Grants support the launch of new faculty-led education abroad programs
Two new grant programs from the Office of the Provost aim to encourage the development of new faculty-led education abroad programs at the University of Michigan.
Funded by the Vice Provost for Engaged Learning’s Global Engagement Strategic Plan, launched in Autumn 2023, these grant programs are designed to address the primary goal of the strategic plan – namely, to increase and diversify both U-M’s education abroad offerings and student participation.
In their inaugural year, ten grants of up to $24,000 each will be awarded to support programs in nearby international locations in North America or programs in less-traveled destinations across the globe, such as Africa, Asia and Central and South America.
In February, the first four grants were awarded to María Arquero de Alarcón, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, for a new program on urban transformation in Brazil; Susan Atkins, Marsal Family School of Education, for a new program in teacher preparation in Mexico; April Bigelow, School of Nursing, for a new program in global primary care training in Thailand; and Brian Stewart, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, for a new program on archaeology in Lesotho.
“Short-term programs led by faculty affiliated with a student’s home institution are a critically important gateway to global learning experiences for first-time international travelers,” said Valeria Bertacco, vice provost for engaged learning.
“We hope that the creation of new short-term programs in nearby international locations will increase accessibility and affordability of our education abroad offerings, while the creation of new programs in other lesser-traveled regions of the planet will diversify the range of opportunities for our students across the globe.”
Faculty and instructional staff employed at the University of Michigan – Ann Arbor campus, who are leading a new education abroad program, are eligible to apply. The program must be offered for credit and/or tied to a course and include travel of up to eight weeks to an eligible destination.
Applications will be accepted year-round, with three review and selection periods annually. For 2024, upcoming deadlines are May 17 and September 27.
More Information
For questions or more information, contact Amy Carey, assistant vice provost for international engagement, at [email protected]