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.

Grant resources

Overview

Grant Period

June 2026 through August 2027.

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 advance 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 the department chair or center director (maximum 2 pages). For group applications, one letter from a department chair is sufficient, provided it includes evidence of approval from the other participating department chairs.
Submit all documents together in one PDF document, including the letter of support

Application due date and form

Application due date
- Monday, March 2, 2026
Application
- Application form

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 2026.

Contact

CEHD International Initiatives: cehdintl@umn.edu

Recipients of the 2026-2027 Global Signature Grant

Emily Unholz-Bowden, Research Associate

Department: Institute on Community Integration

Project: Global Pathways to Inclusion: A U.S.–Brazil Partnership to Advance Pathways to Adulthood for Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Project description: : The project establishes a U.S.–Brazil partnership to co‑develop a blueprint transition‑to‑adulthood model for youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities, grounded in comparative learning between Minnesota and São Paulo. Through online forums, in‑person workshops, and collaborative model design, partners will exchange expertise on transition services, employment pathways, and inclusive postsecondary opportunities. The goal is to build a replicable, evidence‑informed framework that strengthens Brazil’s capacity to support youth with IDD in achieving meaningful adult lives.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.

Jodi Dworkin, Professor

Department: Family Social Science

Project: Engaging youth as researchers to support their health and well-being: A Tanzanian partnership

Project description: The project establishes a partnership with the University of Dar es Salaam to deliver an intensive three‑day Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) training that equips Tanzanian faculty and students to engage young people as co‑researchers in addressing local health and well‑being priorities. Grounded in a culturally adapted YPAR curriculum, the initiative aims to build long‑term research capacity and co‑develop a locally relevant YPAR project, strengthening youth voice in decision‑making spaces.

Isabel Besser Verastegui, Teaching Specialist and Betsy Maloney Leaf, Assistant Professor

Department: Curriculum and Instruction

Project: Developing Aesthetic Literacy: A Collaborative Professional Development Workshop for Teachers in Chile

Project description: The project proposes a collaboratively designed professional development workshop that strengthens Chilean teachers’ aesthetic literacy through multimodal, equity‑centered arts practices. Grounded in Chile’s national arts curriculum and adapted response protocols, the workshop supports educators in developing culturally relevant, dialogic approaches to interpreting and responding to artworks. Its goal is to co‑create classroom frameworks that deepen critical thinking and reflective engagement while honoring local artistic and educational contexts.