International travel is on hold, but global engagement and cross-cultural collaboration are more critical than ever. The Office of Global Affairs (OGA) and UW Study Abroad are offering a special cycle of the Global Innovation Fund (GIF), seeking proposals from faculty directors who are interested in converting their study abroad program into a virtual international program.
- This is a one-time, special GIF cycle open only to Summer Quarter 2021 or Early Fall 2021 Faculty Program Directors.
- Awards up to $2,000 are available to support faculty time and effort to convert your in-person program to a virtual one.
- Faculty must be committed to leading/teaching their program virtually during Summer 2021 or Early Fall 2021.
- Priority will be given for projects involving new or enhanced collaboration with an international partner.
We welcome other innovative ways of making your study abroad program a virtual one. Please reach out to your UW Study Abroad Program Manager if you want to discuss or have questions.
- An element of International Virtual Exchange or Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) to your virtual program (e.g., students work on a project in virtual global teams w/ students from the National University of Singapore or American University in Rome)
- Student consulting or research project embedded in your course with an international company, non-profit or NGO (possibly through UW’s partner Omprakash)
- Speaker(s) from an international organization (e.g., virtual lecture by Korean public health official on COVID response) or faculty member(s) (e.g., expert from University of Queensland)
- Interactive international learning activity (e.g., virtual museum tour or remote company visit)
| Application deadline | Thursday, February 25, 2021 Deadline Extended |
| Awards announced | March 2021 |
| Award use period | Summer 2021 |
| Reports & budget reconciliations due | No later than August 30th, 2021 |
| Unused funds returned to OGA | No later than August 30th, 2021 |
Application Requirements:
- Online application form submission
- Attached letter or email of support from department chair
Primary Questions to be addressed in proposal:
- Virtual Program narrative description: Please provide a short (suggested 300 words) description of your proposed virtual program and intended outcomes. If relevant, include information about innovations and collaborations with international partners/organizations.
- Budget request: Please provide a short description of the request for funds (e.g., $2,000 for summer support for module development, or $500 for international speaker honoraria, etc.)
- Will there be a match from your department? (A departmental match is not required, but may make a proposal more competitive.)
If you have questions, contact the Office of Global Affairs at uwgif@uw.edu.
Awards can be used for:
- Faculty or administrator salary
- Academic student employees and student workers
- Honoraria
- Marketing expenses
- Technology equipment or software
Funds may not be used for:
- The purchase of alcohol
- Dissertation research
At the end of the award use period, awardees are required to submit the following materials to OGA at uwgif@uw.edu:
- Brief narrative report – describe the project, outcomes, and next steps
- Photos
- Outline use and impact of funds
- Budget report reflecting actual expenditures. (You can update the budget submitted with your application).
OGA will follow up to do additional marketing and story-telling around each project