The high award rate from the NEI, National Institutes of Health (NIH) has created a crisis in space allocation for the College of Optometry at The Ohio State University. It is proposed to construct three additional floors on the West Wing of Fry Hall to meet the demand of currently funded and soon-to-be-funded vision research projects. After completion of this construction plan, the net assignable sq. ft. for research at the College of Optometry will increase from its current 10,896 sq. ft. to 24,376 sq. ft.
Specific aims of the construction are to: 1) enhance the ability to conduct research, collect research data and to analyze data for patient-oriented research studies; 2) improve the quality of patient interactions with researchers; 3) allow for new funded research projects; 4) provide an environment for attracting new faculty and for retaining active researchers; 5) enhance leadership in children's clinical vision research and in specific focus areas such as vision rehabilitation, eye movements, corneal/tear physiology, and contact lenses; 6) allow dedicated clinical research areas for children and adults that do not interfere with educational programs; 7) allow graduate students and research trainees to interact optimally with advisors; 8) promote efficiency and interaction through shared space and equipment; 9) promote efficiency in research subject scheduling and retention; 10) consolidate modules and relieve stress in severely overcrowded research spaces; 11) enhance collaboration by eliminating the current """"""""scattering"""""""" of clinical research programs throughout three buildings; and 12) eliminate """"""""inappropriate spaces"""""""" and """"""""borrowed educational space"""""""" currently utilized by researchers.
