If Congress lets scheduled cuts go through, Ohio University stands to lose millions of dollars in federal funding.
More than $12 million in research funding and more than $1 million in student work-study payments could be lost completely if the cuts — known as the federal sequester — take effect March 1.
In Ohio, roughly 3,320 students receiving work-aid from the federal government will lose that funding, and about 1,450 of those students will not get those jobs in the future, according to a White House news release.
At OU alone, 775 students were employed by federal work-study in the 2011-12 school year, totaling $1,096,223 in earnings, said Valerie Miller, director of financial aid and scholarships.
“It is too early to know how or if Ohio University work-study students would be affected by the federal sequester, should it go into effect,” Miller said.
The National Institutes of Health would award hundreds fewer research awards, while the National Science Foundation would distribute nearly 1,000 fewer awards and grants nationally in the coming year with the cuts, according to the news release.
In fiscal year 2012, 34 OU faculty members received $7,792,722 from NSF, while 14 faculty members received $4,229,691 from NIH, said Roxanne Male-Brune, director of grant development at OU.
Vice President for Research and Creative Activity Joe Shields is waiting for further information concerning how the sequester will impact OU’s research programs, said Andrea Gibson, special assistant to the vice president for research.
dd195710@ohiou.edu
