The College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences funds a small grants program through the International Initiatives Committee (IIC) to promote creative ideas and projects focused on enhancing international learning, scholarship, and engagement. The grants provide a modest level of support for free, public activities; applicants are expected to secure other sources of support in order to fund proposals in full. The home unit of the proposal should provide financial support. In the past, IISGs were awarded for lectures, an exhibit, and a poetry reading; proposals for other types of initiatives are also welcome.

Eligibility
Grants are available to departments and other administrative units, student groups, and individual faculty and staff members within the college. Proposals may involve multiple applicants. A unit/group/individual may submit more than one proposal in any funding cycle; however, it is the IIC’s intention to support a variety of activities. The same proposal may not be submitted for support from IISG and the Film Screening Fund; requests for support for film-related activities should be submitted to the Film Screening Fund.

Funding Rounds and Deadlines
The Spring Round supports activities taking place February through May; the next deadline is February 3, 2021. The Fall 1 Round provides funding for activities planned for August through October; the next deadline is May 3, 2021. The Fall 2 Round is for activities from October through December, but proposals for spring activities are encouraged as well. Summer activities are not supported.

Awards
The anticipated minimum and maximum grant awards are $200 and $750 respectively; special requests for up to $1,000 will be considered. Funds will be transferred to the department’s budget account.

Application Procedure and Review Process

An electronic copy of the signed application must be submitted to Farida Jalalzai (fjalalzai@vt.edu), associate dean of global initiatives and engagement. A subcommittee of the IIC reviews applications and makes the final selections; applicants will be notified within two weeks of the proposal deadline.

Application
Completed applications must be typed and will include a cover sheet and an activity description. The total length of the two combined should not exceed two pages.

Reporting Requirement
Funding recipients must provide the IIC with any advertisement of the activity. A final report, including the impact of the activity and the approximate attendance, must be submitted to the IIC no later than 30 days following the event; the report should not exceed one page.

Download the application here.

Submitted by Farida Jalalzai, Associate Dean of Global Initiatives and Engagement