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Parveen Singh
Independent Researcher
Punjab, India
Abstract
Equitable funding for online higher education research projects is foundational to nurturing a vibrant, inclusive academic ecosystem that spans diverse institutional types, geographic regions, and researcher demographics. As digital learning modalities proliferate, generating robust evidence through well-supported research becomes critical to inform policy, pedagogy, and technology adoption. However, systemic imbalances in grant distribution—rooted in historical prestige hierarchies, resource disparities, and opaque evaluation procedures—threaten to marginalize contributions from community colleges, minority-serving institutions, and emerging scholars. This manuscript undertakes a deep exploration of the multifaceted concept of funding equity within online higher education research. Through an extensive survey of 200 faculty members and research administrators across a stratified mix of U.S. institutions, we examine prevailing perceptions of fairness, analyze infrastructural and procedural barriers, and highlight the lived experiences of underrepresented researchers. Our findings uncover significant discrepancies in application support, proposal success rates, and feedback quality, which in turn shape the research agenda and constrain the diversity of inquiry. Drawing on respondent narratives and quantitative metrics, we propose a set of actionable strategies—including blind peer review protocols, capacity-building grants, and incentivized consortium models—to redress funding imbalances. By advocating for transparent, inclusive grantmaking practices, this study aims to catalyze systemic reforms that empower all stakeholders to contribute equitably to the advancement of online higher education research, ultimately fostering richer insights and improved outcomes for learners everywhere.
Keywords
Funding Equity, Online Higher Education, Research Projects, Grant Allocation, Institutional Support
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