H.B.
381
127th General Assembly
(As Reported by H. Finance & Appropriations)
Reps. Webster, Hottinger, Bacon, Bolon, Boyd, Budish, Chandler, Coley, Flowers, Hite, Jones, Mecklenborg, Patton, Sears, Strahorn
BILL SUMMARY
· Increases the funds available to the Ohio Research Scholars Program.
· Permits a nonpublic four-year Ohio institution of higher education to submit a proposal to the Program to recruit scientists to the institution's faculty if the proposal is to be implemented in collaboration with a state college or university.
· Decreases funding to the Research Incentive Program and repeals the Eminent Scholars Program.
CONTENT AND OPERATION
(Sections 1, 3, and 6)
Under current law, the Chancellor of the Board of Regents is required to establish and administer the Ohio Research Scholars Program to "make awards to state universities or colleges for programs and initiatives that recruit students and scientists in the fields of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine to state universities or colleges, in order to enhance regional educational and economic strengths and meet the needs of the state's regional economies."[1] The bill increases funding to the Program by $12 million in fiscal year 2008 and by $13 million in fiscal year 2009. The bill also provides that capital funds of up to $3 million of the total amount that was appropriated in the most recent capital appropriations act for the Research Facility Action and Investment Funds (RFAIF) appropriation item must be spent to support the Program. Any portion of that money used for capital projects under the Program is subject to Program rules and not RFAIF rules.
Under current law, a state university or college that receives an award under the Program is required to deposit the amount into a new or existing endowment fund. The bill provides that, notwithstanding current law, an institution of higher education that receives an award under the Program does not have to deposit the award into an endowment fund, unless the award was funded by the original appropriation made in the last biennial operating budget (Am. Sub. H.B. 119 of the 127th General Assembly). The bill states that the grant agreement must specify, if applicable, the portion of the award that is required to be deposited in an endowment fund and the portion that is restricted for capital projects.
Under current law, the awards under the Program are granted only to state universities and colleges. Current law also provides that an award may be granted for a collaborative project between a state university or college and a nonpublic Ohio university or college or other public or private Ohio entity. Current law does not clearly permit a nonpublic university, intending to collaborate with a state university or college, to apply directly for awards under the Program.
The bill provides that a nonpublic four-year Ohio institution of higher education may submit a proposal to the Program to recruit scientists to the faculty of the nonpublic institution if the proposal is to be implemented in collaboration with a state university or college. The bill requires that the nonpublic institution comply with all legal requirements that would otherwise apply to a state university or college recipient under the Program.
(Section 1)
Under current law, the Research Incentive Program is administered by the Board of Regents and is designed to enhance basic research capabilities of public colleges and universities and accredited Ohio institutions of higher learning in order to strengthen academic research for pursuing Ohio's economic development goals. The bill decreases the funds available to the Program through the elimination of a $12 million earmark for the Program in both fiscal years 2008 and 2009.
(Sections 1 and 5)
Under current law, the Board of Regents administers the Eminent Scholars Program, which program has the purpose of investing educational resources to address problems of vital statewide significance while fostering the growth in eminence of Ohio's academic programs. The bill repeals this program and its $1 million earmark for fiscal year 2009.
HISTORY
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ACTION |
DATE |
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Introduced |
11-07-07 |
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Reported, H. Finance & Appropriations |
02-21-08 |
H0381-RH-127.doc/jc