Competition announced for faculty travel fellowships

The Office of the Provost and the Division of International Programs announce a supplemental competition for funding for international travel by NIU faculty through the Lillian Cobb Grant Program.

The goal is to support NIU faculty who wish to travel internationally before September 2003 to accomplish objectives related to teaching, research or public service. In this supplemental competition, faculty can seek support to present papers at conferences located outside the United States.

About $14,000 in funding is available. The International Programs Advisory Committee will consider proposals requesting as much as $4,000. No match is required from other NIU funds.

Proposals must be submitted to International Programs, 406 Williston Hall, by Jan. 30. Candidates will be notified of the outcome by Feb. 28. All tenured and tenure-track faculty at NIU are eligible; preference will be given to those faculty who do not hold administrative appointments.

Proposals should include:

• A completed application form, which includes signatures from the department chair and the college dean.
• A narrative project summary (not to exceed five pages) that describes the proposed project and its intended outcomes, including ways in which the experience abroad will influence the faculty member's teaching and scholarship.
• A budget for the proposed project, including the total expenditures for the activity, the amount being requested from the grant program and any other sources of NIU funding that will be available. Cost effectiveness will be considered in the evaluation process.
• The proposed project timelines. Please note that travel will need to be completed before the beginning of fall semester, 2003.
• Qualifications of the applicant in relation to the proposed activity, including a two-page curriculum vita with a summary of any previous international experiences.

The International Programs Advisory Committee and the executive director of International Programs will determine which proposals will be funded in this supplementary competition and the amount of funding to be awarded.

Funding recipients are expected to complete the proposed project within the planned timeline, spend grant funds within allocated limits and according to agreed-upon categories and purposes, and evaluate the impact of the project. They also are expected to incorporate elements of, or information from, the funded international project into courses taught the following academic year. Finally, recipients must submit a report to International Programs and the Office of the Provost on expenditures and project outcomes within two months of the end of the project. International Programs will share this report with the NIU Foundation.

For more information, contact Deb Pierce, International Programs, at 753-1989 or dpierce@niu.edu.