At Oregon State University, our greatest advances begin with investing in people, and the many forms of knowledge they create in service of Oregon and beyond. From how we recognize scholarly contributions, to how we support emerging researchers, OSU continues to evolve in ways that reflect modern academic work and our land grant mission.
One of our foundational values affirms that faculty engage in scholarship through “traditional and alternative ways of knowing; basic, applied and engaged scholarship; transdisciplinary collaboration; and innovation and entrepreneurship.” These commitments - along with our emphasis on community engagement, diversity, and solutions-oriented research - are central to who we are as an institution. Recent initiatives across campus demonstrate how these values are being realized in both policy and practice.
Strengthening the Research Ecosystem Through Postdoctoral Investment
We are pleased to share that Oregon State University has been awarded $1.5 million from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation through its Postdoctoral Fellowship Commitment. Established in 2000 by Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore and his wife, Betty I. Moore, the Foundation supports transformative scientific discovery, environmental conservation, improved patient care, and place-based stewardship. This competitive selection process and one-time investment recognizes the critical role postdoctoral scholars play in advancing research and innovation.
At OSU, the award will support 15 postdoctoral scholars for one year, providing either continued support for existing postdoctoral researchers or enabling the recruitment of new postdoctoral talent. Together, these investments expand OSU’s research capacity and reinforce its commitment to scientific excellence.
Faculty from the following areas were selected to receive funding to support postdoctoral scholars through this award:
- Marine Mammal Studies
- Chemistry
- Chemical, Biological, and Environmental Engineering
- Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences
- Integrative Biology
- Civil and Construction Engineering
- Biological and Ecological Engineering
- Microbiology
- Physics
- Forest Ecosystems and Society
Modernizing How We Recognize Faculty Scholarship and MA3 Challenge Award
As we strengthen our research pipeline through postdoctoral investment, OSU is also advancing efforts to modernize how faculty scholarship is recognized. A central priority is ensuring that our academic appointment, promotion, and advancement processes reflect the full range of scholarly work faculty undertake today. Beyond traditional peer-reviewed and grant-funded research, OSU faculty contribute through innovation, entrepreneurship, engagement, and interdisciplinary collaboration, yet questions remain about whether our position descriptions, promotion and tenure (P&T) criteria, and external review expectations fully capture these contributions.
To address this, OSU recently submitted a proposal to the MA3 Challenge Award, seeking support to modernize how faculty work is described, evaluated, and advanced. This effort builds directly on OSU's Promotion & Tenure–Innovation & Entrepreneurship (PTIE) initiative, led by OSU Principal Investigator and Professor of Chemistry, Dr. Rich Carter. Through PTIE, language valuing innovation and entrepreneurship is now embedded in three separate sections of P&T criteria for all faculty. While we were not selected for this competitive award, (close to 100 applications), we are committed to broadening the recognition of scholarship and tenure at OSU.
We are launching a workgroup in February to explore adding Engaged Scholarship language to our P&T Guidelines. This would provide an additional, clearly articulated pathway for faculty to demonstrate the value and impact of their work that bridges research, teaching, extension, and community engagement. We will engage with Academic Leadership, the Promotion and Tenure Faculty Senate Working Group, Faculty Senate, and the OSU community over the winter and spring quarters to formalize these efforts.
This modernization matters because scholarly engagement at OSU is both extensive and diverse. Of the 2,666 faculty at OSU, 1,396 (52%) have scholarship as a criterion in their advancement language. This group includes tenure-track, professorial non-tenure-track faculty, as well as many with Extension and Engagement appointments, including those at experiment stations. Across these roles, faculty frequently engage in multiple forms of scholarship aligned with OSU’s mission.
Looking Ahead
Taken together, these efforts reflect a shared vision: OSU that recognizes the full spectrum of scholarly contribution, supports researchers at every career stage, and continually aligns its policies and investments with its mission and values.
Congratulations to all Moore Foundation awardees, MA3 contributors, and campus partners working to ensure OSU remains a national leader in engaged, innovative, and impactful scholarship.