Many scholars faced severe challenges associated with the COVID-19 pandemic such as illness, travel restrictions, interruption of sabbatical, care for children or other family members, or increased departmental duties in support of colleagues facing these challenges.
The COVID Relief Fund (CRF) was created to offer research support to faculty members whose research or scholarly and creative activities were severely and continually impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Provided by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Partnerships and the Faculty Senate, and administered through the Research Council, the CRF provides one-time funding to assist faculty members in regaining their scholarly momentum.
Seven OU faculty members were awarded funding to support course buyouts, summer salary for principal investigators who are not otherwise teaching over the summer, or other research-related expenses over the course of the 2023 academic year.
The awarded proposals were selected following review by a committee appointed by the Research Council in collaboration with the Faculty Senate. The proposals were evaluated based on the significance and impact, and momentum of research and creative activity pre-COVID, the scope of the impact that the pandemic had on scholarly work, the quality of the proposed plan for funds, and the potential for recovered momentum.
The recipients are:
