Overview:

This supports UNT faculty organizing and hosting an academic conference (e.g. conference, workshop, symposium, etc.) at UNT (e.g. Denton campus, Discovery Park, Frisco campus) that involves the participation of UNT faculty and students as well as faculty/students from a university/universities and/or institution(s) abroad.

The purpose of the academic conference is to provide UNT faculty and students an opportunity to present their research and enhance their understanding of an academic discipline(s) by gaining a comparative, global perspective and engaging with a network of scholars from abroad. The academic conference must demonstrate how it contributes to the global scholarship of UNT faculty and students.

Applicants may propose to host an academic conference that is affiliated with a professional organization or an academic conference that is not affiliated with a professional organization. The academic conference should bring together a group of UNT faculty and students with faculty/students from a university/universities and/or institution(s) abroad.

Preference will be given to applications that include the participation of a substantial number of UNT faculty and students.

Award Information:

  • Maximum Award Amount: $5,000
  • Allowable Expenses: (a) airfare for visiting faculty/students from abroad, (b) accommodations for the visiting faculty/students from abroad, (c) conference meals, and (d) venue rental expenses.
  • Applicants are strongly encouraged to request cost-share from their college and/or department.
  • Preference will be given to applications that demonstrate college and/or department cost-share and/or other funding sources (e.g. registration fees).
  • The number of awards, award amounts, and use of funds is at the discretion of the Vice Provost for International Affairs.
  • This is supported by the UNT Global Venture Fund (GVF).
  • The GVF does not support the following use of award funds:
    • Salaries, wages, and/or honorarium for UNT faculty, staff, or students
    • Salaries, wages, and/or honorarium for visitors/visiting scholars, faculty, and/or students
    • Scholarships or tuition waivers for UNT students or visiting students
    • Study abroad scholarships/travel support for UNT students
    • Office or operational expenses
    • Stipends/waivers for the use of UNT labs/equipment
    • Purchasing of equipment/materials
    • Registration fees
    • UNT faculty/staff/student participation in conferences, keynote speaking engagements, exhibitions, performances, festivals, teaching activities (e.g. serving as a visiting/guest lecturer, providing masterclasses, giving private lessons, giving coaching sessions, etc.), consulting activities, exploratory meetings/visits to universities, institutions, archives, or museums abroad, or similar activities
    • Activities in which faculty are receiving an external payment (e.g. payment related to professional practice, stipends, payment for a commission of work, paid artist residency, etc.)
    • Travel to countries on the U.S. Department of Commerce’s foreign adversaries list or travel to designated countries in Executive Order GA-48, including: China, Hong Kong, North Korea, Iran, Cuba, and Russia
  • All Global Venture Fund project expenditures must be reconciled before the end of the project period (Fall Awards: August 10, 2027 and Spring Awards: December 31, 2027). Any remaining funds will not carry forward beyond the project period. In the event the project cannot be started/completed during the project period due to any circumstances, project funds will not carryforward and recipients must inform Dr. Amanda Bennett.

Eligibility:

  • UNT tenured faculty, tenure-track faculty, and professional faculty with approval from their dean and department chair.
  • Preference will be given to faculty who did not receive funding from International Affairs during the 2025-2026 academic year.
  • Individuals are not allowed to submit more than one application for funding from International Affairs during a given application cycle.

Project Period:

  • Fall Awards: Spring and Summer 2027
  • Spring Awards: Summer and Fall 2027

Application Information:

  • Application Deadlines:

Review Criteria:

Applications are reviewed by a UNT committee of faculty and staff. The following criteria are used when evaluating applications:

  • Contributes to UNT’s global scholarship, in the following areas:
    • Involves a substantial number of UNT faculty and students
    • Provides UNT faculty and students with an opportunity to present their research
    • Enhances UNT faculty and students’ understanding of an academic discipline(s) by providing a
    • comparative, global perspective
  • Involves the participation of and networking opportunities with faculty/students from universities, institutions, libraries, archives, or museums abroad
  • Includes support for the project from the applicant’s chair and dean (or dean’s designee)
  • Provides a detailed funding request that provides specific information about the budget request and how the requested amounts were determined
  • Demonstrates why the academic conference must occur in-person rather than virtually

Preference will be given to applications that:

  • Demonstrate a reasonable budget request based on the proposed activities
  • Demonstrate college and/or department cost-share or other funding sources
  • Involve a conference that has not previously been supported with funding from International Affairs
  • Include a substantial number of UNT faculty/student participants
  • Submitted by faculty who did not receive funding from International Affairs during the 2025-2026 academic year
  • Include a UNT partner university (Information about UNT’s partner universities is available at: Partnerships Dashboard)