Global signature grant

The CEHD Global Signature Grant supports program initiatives or projects that demonstrate the college’s commitment to global engagement, meaningful relationships, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). Individual or group projects are considered, with priority given to projects that are interdisciplinary. CEHD Global Signature Grant projects are exemplars of institutionalized internationalization and global commitments in CEHD. They demonstrate our college’s strength through globally-focused, mission-driven activities.

CEHD International Initiatives is focused on deepening relationships locally and globally. This means listening and responding to the needs of our global partners. We are committed to fostering meaningful relationships that intentionally work to faster international engagement, sustainability, and reciprocity. We invite faculty to submit proposals that align with our approach to international engagement.

The purpose of this grant program is to support and grow global engagement in CEHD. Projects that demonstrate and advance a commitment to reciprocity, collaborative knowledge making, and reimaging researcher-participant relations are of particular interest.

Examples of activities from past Global Signature Grants

Research abroad opportunities and collaboration
International engagement activities (e.g., delivery of workshops, training, or seminars) in collaboration with global par ners, particularly in low resourced countries (as classified by the World Bank)
Glocal programs (those that are locally based with global components)
Developing academic curricula with global content
Visiting scholar activities or programs
Hosting international scholars for special activities or events on campus

Grant resources

Overview

Grant Period

June 2025 through August 2026.

Grants
Up to $10,000 support for travel, research or project related expenses, or other relevant needs.

Note:

Funding cannot be used to support graduate assistant time; but can be used to support graduate student participation in activities.
Funding for external consultants are eligible on a very limited basis, with global partner consultants receiving priority for funding.
Funding can not be used for salaries or services provided by a CEHD unit, center, or faculty. The GSG encourages interdisciplinary collaboration within and outside the college, with funding focused on project activities and global partner needs.

Recipients
Up to 4 grants

Application materials

2000-word proposal
- Overview of the project
- Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
- Contribution of project to broader global efforts in CEHD
- How project works to foster international engagement
- How project includes or considers community-based practices of participants
- Sustainability plan
Implementation timeline with aims to launch in the year awarded
Budget plan
CVs from key implementers
Letter of support from Department Chair or Center Director. For group applications one department chair letter is sufficient, with evidence of other department chair approval. 2-page

Application due date and form

Application due date
- Monday, March 3, 2025
Application
- Application form
- Form for a letter of support from Department Chair or Center Director

Review process

CEHD Global Signature Grants are reviewed by a selected committee of 5-7 individuals, including past award recipients. Announcements of awards will be made by early April 2025.

Contact

CEHD International Initiatives: cehdintl@umn.edu

Recipients of the 2025-2026 Global Signature Grant

Bruna Damiana Heinsfeld, Assistant Professor

Department: Curriculum and Instruction

Project: Decolonizing academic writing: A workshop for educators in the Complexo de Favelas da Maré

Project description: The project proposes an intensive academic writing workshop for educators and students at UniFavela, a grassroots educational initiative serving marginalized communities in the Complexo de Favelas da Maré, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The goal is to challenge traditional academic structures, empowering participants to navigate, critique, and redefine the norms of academic writing on their own terms.

Sehoon Kim, Associate Professor

Department: Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

Project: Development and Integration of Nepali Migrant Workers Returning from South Korea

Project description: Given the challenges faced by Nepali returnees and the lack of administrative focus on their repatriation, this grant project aims to three objectives: (1) identify the resources and support available to Nepali migrants for their resettlement and employment in Nepal; (2) investigate the issues they face during the repatriation process; and (3) assess their needs for successful reintegration into society.

Yuanyuan Hu, Assistant Professor

Department: Social Work

Project: Enhancing Teacher Capacity for Delivering Social and Emotional Learning to Rural Chinese Children: A Mixed-Method Study

Project description: This proposal outlines a sequential mixed-methods study investigating how rural Chinese teachers’ personal skills, emotional well-being, and attitudes influence their effective delivery of Social and Emotional Learning (SEL). Through quantitative surveys and focus groups, the project will address critical areas of improvement and generate practical solutions for strengthening teacher capacity. Along with mixed-method evidence, the project’s global collaboration ensures that local voices guide the design of culturally relevant professional development.

Joan DeJaeghere, Professor

Department: Organizational Leadership, Policy, and Development

Project: Wellbeing and Equity through Education (WEE) Collaborative Partnership

Project description: This proposal is to support activities of an interdisciplinary and inter-institutional partnership that brings together scholars conducting research related to SDG 4 and 5 – quality education and gender equality. A key aim of this collaborative research group is to mobilize research capacity in different contexts and create new knowledge among African, Indian, and U.S. scholars and practitioners. By examining the intersections of racial, class, caste, ability, sexuality and gender inequities and their effects on wellbeing outcomes within and through education, we will generate locally specific knowledge that changes educational practices and that also contributes to global policy agendas, particularly to UNESCO’s agendas.