Faculty Global Engagement Travel Grant

 

Program Overview

Build a meaningful international collaboration with support from the LSU Office of Global Engagement. The Faculty Global Engagement Travel Grant supports international travel by LSU faculty that builds lasting global engagement for the university - new research collaborations, strategic institutional partnerships, and the groundwork for future external funding.

 

Purpose of the Grant

International work often begins with an in-person conversation, site visit, or focused time with colleagues abroad. This grant helps faculty take that next step and build work that can continue after the trip.

Award Amount

Up to $1,500

 

Eligibility

  • Full-time LSU faculty
  • Travel must have clear international engagement purpose consistent with the outcomes described below
  • Travel must comply with LSU international travel policy, including registration and any required restricted-region review

 

Types of Travel Supported

The Faculty Global Travel Grant supports international travel designed to advance research, creative activity, external funding opportunities, or sustained institutional collaboration. Eligible activities may include:

  • Visiting prospective or existing international partner institutions to develop a substantive faculty collaboration or shared initiative.
  • Meeting with international research collaborators to advance a joint project, publication, coauthored work, or external funding proposal.
  • Conducting research-related site visits or advancing scholarly and creative collaborations, including performances, exhibitions, and archival projects.
  • Meeting a prospective host or collaborator while developing a Fulbright Scholar or other international fellowship proposal.
  • Participating in a conference when building an international collaboration is a primary purpose of the travel, rather than presenting or attending alone.
  • Advancing work connected to an existing or proposed LSU international agreement.

Grant funds may support eligible international airfare, lodging, local transportation, and other travel costs. The grant does not support routine conference attendance without a defined collaboration component, domestic or personal travel, student travel, salary, equipment, or travel whose primary purpose is developing a faculty-led study-abroad program.

Looking to develop a Study Abroad program? Faculty seeking funding primarily to develop a faculty-led education abroad program should apply through the Geaux Global Faculty Academy or other Study Abroad resources instead. This grant is not intended for Study Abroad program development. 

 

Expected Outcomes

Applicants should identify a concrete next step expected to result from the travel. Examples include:

  • A new or strengthened international research, scholarly, or creative collaboration.
  • An external grant or fellowship proposal, joint publication, research project, or creative work.
  • A new or expanded institutional partnership, visiting-scholar activity, faculty mobility opportunity, or other sustained academic collaboration.

 

How to Apply

Applications for the Faculty Global Engagement Travel Grant 2026-2027 cycle are not yet open. The application link will be posted here when the cycle opens.

The application asks for basic faculty and travel information, a short description of the proposed collaboration and expected outcomes, a brief budget, and brief confirmation from the international collaborator or host.

The Office of Global Engagement reviews proposals for project significance and expected outcomes, mutual benefit, alignment with LSU global engagement, feasibility/readiness, and an appropriate budget.

 

Award Notification and Use Period

Recipients are notified as soon as selection is complete so that travel planning can proceed. The award and use period is intended to accommodate spring travel, including spring break where feasible. Recipients may be recognized at the Global Engagement Awards Ceremony; where the ceremony falls after a recipient needs to travel, notification and authorized use of funds are not delayed for public recognition.

 

Reporting and Follow-Up

Recipients submit a short report after travel describing what resulted — collaborations initiated, agreements advanced, proposals planned, or scholarship produced. These reports inform future Office of Global Engagement programming.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. A departmental match is not required. Other appropriate funding may be combined with the grant, but the same expense cannot be reimbursed twice.

Yes. The grant may support either a new relationship or a meaningful next step in an existing collaboration.

Not necessarily. A formal institutional agreement is likely not required. A brief email, invitation, or other confirmation from the international collaborator is sufficient for the application.

Routine conference attendance alone is not eligible. A conference-related trip may qualify when separately planned collaborator meetings or research/partnership development activities are the primary reason for the grant request.

Yes. Travel to meet a prospective host or develop a substantive collaboration may be eligible when the trip has a defined scholarly or partnership outcome.

No. Faculty-led program development is supported separately through the Geaux Global Faculty Academy.

Contact

Questions about Office of Global Engagement initiatives, grants, and awards may be directed to Dr. Kathryn Burden, Director of Global Initiatives, or to the Office of Global Engagement.