Global Funds

Global Funds Application

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Global Fund:  Call for Proposals – Fall 2007

The College of Liberal Arts, through the office of the Associate Dean for Graduate and Undergraduate Studies, administers the Global Fund: resources provided by the Office of International Programs that are to be used to support faculty or staff travel that will provide either direct or indirect benefits to students by promoting international educational experiences either on campus or abroad. (Note Well: These funds no longer may be used to fund faculty travel to research conferences or for research purposes that are not related to internationalization of education.)

The College of Liberal Arts calls for proposals which will further the announced goal of increasing undergraduate participation in education abroad programs by integrating education abroad into the curriculum. With over 170 programs around the world, the Education Abroad office offers many opportunities for our undergraduates to study abroad. The Global Fund will allow faculty and advisers to learn more about these options or develop new options that will provide the best international experiences for their students’ academic interests.

Proposals to fund the following types of endeavors will be considered.

  • Travel by faculty or advisers to visit and evaluate existing programs to assess whether they are appropriate for your students.

  • Travel to explore establishing faculty-led programs to be taught in the summer.

  • Travel to plan for a short-term international experience as part of a residential course taught on the Penn State campus. There are known as embedded programs because the international study is embedded in a residential course.

  • Participation in seminars offered by CIEE (one of the principal organizations that provide education abroad opportunities for Penn State students). They offer seminars for faculty on various topics at locations around the world. See their website.

  • Travel to explore establishing a new education abroad program. Your proposal should explain clearly why the current offerings will not serve your students’ needs or why your proposed program offers important advantages that the current programs do not.

  • Organize retreats or workshops for faculty or advisers to learn more about education abroad and to develop strategies for promoting education abroad in your area.

  • Visit a nearby education abroad site while already in the area for a conference or other event.

  • Travel to develop international internships or research opportunities for undergraduates

If your innovative proposal does not exactly fit these categories, please feel free to submit it in any case. Proposals from departments, individual faculty, or groups of faculty are welcome; proposals (no more than 600 words plus budget) should be addressed to the Associate Dean for Graduate and Undergraduate Studies and indicate the support of the department head. Priority will be given to faculty or advisers who have demonstrated successful commitment to promoting study abroad and who have a plan to increase the quantity or quality of future undergraduate study abroad. Those who receive funds are expected to prepare a report on their travel or activities within two months of the completion of the travel.

A grant from the Global Fund may not exceed $4,000. Priority will be given to proposals from departments which provide matching funds. (It is appreciated, but not required, that departments contribute up to one-half of the requested amount.)

Evaluation of proposals will begin on November 26 for projects to be completed by the end of this academic year (i.e., by June 30). Proposals will be accepted throughout the year. Another reminder will be sent in the spring semester, if funds are still available.

You are urged to explore as well the funding opportunities provided by the Office of International Programs through their Faculty Travel Fund. This fund supports faculty travel that will promote internationalization of the curriculum. For more details, see their web site. Questions about the Faculty Travel Fund of the Office of International Programs may be directed to Professor Sylvia Neely, Academic Director of Liberal Arts Education Abroad Programs.