International Programs (IP) provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for University of Iowa (UI) faculty engaged in international research, partnerships, and other activities.
“IP’s funding of faculty research supports Iowa’s research mission on a global scale,” said Russ Ganim, associate provost and dean of International Programs. “Funding from our office enables faculty to pursue their scholarship abroad, to connect with colleagues at international institutions of higher learning, and to burnish Iowa’s reputation as a leader in the generation of knowledge worldwide.”
Faculty funding opportunities through International Programs include:
Center for Asian and Pacific Studies Research Awards
A faculty research award for those conducting research on East Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific region. Awards will not exceed $3,000 and are competitive.
Center for Asian and Pacific Studies Travel Awards
A faculty conference travel award for faculty members traveling to give presentations at both domestic and international conferences. Faculty members must be engaged in research on East Asia, Southeast Asia, or the Pacific region. Awards will not exceed $800 for traveling to conferences domestically (including Canada) and $1,200 for traveling to conferences internationally.
Global Curriculum Development Awards
A faculty award to create a new undergraduate course, or substantially revise an existing course, to integrate international or global perspectives into an undergraduate major. Up to three separate awards of $3,000 could be awarded each year.
“I proposed to develop FREN:1500 Trip to Belgium, France, and Switzerland, which introduces the history, cultures, and languages of the different regions of French-speaking European countries through an imaginary journey that students undergo with their instructor. At each 'stop,' we discuss not only the local culture and major attractions, but contemporary political or social issues relevant to the area. I requested funds through this award that would allow me to undertake a three-week trip to Belgium, France, and Switzerland in order to gather printed materials, take photos, and create video content that would be used in FREN:1500.” - Roxanna Curto, associate professor of French and Spanish, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, is in the process of revamping an introductory course, FREN:1500.
Global Research Partnership Awards
An award intended to help initiate new, or expand existing, international partnerships and/or to build an institutional relationship to facilitate future joint research projects. Up to two separate awards of up to $10,000 each could be awarded each year.
International Travel Awards
Supports international travel for research, creative activity, and active conference participation or other collaborative activity. International Travel Awards are up to $1,000 (although higher or lower amounts may be awarded in some instances).
“Take full advantage of the wonderful opportunities that International Programs has to offer. This kind of travel and research (especially for those of us on the Instructional Track) allows our teaching to continue to evolve and stay relevant.” - Elizabeth Oakes, professor of instruction, School of Music, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, traveled to Czechia and Germany in March 2025.
“For faculty members considering applying for this award in the future, I highly encourage you to do so, as the opportunity for hands-on research and in-person collaboration is invaluable. The ability to conduct fieldwork, refine techniques, and engage directly with colleagues fosters deeper insights and strengthens the foundation for future studies. Planning ahead and having a clear set of research goals will help maximize the impact of the experience. Most importantly, embrace the challenges that come with fieldwork and travel, as they often lead to the most rewarding discoveries.” - Daniel Eberl, professor of biology, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, traveled to the United Kingdom in January and February 2025.
Major Projects Award
Promotes important contributions to scholarly debates and exchanges on international topics, issues, discoveries, and arts. Funding is for a one-year period beginning July 1 of the year following the application deadline. A single project will be funded, up to $12,500. The award does not allow funding of faculty and graduate assistant salaries.
“With support from the International Programs Major Project Award, we are planning a multi-faceted project which includes an international academic conference, Metabolic Health in Motion, to take place over two days in Iowa City in September 2025. Internationally renowned experts will review the state of the art in Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD), including epidemiology, risk factors, etiology, disease progression and lifestyle changes among others. Additionally, educational videos for patients and workshops being developed this summer, and community events planned for the fall, including a fundraising race to take place at Centennial Park in North Liberty, Iowa, and healthy cooking and exercise workshops, will allow this project as a whole to increase awareness both within the medical community and the public on the importance, burden, management, and prevention of MASLD. Funding from International Programs provided the seed funds to launch this project." - Marta Tejedor Bravo, clinical associate professor of internal medicine-gastroenterology and hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Carver College of Medicine, received a Major Project Award to support travel by internationally renowned researchers and doctors to present during the Metabolic Health in Motion Conference in September 2025.
Provost's Global Forum Award
A premier annual campus event focused on international and global issues. The forum brings together faculty experts and leading voices from a variety of areas to raise awareness about, and contribute to, debate on the foremost issues in globalization that face us today. Up to $20,000 will be awarded to support programming in the academic year following the spring application deadline.
The 2024 Provost’s Global Forum, Private Sector and University Partnerships: Pursuing Pathways for Global Collaboration, Learning, Prosperity, and Democracy, was awarded to Cassie Barnhardt, professor of higher education and student affairs, UI College of Education; Ken Brown, department executive officer, UI College of Education and Tippie Children Professor of Management, UI Tippie College of Business; Dimy Doresca, executive director, Institute for International Business and clinical associate professor in management and entrepreneurship, UI Tippie College of Business; Erin Johnson, professor of instruction in management and entrepreneurship, UI Tippie College of Business; Christopher Kromphardt, career readiness and success consultant, USAID-funded Activity 'Private Sector Partnerships to Strengthen Higher Education'; and Zoie Schares, senior program manager in the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership Studies, UI College of Education.
Special Projects Awards
Funding for small-scale international activity on campus, including but not limited to visiting lecturers, speakers, film series, exhibitions, and other public activities that support international engagement on campus. Awards typically range from $500 - $1,000.
“The Iowa City Documentary Film Festival (ICDOCS) is an annual event run by students and faculty at the University of Iowa. The mission of the festival is to engage local audiences with the exhibition of recent short films that explore the boundaries of nonfiction filmmaking. This funding allowed me to program and support work here in the Midwest that wouldn't typically be shown here otherwise. My goal as an artist and as an academic is to open up spaces in academia, and the institution, that may be difficult for others to access, and this funding provided the festival with the resources we need to support this goal. My students were able to engage with filmmakers and art that they had never encountered before, and the community was able to engage as well. The festival was conceived as an international festival and this funding allows us to successfully fulfill that mission.” - Laura Gede, assistant professor of instruction, cinematic arts, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
Summer Research Fellowships
Awarded to promote the internationalization of research on campus, resulting in at least one publication, exhibit, or performance. Each $3,000 summer fellowship is expected to result in at least one publication, exhibit, or performance.
International Programs’ funding opportunities are supported in whole or in part through the generous contributions of the Stanley-UI Foundation Support Organization.
International Programs (IP) at the University of Iowa (UI) is committed to enriching the global experience of UI students, faculty, staff, and the general public by leading efforts to promote internationally oriented teaching, research, creative work, and community engagement. IP provides support for international students and scholars, administers scholarships and assistance for students who study, intern, or do research abroad, and provides funding opportunities and grant-writing assistance for faculty engaged in international research. IP shares their stories through various media, and by hosting multiple public engagement activities each year.