International Education Faculty Development Fund

Purpose

Faculty are invited to apply for funding to support projects that improve international education at Western Michigan University. Funding is available through Article 40.4 of the WMU-AAUP contract. The Haenicke Institute administers the International Education Faculty Development Fund (IEFDF).

The fund supports the following internationalization goals:

• Support for international collaboration in research and creative activities, including archival or field work
• Support for presentation at international conferences, seminars, or workshops
• Support for attendance at international conferences, seminars, or workshops
• Support for scholarly international travel to enrich international knowledge that directly contributes to the internationalization of WMU curricula

Eligibility

Individuals eligible for awards are those holding board-appointed faculty rank who are members of the bargaining unit at the time IEFDF proposals are due; who were not funded by IEFDF during the preceding academic year; and who submitted a satisfactory final report for their most recent IEFDF award.
Applicants will indicate any other sources of co-funding.
IEFDF will not be awarded as matching funds for grant applications; for grant applications, contact the Office of Research and Innovation.

Deadlines

• Fall deadline: November 1, 5:00 p.m.
• Spring deadline: April 1, 5:00 p.m.

Applications are accepted for travel and projects within the next 12 months. The IEFDF committee meets in November and April. Retroactive applications are not guaranteed.

Application Requirements

Applications must include:

• Applicant information (department, chair, contact information)
• Travel details (dates and destination)
• Proposal summary (approximately 150 words)
• Budget (maximum award $1,200; may not exceed 50% of the total project budget; separate room and board in the calculations)
• Narrative proposal (maximum one page) describing purpose, activities, significance, contributions, timeline, and global engagement impact
• Supporting documents (e.g., conference acceptance or invitation letters, schedules, or equivalent evidence)

Click the IEFDF proposal form and apply.

Review and Award Process

Applications are reviewed by a committee of three board-appointed faculty (bargaining unit members). Funding is competitive and not guaranteed; awards depend on available funds. Applicants are notified approximately two weeks after the deadline. All awards are distributed as reimbursement through the applicant’s home department, following WMU travel authorization procedures.

Final Report and Reimbursement

Recipients must submit the IEFDF final report and the WMU travel expense voucher with required documentation. Reports and reimbursement requests must be submitted within 30 days of travel and no later than September 30 of the following academic year. Awards not processed by September 30 are forfeited.

Contact Information

For questions about IEFDF applications, contact Dr. Michelle Metro-Roland, Associate Director, External Scholarships and Faculty Development at @email.
For questions about IEFDF award disbursements, contact Annette Cummins, Business Manager at annette.cummins@wmich.edu