CIBER-Funded Faculty & Ph.D. Grants

Program Description

CIBER awards funds to faculty and Ph.D. students through two separate programs:

Global Research and Curriculum Development
Applied Funds

Funding requests for the Global Research/Curriculum Development Program are accepted and reviewed twice a year: April 1 and October 1.

Funding requests for the Applied Funds Program are accepted and reviewed quarterly (March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1).

If any of these dates fall on the weekend, proposals are due the next business day.

For those wishing to apply for CIBER funds to travel outside the United States: please note that due to federal guidelines, CIBER can only provide support for travel that will occur at least 30 days after the grant deadline. Please keep this in mind when submitting your application. See the Federal Compliance section below for more information.

These grant programs are governed by the mandate under which CIBER receives its funding. Therefore, proposals must be connected to the CIBER mission in order to be considered. Requests for funding in either program must relate to one or more of CIBER’s programmatic goals:

Internationalizing the curriculum by increasing the number of interdisciplinary courses, adding international content to existing courses, and expanding study abroad and other international exchange opportunities for students. CIBER is especially interested in funding proposals that will enhance the global content of the full-time MBA curriculum.

Creating faculty development and enrichment programs for business, foreign language, and international studies faculty from colleges and universities around the nation, such as low-cost international study tours and faculty development conferences and workshops.
Collaborating with foreign language departments to develop business language courses for students and to provide intensive language training programs for business people. CIBER is particularly interested in critical languages as defined by the federal government (such as Arabic, Chinese, Farsi, Hindi, and Russian).
Funding research projects, events and publications on issues of strategic national interest. In addition to international competitiveness issues, CIBER is interested in proposals that address how business is responding to the challenges created by global terrorism. CIBER also favors proposals related to the hi-tech and biotech industries, which have been defined as key sectors for Wisconsin’s export strategy.
Creating and sponsoring business outreach and training programs to enhance the ability of U.S. business to compete internationally.

Cost-Sharing Options
To make the best use of the available funds, applicants are encouraged to obtain additional funding and explore cost-sharing avenues. Information about the granting procedures of various federal and non-federal agencies is available from the UW-Madison Office of Research & Sponsored Programs. Applicants from the University of Wisconsin are strongly encouraged to apply to the Graduate School, which awards research and travel funds, including funds for project/research assistant support.

Application Forms and Detailed Information:

Please print a copy of your completed application before you submit it or save all required information in a Word document in the event we need to contact you for a copy of your application.

Global Research/Curriculum Development Program

Applied Funds Program

Frequently Asked Questions

To view abstracts of previously funded grant proposals, please click on one of the following links:

Funded Research

Funded Curriculum Development

Global Research/Curriculum Development Program

Award criteria

In addition to the general award criteria listed in the Program Description, preference will be given to proposals that will enhance the global content of the full-time MBA curriculum, biotechnology-related initiatives, and projects related to global security issues.
In addition, the following criteria will be used to evaluate proposals:

Quality of proposal and its relevance to the goals of CIBER
Creativity and innovation
Potential impact on students, faculty, the business community or other audiences
Quality of the proposed deliverable commitment to UW-Madison CIBER (for example, a working paper or presentation at a CIBER research colloquium)
Applicant’s ability to complete the project successfully
Potential for publication in a refereed journal (for Research awards)

Eligibility

All University of Wisconsin faculty, academic staff, and Ph.D. students are eligible to apply.
All Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa Community and Technical College instructors and administrators are eligible to apply.

Award Ranges

Up to $7,500 maximum

CIBER does not fund project/research assistant support. UW-Madison faculty may apply to the Graduate School Grant Competition for this type of funding.

Letter(s) of Support

All applicants for the Global Research/Curriculum Development Program (except UW-Madison Business faculty) must include a letter of support from the Chair (or equivalent) of the department from which the applicant is applying. If proposals are collaborative in nature and involve more than one department within an institution, a letter of support is required from the Chair of each department.

Please have your letter(s) of support sent via e-mail (preferred) to UW-Madison CIBER, via fax to Julie Lane at (608) 263-0477, or via U.S. mail to:

         UW-Madison CIBER
         2266 Grainger Hall
         975 University Avenue
         Madison, WI 53706

Application Deadlines

Award decisions for the Global Research/Curriculum Development are made twice a year, in the Fall and Spring. Grant proposals for Fall funding are due on October 1 and grant proposals for Spring funding are due on April 1. If these dates fall on the weekend, proposals are due the next business day.

Notification

Applicants for Global Research/Curriculum Development Program will be notified of their award status by e-mail approximately three weeks after the application deadline. If funding is approved, you will receive an award letter with information on disbursement or reimbursement of funds. Please note that reimbursement can be made only for actual expenses related to the approved conference or activity, and which are allowable under the state guidelines for reimbursement.

Reporting

All awardees of Global Research/Curriculum Development Program grants are required to provide CIBER with a one-page summary of the status and/or outcomes of their project within one year of the date of grant notification. Awardees may be invited to present a working paper based on their project at a CIBER Research Roundtable or other event. Awardees who receive funds to support travel are required to submit a trip report with their Travel Expense Report (TER).

Federal Compliance

For any overseas projects (e.g. student, faculty and/or staff study tours) the principal applicant is responsible for ensuring that University guidelines and procedures are followed. Sources of information about issues of liability, funding, etc. for overseas trips and study tours will be provided to successful applicants in the award letter.

In compliance with federal regulations, all CIBER-funded air travel between the United States and a foreign country must be on a U.S. airline. A foreign airline can be used only if the flight has a code-share arrangement with a U.S. airline. For more information, please see the Fly America Act or contact Suzanne Dove at sdove@bus.wisc.edu or 608-265-4938.

Also, federal regulations require CIBER to submit a Travel Approval Request (TAR) to the U.S. Department of Education for each grantee planning to use CIBER funds for international travel. We must submit the TAR at least 30 days prior to the departure date of the person traveling. The TAR must include the proposed airline itinerary and purpose of travel. This regulation requires CIBER grant applicants intending to travel internationally to plan ahead when applying for funds.

Trip Cancellation

CIBER is able to reimburse travel expenses for a cancelled trip only when the U.S. State Department issues an advisory against travel to a specific country or region. In such a case, the grantee should contact CIBER to discuss the cancellation. The grantee will be responsible for canceling conference registrations, lodging and rental car bookings, etc. to minimize the cost of the cancellation. Please consult the Foreign Travel Advisories before planning your trip. CIBER cannot reimburse grantees when travel is cancelled for personal reasons.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

Recipients have up to one year from notification of receiving a research award to spend the money. Exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis.
CIBER funding can be applied to hourly student employment.
Grants cannot be used to purchase equipment (i.e., computers).
Faculty cannot take the grant money as salary.
A committee will be appointed to review all proposals and all committee decisions are final.

INSTRUCTIONS:

PDF Application

Please print a copy of your completed application before you submit it or save all required information in a Word document in the event we need to contact you for a copy of your application.

Click here to access the application for the CIBER Global Research/Curriculum Development Program.

You must have the most recent version of the free Acrobat Reader to access the document. For most users, the application will automatically open in a browser window. Depending on your browser, operating system and settings the application may also open in a new window. Mac users may need to first download the file and should open the file with Acrobat Reader not Preview.

You will not be able to save and come back later to work on the document in Acrobat Reader; you may only enter the information and submit it. You must complete the application in one session. Therefore, we strongly suggest you assemble all the materials you will require beforehand in a separate document. Note: Adobe Acrobat does allow you to save files.

All applicable fields on the first page of the application must be completed. Please click in each field and you will be able to either make a selection or type text in directly. You may also tab between fields. Because the project narrative and CV sections require pages of text, we suggest that you first draft these sections in a text editor such as notepad or Word and then paste it into the application rather than typing them in directly.

Once you have completed the application, click on the Submit button at the top of the application addressed to the user. You should get an immediate confirmation. For your records, a confirmation will also be sent via e-mail to the address you entered in the applicant e-mail address field.
Although Adobe Reader does not allow you to save the PDF, your computer may store the most recent copy of your application in its cache. If this happens and you wish to begin another application, press the Reset button at the top of the application.

Project Narrative

The application template is designed to create uniformity in proposal length, which allows the committee to give equal time to each application. You have a total of two pages within the project narrative section to address all of the sections below. Use Ctrl-C to copy text from a text editor such as Microsoft Word and then use Ctrl-V to paste the text you copied into the field. Text that you paste will automatically be formatted to Verdana 10 point single-space font. You may tailor the length of each section of the project narrative to suit your proposal. Since we allow you to choose the length of each section, you must manually type in each section name within the text of the project narrative. We have provided some information below to guide you in completing each section of the project narrative.

Proposal Abstract

The abstract should include an abbreviated description of the project and project timeline.

Goals and Objectives

Be clear and realistic in describing your short-range and long-range goals and objectives.

Statement of Need/Problem

Briefly describe the educational need/problem addressed by your project in relation to the programmatic goals of CIBER and the related needs of your institution.

Project Description

Explain clearly and concisely the purpose of the project and how it will address the need identified above. Indicate how the proposed project may relate to and enhance existing efforts, in what ways it is innovative, and why funding is necessary to complete the initiative. If collaborative, please describe the nature of and reasons for the collaborative activity. Discuss the potential impact of the project on students, faculty, the curriculum, the business community and/or other audiences.

Budget

Please provide a detailed budget of the project.

Outcomes and Timetable

Include a work plan that highlights measurable outcomes according to a realistic timetable.

Assessment/Evaluation Procedures

Include a plan for assessing your activities as well as evaluating the overall success of the project.

Dissemination Plans

Describe how you plan to communicate the outcomes of your project if appropriate, and to whom.

Curriculum Vitae

Each applicant and co-applicant must include a one-page CV, which should be pasted into the space provided in the template. The text of each CV will automatically be formatted to Verdana 10-point single-space font.

CIBER Applied Funds Program

It is not the Committee's intent to cover the cost of all expenses, but rather to assist by defraying part of the cost of travel and conference participation. Due to federal guidelines, CIBER is unable to fund travel for the sole purpose of attending a conference. In order to be eligible for CIBER funding, an applicant must be presenting at the conference and must also engage in additional research and/or CIBER-related activities.

Eligibility

All University of Wisconsin faculty, academic staff, and Ph.D. students are eligible to apply.

All Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa Community and Technical College instructors and administrators are eligible to apply.

Approximate Award Ranges

CIBER typically covers airfare and in some cases registration costs for travel and conference support. Requests for the Applied Funds category should not exceed $2,000.

Application Deadline

Requests for travel and general support are accepted and reviewed quarterly (March 1, June 1, September 1, and December 1). The deadline for submission is 4:00 p.m. If these dates fall on the weekend, proposals are due the next business day. For applicants who intend to travel internationally, please refer to the requirements for international travel approval under Federal Compliance.

Notification

Applicants for the CIBER Applied Funds program will be notified of their award status by e-mail. Applicants for Applied Funds will be notified of their award status by e-mail approximately three weeks after the application deadline. If funding is approved, you will receive an award letter with information on disbursement or reimbursement of funds. Reimbursement can be made only for expenses related to the approved conference or activity, and which are allowable under the state guidelines for reimbursement.

Reporting

All awardees of Applied Funds Program grants are required to provide CIBER with a one-page trip report together with their Travel Expense Report. Reimbursement of travel expenses will be tied to delivery of this report. Applied Fund awardees are also encouraged to present a working paper based on their presented paper at a CIBER Research Roundtable or other event.

Federal Compliance

In compliance with federal regulations, all CIBER-funded air travel between the United States and a foreign country must be on a U.S. airline. A foreign airline can be used only if the flight has a code-share arrangement with a U.S. airline. For more information, please see the Fly America Act or contact Suzanne Dove at sdove@bus.wisc.edu or 608-265-4938.

Trip Cancellation

INSTRUCTIONS:

PDF Application

In an effort to design a grants process that is more user friendly, we have created a simple one-page application for the CIBER Applied Funds program.

Please print a copy of your completed application before you submit it or save all required information in a Word document in the event we need to contact you for a copy of your application.

Click here to access the application for the CIBER Applied Funds program.

Although Adobe Reader does not allow you to save the PDF, your computer may store the most recent copy of your application in its cache. If this happens and you wish to begin another application, press the Reset button at the top of the application.

Applicant Information

All fields in the top half of the document must be completed. Please click in each field and you will be able to either make a selection or type text in directly. You may also tab between fields.

Applied Funds Request Narrative

You may type text directly or paste text from another application into the field for the Request Narrative. Use Ctrl-C to copy text from a text editor such as Microsoft Word and then use Ctrl-V to paste the text you copied into the field. Please note that the text will automatically be formatted to Verdana 10-point single-space font. Please be concise as you are limited to less than one page to address the following as they pertain to your request:

For travel support:

For a conference or trip, describe the nature of the conference or trip, including name and location of the travel destination and conference (if applicable) and proposed travel dates.
How the conference or trip relates to CIBER’s goals.
The potential impact of the trip or conference on students, faculty, the curriculum, the business community and/or other audiences.
If you are applying for support to present at a conference overseas, please describe additional activities related to CIBER’s goals that you will undertake while abroad.
Summary budget.

For other support (such as for data or to bring a visitor to campus)

Information about your request.
How your request will impact the mission of CIBER and its programmatic goals.
If you seek funds for data or software, please disclose the useful life of the data or software package and your preferred medium to acquire the information (e.g., Internet, CD-Rom, hard copies).
Summary budget.

If you are applying for support to attend a conference (to defray the cost of travel, lodging, and/or registration) please include the following items with your application:

A copy of the conference program or conference announcement.
A copy of the letter of invitation or acceptance of your paper.
An abstract of the paper that you will present at the conference.

You may submit these items via e-mail (preferred) to UW-Madison CIBER, via fax to Julie Lane at (608) 263-0477, or via U.S. mail to:

            UW-Madison CIBER
            2266 Grainger Hall
            975 University Avenue
            Madison, WI 53706

Faculty & Ph.D. Grants Frequently Asked Questions

Q: To which CIBER grant program should I apply?

A: General examples are provided below to guide you in choosing the program most appropriate for your project or request. We have also created a list of Frequently Asked Questions relating to specific questions about our grants programs.
Apply to the Global Research/Curriculum Development Program if your request is for more than $2000 and the following apply to you:

Your request involves an international-related research project, which may include a travel or data request. (Note: the nature of the research project itself must be international, regardless of where the research will be collected, assembled or shared.)
You wish to develop a future study tour
You wish to develop or enhance a new language program or other curriculum initiative

Apply to the CIBER Applied Funds Program if your request is for less than $2000 and the following apply to you:

Your request involves travel or conference registration support
Your request involves purchase or subscriptions to data sources or indices
You wish to attend a conference (domestic or international) to present international-related research that is already in progress or has been completed
You wish to attend a faculty development workshop or conference related to foreign languages, international business or international studies
You wish to bring in an international visitor, who has a profile that will enhance the programmatic goals of CIBER
You wish to travel abroad to form a new partnership aligned with CIBER’s programmatic goals

The following are ineligible for either program:

Requests that are not related to CIBER’s mission and programmatic goals
Requests to bring in foreign nationals for a purpose that primarily benefits the visitor rather than students, faculty or members of the business community
Requests to support travel to conferences that are not international in content
Requests to support travel to present research that is not globally focused

Q: My request is simple and straightforward, do I still have to use the application form?

A: Yes. Requests will not be considered if they are not submitted via the application for each program. The CIBER Applied Funds application is less than one page long.

Q: Will CIBER fund my project?

A: It depends. Does your project strongly connect to one of the themes below?

Research projects, events and publications that have bearing on the competitiveness of U.S. business internationally.
Internationalizing the curriculum for students. Examples include creating new international-related courses, study abroad and study tour experiences, or enhancing an existing course with use of new technology.
Creating faculty development and enrichment programs for business, foreign language, and international studies faculty.
Collaborating with modern foreign language departments to develop business language courses for students and to provide intensive language training programs for business persons.

Q: How often can I apply to the CIBER grant programs?

A: A purpose of the CIBER grant programs is to expand the number of people in the academic community who conduct research and develop programs on international topics. With this goal in mind, we have a policy to limit the number of times applicants may apply each year. For the Global Research/Curriculum Development Program you may apply once a year. You may submit two proposals per calendar year for the CIBER Applied Funds Program. Additionally, previous CIBER funding is a criterion that the committee uses in evaluation of proposals.

Q: Can I re-apply to the Global Research/Curriculum Development Program for a project that CIBER funded in the past?

A: For multi-year projects, CIBER funds should not constitute the sole source of funding nor should CIBER funding be seen as renewable. You may apply for more funding for a project that CIBER has funded in the past, but previous CIBER funding is a criterion that the committee uses in evaluation of proposals.

Q: How will CIBER decide how much funding I receive?

A: Decisions are based on the potential impact of each proposal or request, whether applicants have been previously funded by CIBER, and the outcomes associated with each request. There is no guarantee of minimum funding. Proposals may receive partial funding.

Q: Why am I having trouble pasting in the sections for the project narrative? (Global Research/Curriculum Development Program only)

A: Adobe PDF files do not allow multiple page fields. Therefore, for the two-page project narrative, you must paste each of the two pages you have composed separately. All the other fields in the application are less than one page (all the fields on the Cover Sheet and each applicant’s CV).

Q: Are Ph.D. students required to have faculty collaborators for their projects?

A: CIBER has funded Ph.D. research projects without faculty collaborators that fit our programmatic requirements. Ph.D. applicants are still required to submit letters of support from their faculty advisor or department chair.

Q: Are members of the business community allowed to submit proposals?

A: Only members of the academic community may apply. The only exception is granted to high-tech and biotech companies in conjunction with a CIBER/WI Department of Commerce initiative to help firms in this industry attend international trade shows. (Detailed Information)

Q: The committee did not fund my request, is there an appeals process?

A: Because there is a finite budget to which the committee must adhere, we are unable to fund all qualified proposals and do not have an appeals process. All committee decisions are final.

Q: What should my letter of support include? (Global Research/Curriculum Development Program only)

A: Typically, letters of support address the value or need for the project, anticipated outcomes, capabilities of the primary investigator and any role that a collaborator might play. Letters of support should be one page or less in length.

Q: How much money does CIBER award each year?

A: An annual budget is developed each year and decisions are based upon the funding available and the quality of each proposal individually and in comparison with other requests. CIBER awards approximately $45,000-50,000 in grants annually.

Q: Where do I send the progress report that is due within one year after receiving funding for the Global Research/Curriculum Development Program?

A: You can send your one-page report via e-mail (preferred) to sdove@bus.wisc.edu, via fax to Suzanne Dove at (608) 263-0477 or via U.S. mail to:

Center for International Business Education and Research
University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Business
975 University Avenue
Room 2266 Grainger Hall
Madison, WI 53706

Q: Who should I contact if I still have questions?

A: You may contact Suzanne Dove, Outreach Director, at sdove@bus.wisc.edu or 608-265-4938.