Faculty have several options for going abroad for official U.N.C.G. business. Some options easily fit into our existing funding models at U.N.C.G., such as giving presentations at international conferences. Others require more exploration. Feel free to contact the International Programs Center (I.P.C.) for more information about any plans you may have, especially if the international travel involves students, or you would like advice on how to procure funding, or you would like to learn more about any general travel guidelines or restrictions.
Arranging a faculty exchange can be quite involved; we can help navigate the process and provide tips for organizing the exchange. For more information regarding faculty/staff participation in Fulbright programs, please visit I.P.C. and consult: www.cies.org.
Faculty should be aware of general travel policies at U.N.C.G. so that they can get their reimbursements in a timely manner.
There are three categories of International and Global Engagement funding opportunities (also listed in this printable document):
- Kohler Awards: supporting Research, Teaching, Student Programs, Special Projects, and International Linkages (funded through I.P.C.).
- International Travel Fund: supporting faculty to attend professional conferences outside of North America (funded through I.P.C.).
In addition, the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creativity Office (URSCO) sponsors awards to help faculty and students take on scholarly projects that have an international component. See their website for more information.
- Kohler Award Categories
- The International Travel Fund (ITF)
- Global Engagement QEP Course Development Awards
Research with Additional Internal Funding
(Research Assignment, Research Grant Internal, Research Grant External, New Faculty Grant) Faculty submitting an application to the Office of Research and Economic Development (ORED) for a New Faculty Grant, a Summer Research Grant, a Regular Faculty Research Grant, or a Research Assignment may be eligible for a Kohler grant if their project contains an international component. The maximum award is $1000.
Research with additional External Funding
Faculty who receive support for an international project from an external source (normally a fellowship, grant or award) may also apply for supplemental Kohler Funds. The maximum award is $1000.
Special Projects
This award is to support international projects such as distinguished lectureships, faculty community dialogues, guest speaker series, country- or area specific seminars, business outreach programs, etc. In particular, IPC welcomes projects which promote better community relations or which serve as leverage for gaining additional extramural financial support of UNCG international activities. Recent examples of Kohler supported Special Projects include a symposium on contemporary Poland; a colloquium featuring an address by the Finnish Ambassador to the United States; and a Latin American Arts Festival. There is no set dollar limit for the budget request.
Student Programs
Kohler support is available for new international programs conducted on campus by and/or for UNCG students. Applications may be made by student groups, faculty members on behalf of students, or a mixture of both. Student programs that have received funding in the past include international days, UNCG Model United Nations Club, language circles, and International House Programs. This program is offered in addition to the Kohler Fund’s continuing support of travel grants for students going on UNCG’s Study Abroad programs. Strong preference will be given to projects that have matching support from Student Government or other funding agencies. As proposals in this category may range from the modest to the ambitious, there is no set dollar limit for the budget request.
Teaching
Faculty who receive an Advancement of Teaching and Learning (ATL) grant may apply for supplemental funding from the Kohler Fund if the funded project has an international component. The maximum award is $1000.
Institutional Linkages
Faculty members are encouraged to assist UNCG in establishing and developing linkages with overseas universities which will lead to student and/or faculty exchanges. There is no set dollar limit for the budget request.
Internationalizing the Curriculum
Faculty members (individually or in groups) are invited to apply for Kohler Fund support for projects to introduce new international content into existing courses. Graduate courses will be given preference since undergraduate courses are supported by QEP funding.
HOW TO APPLY
The first step for submitting a proposal is to discuss the proposal with the Associate Provost for International Programs, Dr. Penelope Pynes. NB: complete budgets and cost sharing are mandatory for funding. The IPC Discretionary Funds Committee meets four times per year, and proposals must be submitted by the deadline that is a minimum of six weeks before the proposed activity. Deadlines are listed on the application for Kohler funding, which can be found here.
Please note: PCard payments cannot be reimbursed using Kohler funding.
The Provost’s Office has created a fund to enable UNCG faculty to attend international conferences, present their work to an international audience and to interact with colleagues from other countries. These professional conferences must be outside of North America. Successful applications may be awarded up to $600 per trip. Because of limited funding and high demand:
- Faculty members may receive only one ITF grant per academic year.
- They are ineligible to receive a grant more than two years in a row.
- Grants are restricted to full-time faculty members.
- Only completed applications that are submitted before travel will be considered.
- A joint presentation is only eligible for one ITF award.
Please note: U.S., Canada and Mexico funding to enable UNCG faculty to attend conferences within North America may be obtained from the Office of Research and Economic Development: phone 4-4623 or visit: https://sponsoredprograms.uncg.edu/funding-opportunities/ for guidelines and application information.
ITF Funding Priorities
In order of priority, support will be given to those applicants who:
- Deliver a major, invited paper or presentation in the applicant’s field of Research or Creative Activity
- Present a paper as part of a panel presentation
- Organize and chair a panel discussion
- Serve as a discussant on a panel
Additionally, funding may be available to those attending a conference as an elected officer or board member of an international organization or presenting in a poster session or round table discussion.
How to Apply
The application process is fairly straightforward. The application consists of three things: the cover page with signatures (most schools/colleges have a proxy for the dean), complete budget (including any cost sharing or personal funds) and official confirmation of invitation to the conference (typically an email). Once you have those materials collected, scan and email them to pjpynes@uncg.edu. The IPC Discretionary Funds Committee processes and awards these on a rolling basis until the funding for the year is expended. Complete instructions for applying for the International Travel Fund are found here.
Please note: PCard payments cannot be reimbursed using ITF funding.
Faculty Support Grants
These awards are for faculty to modify existing courses or create new courses at the 300, 400 & 500 level to address at least one of the four Global Engagement Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs). These SLOs are:
- Students will explain environmental, historical, social, economic, political and /or cultural factors relevant to understanding a contemporary issue(s) within a global framework.
- Students will compare and contrast at least two different ethical perspectives on a salient and contemporary issue in a global context.
- Students will demonstrate a willingness to engage in diverse cultural situations.
- Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate in a culturally informed manner in international, intercultural and/or multicultural contexts.
Awards for modifying existing courses are $500.
Awards for creating a new course or modifying a sequence of courses are $1000.
Within approximately six months of the receipt of the award, the final course syllabus should be complete and a copy of the Curriculum Form A: New or Amended Course Proposal must be submitted to the QEP office. It is assumed that this course will be offered no later than eighteen months after receipt of the award.
Office of Leadership and Civic Engagement Global Engagement Awards
The Office of Leadership and Service-Learning and the Global Engagement QEP are working together to support faculty in developing courses that provide service-learning experiences which address at least one of the Global Engagement SLOs (see above). There are two types of awards:
- Service-Learning Global Course Development Faculty Grants are for faculty to designate new or transformed service-learning courses that are locally based and specifically address any of the QEP SLOs. These awards are up to $1000.
How to Apply
Complete instructions for applying for a QEP Course Development Award are found here. For more information contact QEP@uncg.edu or Dr. Penelope Pynes. - International Service-Learning Course Development Faculty Grants are one-year grants of $2500. This money can be used for faculty to design new or transformed service-learning courses that specifically address any of the QEP SLOs and have an international travel component.
How to Apply
Complete instructions for applying for a OLCE Global Engagement Award are found here. For more information contact OLCE at lead@uncg.edu.