Course Enhancement Grants

Call for Proposals

Course Enhancement Grants support innovative approaches to global teaching, learning and research, both at Duke and abroad. Grants will be awarded to faculty projects that provide Duke students with meaningful global experiences and create new opportunities for global learning and engagement.
Projects may include (1) adding global content to existing courses; (2) creating new courses that incorporate global learning experiences, whether they be online or locally engaged with international communities; (3) encouraging language study, study abroad and involvement with Duke’s area studies centers; (4) promoting critical reflection on global topics.

All project proposals should aim to (1) engage students from diverse backgrounds to critically analyze and address complex global issues; (2) improve students’ knowledge of the relationships between local and global issues, structures and events; (3) enhance students’ ability to draw on multiple perspectives when analyzing complex global issues.

Application Deadline: April 1st, 2024

Examples:

  • Developing new globally-oriented courses, which may promote collaborations across departments, schools and/or locations around the globe
  • Incorporating short-term global experiences into existing courses
  • Adding a foreign language component to an existing course (e.g. teaching a section of a course in a relevant foreign language)
  • Establishing strategic partnerships that enhance the internationalization of the curriculum and result in globally-taught courses
  • Establishing global internship programs linked to course content
  • Launching new cultural/regional immersion courses
  • Engaging undergraduate students in short or long-term international research projects

Priority will be given to proposals which:

  • Use innovative teaching methods such as
    • Experiential learning
    • Service learning
    • Hybrid online/on-campus approaches
    • Collaboration with international partner institutions
  • Address pressing global issues, such as climate change and sustainability, citizenship and migration, and global health
  • Engage with countries or regions in the Global South (through topics, projects, or partners)
  • Have interdisciplinary components
  • Forge connections with in-country collaborators

Who is eligible to apply?

Permanent Duke faculty (individually or in groups) are eligible to apply. Proposals must have the endorsement of the faculty member’s department chair and approval from the Dean’s office.

How much funding is available?

Award amounts range from $3,000 to $7,500. If additional funds are needed to implement certain aspects of the curriculum, applicants may apply for additional funding.

What is required to apply?

  • Applications require:
    • A cover page
    • A letter of support from the dean(s) of the applying school, institute or initiative director, or chair(s) of the relevant department(s)
    • Letters from any collaborating faculty members describing their commitments
    • A proposal narrative that includes the following (5 pages max):
      • Learning outcomes for the project – an explanation of how the project will complement learning outcomes specific to its associated major, discipline or program. This should include how the project will promote meaningful international experiences for participating students.
      • Student impact – an estimation of how many students will be involved in the project, and the nature and extent of student involvement expected.
      • Brief description of the instructor’s previous experience (if applicable) in developing and/or teaching international material.
      • Sustainability plan – indicate how you expect the project will be integrated into the Duke curriculum and how it will be sustained after the grant term ends.
      • Proposed assessments – explain how you will assess or measure the impact of the project, including what participants have learned vis-à-vis the above learning outcomes.
    • Detailed budget
    • Description of any additional funds received for this project

Applications should be submitted here using the embedded form below no later than April 1st, 2024.

How will proposals be reviewed?

Proposals will be reviewed by a committee representing a range of disciplines and schools which will make funding recommendations to OGA. The following criteria will be used in evaluating each proposal:

  • Degree to which the proposed project uses innovative teaching methods
  • Strength and specificity of expected learning outcomes for the project
  • Likelihood that the project will be sustained after the grant term ends
  • Appropriateness of budget for the proposed project

What is required of grantees?

Faculty receiving awards will be expected to provide full reporting of funds spent. Unspent funds must be returned.

Additionally, recipients consent to provide progress updates and have news of their work shared via external communications, such as the Duke Global website, or other press releases and publications, and to present their work at appropriate forums on campus.

Awardees should compose a final impact report to be submitted no later than 30 days after the end of the award period.