The Battelle Engineering, Technology and Human Affairs (BETHA) Endowment annual grant competition supports projects that examine the complex relationship between science and technology on society and cultural issues. Four projects were selected for the 2026 award cycle.
Co-Maker Collective: Co-Designing for Real Life. Design. Build. Belong
Kyle K VanKoevering, College of Medicine
Peers with physical disabilities experience high rates of assistive technology (AT) abandonment, that is often attributed to a misalignment between mass-produced designs and the complex user needs. The Co-Maker Collective establishes a novel interdisciplinary co-design workflow that integrates the technology of engineering with the lived experience of disability. The workflow is a collaboration between undergraduate engineering students, clinicians, educators, biomedical engineers, rehabilitation engineers, the community, and residents of Creative Living. By utilizing 3D printing and peer-assisted learning the project shifts the role of the resident from a passive recipient of technology to a lead designer of their own functional tools.
The Science is Sound
Maurice Stevens, College of Arts and Sciences
The Science is Sound is a multidisciplinary public outreach project that utilizes the tactile medium of vinyl records to translate complex Ohio State acoustic and neurological research for the general public. By merging the arts (independent music) with technology (professional sound engineering) and science (Ohio State research), we create a permanent physical archive and a traveling educational roadshow that brings the science of sound to four underserved Ohio counties.
Harnessing Generative AI to Empower Immigrant Entrepreneurship in Ohio
Andrea Contigiani, Fisher College of Business
Immigrant entrepreneurs face persistent barriers to business education, mentorship, and regulatory knowledge. Building on Phase I of the New American Entrepreneurship Project, this project develops Buckeye Startup Coach (BSC), a Generative AI-powered mobile coaching platform designed for immigrant entrepreneurs in Central Ohio, and evaluates its effectiveness through a randomized controlled trial with approximately 200 participants. Expected outcomes include peer-reviewed publications, a functional prototype with commercialization potential, the design of a course at Ohio State, and pilot data to support a larger National Science Foundation funding application.
TRACE: Teaching Responsible Artificial Intelligence through Case-Based STEM Education for Societal Understanding
Sophia Jeong, College of Education and Human Ecology
Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how students engage in STEM learning, yet few are taught to use AI in ways that align with disciplinary practices or to critically evaluate its outputs, reasoning, biases, and societal consequences. The TRACE project addresses this gap through a case-based STEM curriculum that integrates AI into authentic scientific inquiry. In Phase 1, students engage in case-based learning experiences that introduce real-world problems and learn to trace AI outputs, reasoning, bias, and consequences. In Phase 2, students extend this work through project-based investigations of community-relevant issues while engaging in core disciplinary STEM practices. Outcomes include enhanced disciplinary reasoning, AI literacy, and responsible participation in technology-mediated learning environments.