objectives.

C. Management Plan (value 15 points)

• Describe the experience and expertise of the applicant(s) and involvement of students, any co-researchers, and/or other RHE campuses, OHIO colleges, departments, or programs.
• Show the adequacy of the project's management, including available time, facilities, equipment, and other resources.
• Provide a simple timeline that details the scope and sequence of the project.

D. Utilization of Project Findings (value 10 points)

• Describe a plan for the dissemination of findings, through presentations at professional meetings, publications in scholarly journals, or the pursuit of external funding to expand and/or continue research in the research area.

VIII. BIBLIOGRAPHY (not to exceed one page, value 5 points)

The bibliography is limited to one page of current and/or most relevant literature and may be single- or double-spaced.

IX. BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH (not to exceed two pages per applicant / co-applicant, value 3 points)

The Biographical Sketch is required per applicant. For projects that include Co-PIs, two pages are permitted for each applicant.

X. DETAILED BUDGET AND NARRATIVE (with Guidelines): (not to exceed four (4) pages, value 10 points)

The requested budget should be presented in a simple table or spreadsheet and must include narrative description(s) of proposed costs. Costs may be requested only in the categories outlined below. Proposal budgets at or near the cap that do not include sufficient justification will receive additional scrutiny. 

All project expenses covered with sources other than funds from this initiative should be clearly identified.

• The maximum budget request is $5,000.
• No more than 50% of the total budget request may be allocated to compensation or wages (including faculty/staff compensation and/or student wages.)
• The request should provide a breakdown of individual budget items. Applicants should show the total cost and cost per unit (e.g., cost x quantity = total, etc.) Without sufficient details, funding may be reduced.
• All budgetary items should be justified as to their relevance to the project. Without sufficient justification, items may be eliminated.
• Applicants are reminded that all equipment, reference materials, and supplies purchased with funds from this initiative remain property of Ohio University.

NOTE: Budget expenditures encumbered before applicant is awarded funding and an account is established will not be reimbursed.

Budget categories acceptable under this initiative include:

A. PERSONNEL: The role and task of any personnel on the project should be defined in the justification and/or the discussion section. This explanation is particularly important for graduate students employed on the project. Please Note: No more than 50 (fifty) percent of the total requested budget may be allocated to personnel, including student wages.

Faculty/Staff Compensation: Not to exceed 20 (twenty) percent of the total budget request of the application. If co-applicants, please delineate in the budget the percentage and dollar value intended in the budget for each co-applicant.

Student Wages: Funds may be requested for student employees up to the standard hourly rate. All hiring of student employees must be compliant with University policies governing student employment. Student hours and pay rates should be justified based on the nature of the work being done. Include the following information: hourly wage to be paid to the student and the number of hours to be worked; amount of semester stipend and percentage of effort (for graduate stipends); and the method for determining the hourly rate of pay. Extraordinary rates of pay will not be funded without a detailed justification. The Ohio minimum wage for 2024 is $10.45 per hour more details can be found at http://www.com.ohio.gov/laws/MinimumWageLaws.aspx.

Fringe Benefits: If faculty/staff compensation and/ or student wages are requested in the budget, current fringes rates shall be included in the request.

B. CONSUMABLE SUPPLIES: Enter dollar amount of requested funds by price and quantity. If the budget item is a common consumable supply generally available in most laboratories, offices, or studios, justify use of these funds to support the purchase.

C. EQUIPMENT: All major items of equipment, including computers, to be purchased with funds from this initiative should be listed with the estimated cost of each item and components of each item, as applicable. Because of limited funds available, requests for equipment should be made only after a conscientious search has been conducted to determine whether this equipment is already on campus and available through a loan or share arrangement. The duration of use or percentage of time used, project-based activities supported with the equipment, and inability to secure the equipment through other channels should be addressed in the narrative of the request. For computers, the specifications and capabilities must be stated and justified. Any equipment purchased with funds from the RHE Workforce Success Initiative is Ohio University property.

D. OTHER: Costs for transcription charges, photocopying charges, postage, purchase of essential publications, and fees paid to participants are eligible.

The following costs are ineligible for funding by this initiative:

XI. APPLICATION APPENDICES