Global Partnerships Travel Grant

Overview | Eligibility | Selection of Proposals | Application Information | Concept Paper Outline | Expectations of Grant Recipients | Frequently Asked Questions | Contact Information

OVERVIEW

The Global Partnerships Travel Grant funds graduate students to conduct research or service with a public health focus for up to three months in a developing country.  The project must be under the supervision of a UW faculty member who has current ties to the international site as well as an in-country site faculty or staff member with an established agency.

Students are awarded $4000 to carry out their research or service project. No country or health issue has priority over another, but applicants should be able to clearly articulate the public health importance of their project. Funding for these opportunities is provided by the Washington Global Health Alliance.

Please address any questions regarding this grant opportunity to Rachel Schwartz at: gptg@u.washington.edu.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligible applicants must be:

  • University of Washington full-time matriculated graduate students, foreign or domestic, who will not have finished their degree(s) before proposed travel. Note: Students must remain matriculated, but do not need to be registered, throughout time of travel.
  • Planning to visit a developing country for reasons related to their current or future program of study.
  • Committed to working with underserved populations worldwide.

SELECTION OF PROPOSALS

Selection will be competitive, with priority given to proposals that have the greatest potential to strengthen and consolidate UW global linkages as well as show a likelihood of leveraging ongoing support or new grants with partner institutions.  Priority will be given to applicants who:

  • Plan to spend an adequate amount of time at proposed site so impact of work is perceptible.
  • Propose an original research or service project that supports practicum, thesis, or dissertation required by an applicant’s academic program.
  • Demonstrate strength of faculty supervision from UW and foreign site.
  • Can show importance of activity and fit with interests of faculty from UW and foreign institution.

Highly ranked applicants will sit for an in-person interview with the selection committee; top ranking candidates will be funded.  Each applicant will be ranked on the below criteria:

  • Strength of proposal
  • Strength of relationship with UW mentor
  • Strength of relationship with in-country mentor
  • Pragmatic budget
  • Academic background in relationship to the success of proposal.

APPLICATION INFORMATION

Required Materials:
All materials must be submitted via email to gptg@u.washington.edu

Application Deadline: Monday, March 9, 2009

  1. Global Partnerships Travel Grant application (Application Form) [Word Doc]
  2. Face Sheet (Face Sheet Form) [Word Doc]
  3. Current resume
  4. UW transcripts (official or unofficial, include a winter class schedule for first year students)
  5. Letter of support from UW faculty member connected with project
  6. Letter of support from in-country site faculty or staff member
  7. Concept Paper - Your Concept Paper is like a Statement of Purpose. It tells the review committee who you are. Please be very clear and concise in its execution. The Concept Paper should be no more than two single-spaced pages in 12-point font. We strongly suggest you follow the outline and its instructions below, and then read, re-read, and have someone else read your concept paper for critical feedback. As evident, it is important that you establish contact with the country of interest beforehand.
  8. Budget - food and lodging are acceptable expenses; budget should include cost of physical exam, travel consultant fee, health insurance, travel insurance, and compensation/honorarium for on-site mentorship, if appropriate. Do not include student stipend or general support. Please refer to the expense worksheet below to guide you in writing your budget with proposed expenses.

CONCEPT PAPER OUTLINE

Project Descriptions and Aim(s)

  • Significance of the Problem or area in which you will work: Clearly state why the problem or issue in your proposal is important. It's crucial that you incorporate the public health significance.
  • Purpose: Stemming from the significance of the problem as you have stated it, articulate the reasons why you wish to study this problem or do service work in this area. You should state the time, place, target population, name the on-site faculty person or staff person, AND your UW mentor you plan to work with.
  • Study Question: Briefly state as specifically as possible the central study question. You are welcome to state this in the form of one or more hypotheses if you like.

Proposed Implementation Plan

  • Methods: State your study/work procedures. Describe whether your approach is qualitative or quantitative or a combination of both. Please be specific.
  • Data Collection: If you will be collecting data, what kind of data will you collect or be working with? State whether it will be new or existing data. Even for studies that involve on-site "program evaluation," data is still being looked at. Be specific!

Expected Project Outcomes or Work Products

  • Analysis of Data: Provide a brief description of the kind of analysis or evaluation you will do with the data you (or the agency you work with) will collect.
  • Probable Outcomes: In addition to outcomes from the data, state what skills you will obtain from having gone through the on-site experience.

Relationship of Project to Your Current Academic Program

  • Simply state what relevance the on-site project/program has to your current academic studies.

Connection between You and Your international Site

  • State what prior connection, if any, you have with the host institution. If the nature of the connection is through a third party, say so.  Please be as specific as possible.

Your Qualifications to Carry Out Proposed Work

  • Articulate your skills relative to the proposed project. Your particular skills can be expressed in terms of language abilities, work-experience, course-work taken, etc.
  • Human Subjects: With regards to Human Subjects procedures or IRB (Institutional Review Boards). All successful applicants are REQUIRED to fill-out an IRB or Human Subjects Application whether they believe their study requires the application or not. While the IRB application is not a requirement for applying for the Travel Grant, successful applicants will be required to submit an IRB application BEFORE embarking to their study sites.

EXPECTATIONS OF GRANT RECPIENTS

Before Leaving To Site:

  1. Attend orientation session on Saturday, April 25, 2009, regarding the rules of the grant.

Required Upon Returning From Site:
(Worksheets, forms and reports must be submitted via email to: gptg@u.washington.edu.

  1. Complete an expense sheet along with receipts for major expenses > $50 (when possible) (Expense Worksheet) [Excel]
  2. Poster presentation at reception for all WA Global Health Alliance grant recipients. WGHA will be covering the costs of one proof and one poster (24"x 36"). Please contact grant administrator.
  3. Evaluation: assessment by student of UW faculty and on-site faculty persons having met the expectation of Global Partnerships Travel Grant. (Evaluation Form) [PDF]

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Answers to common questions about the GPTG [PDF]

CONTACT INFORMATION

Please submit questions about the Global Partnerships Travel Grant or application materials to: gptg@u.washington.edu

PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Clarence Spigner, MPH, DrPH
Associate Professor
Department of Health Services

PROGRAM STAFF
Julie Brunett

STUDENT COORDINATOR
Rachel Schwartz