GLOBAL INTERSECTIONS GRANT APPLICATION 

Applications due: November 15, 2024, 5:00pm Central. 

See current Global Intersections projects here.

About Global Intersections
Global Intersections is a Center for Global Studies initiative designed to encourage multicultural, international, transnational, and global perspectives in student research. This initiative invites collaborative proposals from faculty and students across multiple disciplines that promote understanding and aid in solving global problems. These projects provide opportunities for students to engage directly in the process of developing new research directions in areas of global import.

The Center for Global Studies globalizes the research, teaching, and outreach missions of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is a National Resource Center in Global Studies designated by the U.S. Department of Education. One of the globalizing missions of the Center is to promote and support innovative research to better understand global issues confronting the world’s populations and identify ways to cope with and resolve these challenges.

Supported Activities

• Support the development of new courses and programs on global studies, or advancement of ongoing activities
• Initiate and develop grant proposals seeking additional and external funding for projects in global studies
• Complement campus research initiatives on global studies
• Develop datasets to support a digital scholarship for global studies research/teaching/engagement
• Disseminate new knowledge via publications, conferences, workshops, exhibits (real or virtual), performances, musical recordings, digital humanities, or other campus events
• Create opportunities to advance pedagogy and practices in global studies education

Objectives

• Give students the opportunity to be actively involved in formulating and shaping the scope of a research problem in the interdisciplinary field of global studies
• Advance knowledge in the area of global studies
• Promote interdisciplinary inquiry and collaborative problem solving
• Build relationships with international institutions or NGOs

2024-2025 Project Proposal Timeline

• Proposals are for projects in the Spring 2025 semester
• The deadline for project proposals is November 15, 2024
• Funded projects must begin no earlier than 1/21/25, and end no later than 5/16/25
• If you have questions about Global Intersections, please contact Donna Tonini (toninil1@illinois.edu) or Timur Pollack-Lagushenko (tpollack@illinois.edu).

Award Information:
Proposals may request up to $3,000 for project activities within the grant year (1/21/25-5/16/25). Global Intersections grants may provide funding for the following project components:
a) A campus event (e.g., workshop, conference, reading group, hackathon) focused on global studies;
b) Travel funding for external speakers with an emphasis on global studies;
c) A student publication with a focus on global studies.

Student Eligibility:
Proposals should be student-led and may include a mix of faculty and students. Students pursuing a major or a minor in LAS Global Studies, majoring in Global Studies in Education, enrolled or currently applying for a Graduate Global Studies Minor are particularly encouraged to apply (please see application to the latter at the bottom of this page). The funds may not be used to fund dissertation or thesis research.

Additional participating members of the Global Intersections group may include external participants affiliated with other domestic or international institutions, industry partners, or community organizations, if appropriate.

Proposal Requirements:
Each proposal should contain the following four sections in their project descriptions:

1. Global Intersections topic and rationale. 

Proposals should describe the project, explain the project’s intellectual value and research goals, and should also include specific justification for main budget items (e.g., visiting speakers, conference/workshop).

2. Structure and frequency of group meetings and other activities. 

It is expected that groups will meet regularly during the period of the grant.

3. Roles and responsibilities of student and faculty organizers. 

All proposals must be student-led and identify a minimum of two students to serve as co-organizers. The organizers are responsible for the overall program design, execution, and oversight, including external speakers and workshop or conference (if included as part of the proposal). The two organizers are expected to attend all meetings. Proposals should highlight the role of each participant. Examples of substantive engagement include involvement in organizing activities, selecting guest speakers or readings, targeting central issues for discussion, and participating in critical discussion or field research activities are examples of the kinds of substantive engagement desired.

4. Expected outcomes. 

At least one of the following outcomes is required and should be addressed in the proposal:
A. Scholarly conference presentations, journal publications, or “opinion” pieces in magazines/newspapers.
B. Dataset(s) to support a digital scholarship for global studies research/teaching/engagement.
C. Submission of grant proposals for external funding. Global Intersections may be used to seed activities targeted for development as grant proposals with strong global studies components.
D. Education innovations, such as new knowledge leading to significant and demonstrable improvements in current pedagogy; or new graduate education elements complementing campus research initiatives (e.g., energy, sustainability, climate change). 

Budget page

Proposals for Global Intersections projects may request up to $3,000 for project activities within the grant year (1/21/25-5/16/25). The following are allowable expenses:
1. A stipend for creating and maintaining a website.
2. Honoraria and travel support for visiting speakers*.
3. Project activities and materials (e.g., publicity/dissemination, photocopying, and space rental).

*If requesting money for foreign travel, provide a detailed justification of anticipated expenses. Ensure the project description clearly justifies the need for the event or travel, and that all travel follows the Fly America Act.

The Fly America Act (49 U.S.C. 401118) generally provides that foreign air travel funded by Federal Government money may only be conducted on U.S. air carriers. Airline tickets for grantees traveling on federal funds must be ticketed with a U.S. flag carrier code. We understand that U.S. flag carriers are not always available to the final destination; however, a U.S. flag carrier must be used to the furthest destination possible. Additionally, a grantee must fly on a U.S. airline even if a foreign airline would be less expensive, provide preferred routing, or be more convenient. There also are exceptions to the Act, in which federal funding could be used for non-U.S. carriers.
Read more about the Fly America Act here: https://gsa.gov/portal/content/103191

Please note, per restrictions on our Title VI Department of Education grant, this co-sponsorship CANNOT be used for the following:

• International travel without prior approval from the U.S. Department of Education (see the Fly America Act above)
• Food
• Alcohol
• Awards or Gifts
• Student Travel

Submission Instructions:

All proposals should be submitted via the Global Intersections application by 5 pm on November 15th, 2024. 

Proposal Review Process and Criteria
Review Criteria: Proposals will be evaluated according to intellectual merit, impact on students and education on campus, and anticipated contributions to global studies and interdisciplinarity.
Review Process: Proposals will undergo review by the Center for Global Studies in consultation with its faculty advisory committee.

Award Information
Notification of awards: Decisions will be announced shortly after the deadline.
Reporting Requirements: At the end of the program, Global Intersections project organizers are responsible for submitting a blog post to the Center for Global Studies. Note that each funded Global Intersections project is required to submit project materials and publications to the open-access campus repository IDEALS website. 

In agreeing to co-sponsor your event, we request that you acknowledge our center and the support of the US Department of Education Title VI grant on all posters, publications, websites, etc.

If you are a graduate student who is interested in applying for a Global Studies Minor as part of your application for a Global Intersections Grant, please consult the following page: Global Studies Minor.