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VSU Internationalization fund
Faculty Internationalization Fund (FIF) is a specifically designed VSU instrument to promote exposure to international education and research for individual faculty members. Funding is provided on a competitive base for international activities aligned with academic units' and university's strategic plans in the international dimension. Coordinated through the Center for International Programs (CIP) and overseen by a faculty committee, FIF supports faculty travel abroad for academic exchanges, program development, professional enrichment activities, and other international activities.
Eligibility
Full-time faculty who hold a tenure-track appointment in an academic department at VSU are eligible to apply for support through the Fund. Proposals from non-tenure-track faculty members will be considered if the proposed activity benefits the institution and enhances the individual's professional capacities as a teacher, scholar, or performer.
The Fund will support, based on project's merit and FIF Committee approval, up to one award per academic (fiscal) year per faculty member, subject to availability of funds. The Committee will require additional information and/or justification in cases when more than one application per department is submitted.
Application Procedure
A faculty member must submit a proposal by completing the Application Form for Faculty International Activity Proposals, available on the CIP web site or in the office of the CIP. The completed application form should be submitted to the Center for International Programs (CIP) along with supporting documentation. Faculty members are encouraged to discuss their proposals and the application process with Dr. Ivan Nikolov, Director, or David Starling, Associate Director of CIP, before submitting proposals.
Deadline
Proposals for Spring and Summer semesters are to be submitted by November 1st; for Fall by April 15th. Such deadlines are required for two reasons: a) nature of academic institutions' funding process (fiscal year begins July 1st and ends June 30th next year); and b) necessary time for program adjustment and evaluation, committee approval, and logistical arrangements.
Additional projects will be reviewed subject to funding availability.
Priorities and Criteria for Awards
Proposals are reviewed based on their institutional and unit internationalization impact potential. Funded activities ranked by priority include:
- Participation in academic exchange programs with VSU partner institutions that help to strengthen programmatically collaborative teaching and research cooperation; Special attention given to projects endorsed by academic units as part of their strategic plan(s) in the international dimension;
- Short-term visits and projects with a significant institutional impact and/or potential for development of joint collaborative externally funded projects and grants;
- Participation in international conferences (presenting a paper, chairing conference sessions, organizing conference activities); Up to ten awards with a maximum level of funding $500 will be awarded per academic year in this category, designated primarily for junior tenure-track faculty members;
- Additional (matching fully or in part) support for external awards that fund part of an international activity.
Each proposal must provide measurable evidence of the expected benefits of the sponsored activity (s) for the VSU students: integration of new material or perspectives into existing courses, creation of new courses, encouragement of students to participate in international opportunities via curricular and extra-curricular opportunities, students' involvement in research projects related to an international activity that the faculty member is proposing. Department and College endorsement of the proposal is of critical import for FIF committee decision.
Support for international student recruitment and academic exchange activities is expected from all VSU faculty members.
Reports
Faculty members who receive awards through the FIF need to provide a written report of their funded activity to the Center for International Programs within 30 days after their return to the University.
They are also expected to provide a report at the end of the following semester or academic year to inform about project-related special activities, such as attended conferences, organized workshops, seminars, lectures etc. that they personally have provided for the VSU and Valdosta community as a result of the international project completion.
For more information, contact Dr. Ivan Nikolov or David Starling, telephone 333-7410.