Special edition: Internship Catalyst Grants
June 2026
Catalyzing what’s next: internships at scale
Summer is when we build.
It’s when ideas sharpen, partnerships take shape, and we do the quiet work that ultimately changes student outcomes at scale. This year, that work has a clear focal point to expand access to paid internships across Ohio State.
The Internship Catalyst Grant (ICG), launched through the Career Center of Excellence and the Office of Academic Affairs, is doing exactly what we hoped it would: unlocking innovation across colleges and units, and helping us collectively expand access to meaningful, career-building internship experiences.
This is bigger than a grant — it’s a system shift
This cycle made one thing abundantly clear: the demand, and the opportunity, is real.
- 29 proposals submitted
- 20+ colleges and units represented
- ~$1M in requested funding 300–380 paid internships projected annually
And the insight behind all of it is consistent — students want internships. They just can’t always afford to take them.
Across proposals, units named the same barriers: lost wages, housing and transportation costs, and structural realities like unpaid required experiences.
What we’re seeing is not a collection of programs, it’s a coordinated response to a systemic challenge.
Meet the Work: 2026 Spring Awardees
This year’s awardees reflect the full spectrum of what’s possible: immediate access, long-term infrastructure, and targeted equity interventions.
Scaling Community Impact
OSU Extension Program
- Requestor: Adam Cahill, College of Food, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
- Award: $35,000 (Long-Term Track)
This initiative scales paid, community-based internships statewide, embedding students in Extension work that directly serves Ohio communities. It’s high-impact, high-volume, and built for long-term sustainability.
Building Infrastructure Where It's Needed Most
Regional Campus Internship Consortium
- Requestor: Kathryn Kelley, College of Engineering / Ohio Manufacturing Institute
- Award: $25,000 (Long-Term Track)
The consortium creates a coordinated pipeline between regional campus students and local employers, launching with 10–15 paid internships and a clear pathway to scale. It closes a structural gap that has existed for years.
Turning Campus into a Career Engine
Student Life Internship Program
- Requestor: Taylor Koon, Buckeye Commons
- Award: $22,500 (Short-Term Track)
This is about meeting students where they already are. By expanding paid roles within Student Life, this initiative unlocks immediate access to meaningful, skill-building experiences. No relocation, no added barriers, just opportunity.
Strengthening the Human Services Pipeline
Human Services Career Fellows
- Requestor: Katie Moore, College of Education & Human Ecology
- Award: $20,000 (Long-Term Track)
A thoughtful, equity-centered model designed to support students entering critical human services fields. This initiative pairs paid experience with pathway-building in sectors that need talent, and where unpaid work has historically been the norm.
Expanding Who Sees Themselves in STEM
i-STEM Careers
- Requestor: Patrice Hamel, College of Arts and Sciences
- Award: $17,500 (Long-Term Track)
An innovative approach to broadening participation in STEM internships. This initiative focuses on access — ensuring more students can engage in paid, career-relevant STEM experiences early and often.
Startups as Learning Labs
Keenan Center Internship Expansion
- Requestor: Shannon Bradley, Keenan Center for Entrepreneurship
- Award: $15,000 (Short-Term Track)
Expanding a proven model, this initiative funds paid internships embedded within student startups in the President’s Buckeye Accelerator. Students gain hands-on experience while helping ventures grow. A true win-win.
Regional Talent, Local Opportunity
Lima Chamber Internship Program
- Requestor: Rachel Richardson, Career Services Manager, Lima Campus
- Award: $12,500 (Short-Term Track)
This program strengthens local workforce pipelines by connecting students with paid opportunities through chamber partnerships, keeping talent in the region while supporting local employers.
Testing the Future of Flexible Work
Mansfield Micro-Internship Pilot
- Requestor: Veronna Drane, Career Counselor, Mansfield Campus
- Award: $2,500 (Short-Term Track)
Small but mighty. This pilot tests short-term, project-based paid experiences, lowering the barrier for both students and employers while exploring a highly scalable model.
What we're seeing across the board
Taken together, three strategies are emerging:
- Immediate Access (Fast Impact) —Converting unpaid experiences to paid—quickly expanding participation.
- Ecosystem Building (Long-Term Change) —Creating employer pipelines, consortia, and repeatable models that will outlast the grant.
- Targeted Equity Interventions — Focusing on students and disciplines where barriers are most acute.
All in all, this is how we move from isolated programs to a true internship ecosystem.
What happens next
Now we shift from selection to execution.
The Career Center of Excellence will partner closely with each awardee to:
- Refine implementation plans
- Maximize institutional match and employer engagement
- Track outcomes through mid-year and annual reporting
This is where we learn, and where we build the case to scale what works.
Looking ahead
The next ICG cycle will launch in January 2027, and if this round is any indication, we’re just getting started. The opportunity in front of us is clear: removing financial barriers to internships at scale, and, in doing so, fundamentally shifting how students experience career preparation at Ohio State.
If you are interested in scheduling a consultation with the Career Center of Excellence to discuss ways to strengthen a future proposal, please send a note to careerquestions@osu.edu.
With gratitude
This work is deeply collaborative. I’m grateful to the faculty and staff who brought forward thoughtful, creative ideas; and to our review committee, who approached this process with care and a clear focus on what will matter most for students.
Many thanks to:
Taylor King Boyles, Richard Bruno, Marilyn Bury Rice, Kyle Kuhlman, Jennifer Chilman, Tara Nord, and Mollie Workman.