Public Policy Projects

What are Public Policy Projects?

Public Policy Projects (PPPs) are research experiences that engage undergraduate students (individuals or groups) in applied community based research focused on the critical examination of a current public policy issue or problem in the community. Here are a few examples of potential projects:

Policy options to improve water quality in Lake Erie.
Alternative public health initiatives to address the opioid epidemic.
Policies to sustain or improve funding for the arts.
Policies that encourage sustainable construction and architectural design.
Policy solutions to protect citizens’ privacy on the internet.
Educational funding models to improve access to high quality education from preschool through college.
Policies that encourage corporate social responsibility.
Research on policies to address climate change and sustainability

Is there funding available?

PPPs may be completed in four different formats, each with different funding options:

Faculty supervised independent study during fall or spring semester (Student Mini Grant, $500 maximum for costs like travel, supplies, report dissemination)
Faculty-led course PPP (Faculty Course Grant, $2,500 maximum to cover costs like travel, workshops, guest speakers)
Faculty supervised summer research project (Student Stipend $2,500 maximum, and $500-$2,500 in faculty professional development funds depending on the number of projects supervised)
Faculty supervised winter session research project (Student Stipend $500 maximum, and $250-$750 in faculty professional development funds depending on the number of projects supervised)

Public Policy Student Project Flyer

Public Policy Faculty Flyer

Questions?

Funded Projects

Student Independent Study: Research on the relationship between air service development and economic development in metropolitan and micropolitan areas across the U.S to help local officials determine if using taxpayer funds to subsidize air service is a wise investment.

Student Independent Study: A critical examination of current sexual assault prevention programs on college campuses.

Summer Research Project: Study of changes to the Canadian Prime Minister Question Periods that considered whether the topics of the questions asked are different, whether the members of parliament asking questions change, and evaluated the quality of the answers improves when the Prime Minister responds.

Faculty Course Grant: A redesigned architecture class around the topic of urban agriculture and ecological design, that included class trips to Detroit, MI, Chicago, IL, or Milwaukee, WI to examine cases of successful urban design projects.

Faculty Course Grant: Dietetics students attended the 10th Annual Legislative and Public Policy Day for Dietetic Interns and Students in Columbus, OH to learn about current issues at the state and federal levels affecting nutrition policies as well as the profession of dietetics and meet with Representatives from Ohio.

Faculty Course Grant: Communication students researched theory driven mechanisms for improving student adherence to campus sexual assault policies.

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