Through the generous support of the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization, International Programs' Major Projects Award promotes important contributions to scholarly debates and exchanges on international topics, issues, discoveries, and arts. Events sponsored by the Major Projects Award usually take the form of collaborations, symposia, conferences, lecture series, artistic exhibitions, and performance events. The events are conceived of, and spearheaded by, UI tenured and tenure-track faculty members.
Current Award Winner
Metabolic Health in Motion: A Multidisciplinary Journey to Liver Wellness
This project addresses Metabolic Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), a leading cause of liver disease and liver transplants worldwide. Planned for fall 2025, this project will feature a two-day international academic conference at the University of Iowa, exploring the latest research and treatments for MASLD. Additional activities will include a Mediterranean diet workshop, an exercise masterclass, and a "Run for your Liver, Run for Your Life," fundraiser race, all designed to promote liver health, raise awareness, and support innovative research in liver transplantation. This project is intended to increase awareness both within the medical community and the public on its importance, burden, management, and, most importantly, prevention.
Organized by:
Marta Tejedor Bravo, clinical associate professor of internal medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Carver College of Medicine
"The success of this symposium, which would not have been possible without the funding from IP, is leading directly to the connections that I made with Brazilian scholars, artists, and programmers during the symposium."
About the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization
C. Maxwell (Max) and Elizabeth (Betty) M. Stanley were exemplary visionary leaders in philanthropic and educational endeavors. They strove to promote public understanding, constructive dialogue, and cooperative action on critical international issues and worked to recognize the essential roles of both the policy community and the broader public in building sustainable peace.
Alumni of The University of Iowa and longtime active volunteers and generous supporters of the institution, the Stanley's created The Stanley-University of Iowa Foundation Support Organization in 1979. which provides funding for projects across The University of Iowa.
Interested in applying?
All University of Iowa tenured and tenure-track faculty members are invited to apply for this award.
Past Winners
2024: Unmet need for family planning and barriers to contraceptive use among women living with HIV in Cross River State, Nigeria
Co-organizers:
Oluwafemi Adeagbo, assistant professor, Department of Community and Behavioral Health, College of Public Health
Rima Afifi, professor, Department of Community and Behavioral Health; director of the Prevention Research Center for Rural Health, College of Public Health
2024: Sacred Threads: Spirituality, Health, and Collaborative Partnerships for Health in Indigenous Communities
Organizer:
Jeanine Abrons, clinical associate professor, College of Pharmacy
2023: Building Multidisciplinary Global Health Collaborations
Co-organizers:
Claudia Corwin, clinical associate professor of internal medicine-pulmonary, critical care and occupational medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine of the UI Carver College of Medicine and director of the Iowa Global Health Network
Rima Afifi, professor in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health in the UI College of Public Health and director of the Prevention Research Center for Rural Health
2023: Frequências: Contemporary Afro-Brazilian Cinema & the Black Diaspora
Organizer:
Christopher Harris, associate professor, Department of Cinematic Arts
2023: The Future of a Tradition: Asian Craft, Iowa Innovation, and the Japanese Papermaking Residencies
Co-organizers:
Matthew P. Brown, associate professor, Department of English and the UI Center for the Book
Nicholas Cladis, lecturer, the UI Center for the Book
2022: Korean Studies Research Network 2nd Annual Conference
Organizer:
Hyaeweol Choi, professor of Korean studies, gender history, and religious studies
2022: Symposium
Co-organizers:
Jill Beckman, associate professor, Department of Linguistics
Waltraud Maierhofer, professor, Department of German
Kristine Muñoz, professor, Communication Studies
Helen Shen, professor, Asian and Slavic Languages and Literatures
Jan Steyn, lecturer, Department of French and Italian
2022: Bringing to Light International Artist Books Held in the UI Special Collections
Co-organizers:
Karen Carcia, associate professor of Practice, UI Center for the Book
Julia Leonard, associate professor, UI Center for the Book
2021: Corruption, the Rise of Populism, and the Future of Democracy Symposium
Co-organizers:
Mihailis Diamantis, professor of law
William Reisinger, professor of political science
Marina Zaloznaya, associate professor of sociology and political science
2018: Empowered Reading: Re-translation, Performance, and Critique Colloquium
Co-organizers:
Sabine Gölz, associate professor, German and comparative literature
Adrienne Rose, assistant professor, classics, comparative literature, translation
2017: Art & the Afterlife: Fantasy Coffins by Eric Adjetey Anang
Co-organizers:
Cory Gundlach, graduate student, art and art history; UIMA curator of the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas
Christopher Roy, professor, art and art history
Isabel Barbuzza, associate professor, art and art history
2016: Doing Global History Locally
Co-organizers:
Glenn Ehrstine, associate professor, German and international studies
Elizabeth Heineman, professor and chair, history
H. Glenn Penny, professor, history
2015: Parody, Plagiarism, Patrimony: Don Quixote in the Age of Electronic Reproduction
Co-organizers:
Denise Filios, associate professor, Spanish & Portuguese
Ana M. Rodríguez-Rodríguez, associate professor, Spanish & Portuguese
2014: Collaboration Between China and United States on Special Education Research and Services for Students with Disabilities
Organizer:
Youjia Hua, associate professor, education
2013: Who Will Build the 21st Century? – Addressing Critical Demographic Gaps in the Geosciences and Our Ability to Research, As
Organizer:
Bradley D. Cramer, assistant professor, geoscience
2013: Reciprocal exchange of training and research on tropical parasitic disease between the University of Iowa and two federal
Organizer:
Mary E. Wilson, M.D., professor, internal medicine and microbiology
2012: Iowa City Carnaval Project
Organizer:
Loyce Arthur, associate professor, theatre arts
2012: The Latino Midwest
Co-organizers:
Claire Fox, associate professor, English
Omar Valerio-Jiménez, assistant professor, history
Santiago Vaquera-Vásquez, assistant professor, Spanish and Portuguese
2011: Comics, Creativity, and Culture: International and Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Co-organizers:
Corey K. Creekmur, associate professor, English/cinema & comparative literature
Ana Merino, associate professor, Spanish & Portuguese
Rachel Williams, associate professor, art education/gender, women’s and sexuality studies
2011: Diasporas and Development
Co-organizers:
Meena Khandelwal, associate professor, anthropology/gender, women's and sexuality studies
Mark Sidel, professor, law
2011: The Future of Multi-Party Democracy in East Africa
Organizer:
James Giblin, professor, history