Office of the Provost > Faculty International Travel (FIT) Grant Program

Faculty International Travel (FIT) Grant Program

 

Program Objectives
The objective of the FIT program is to provide limited funds to Auburn faculty so they may obtain the professional international experiences needed to strengthen their teaching and research programs and enrich departmental contributions to Auburn University students and constituents in a global society.

Eligibility
All Auburn University faculty may apply for FIT program funding, with a limit of one successful request per faculty member every five years.  The focus and priority of the grant program is on faculty who have limited or no professional international experience and whose departments lack international programming.  Priority will be given to tenured and tenure-track faculty that are developing international networks, and to academic projects that are integrated into the curriculum.
 
Request Submission and Evaluation
Requests for FIT funding should be uploaded at https://fp.auburn.edu/provost/dropbox/ on or before March 31st and include the following five components:

1. completed application
2. a brief (2 paragraphs maximum) request for funding to include:
1. nature and purpose of travel
2. how travel will achieve faculty research or departmental study abroad objectives
3. how this travel will benefit AU programming
3. a detailed itinerary of the planned travel (1 page maximum) which includes dates locations, activities planned, and contacts to be made
4. a standard FIT Program budget page

Please scan or convert electronic documents and save as one pdf file.  The document should be named using the nominees’ last name first (then first name).

Proposals will be evaluated by the Office of International Programs at two review points per year—November 15th for Spring or Summer travel and March 31st for Summer and Fall travel.

Each proposal will be evaluated using the criteria below.  The most important criteria are:

1. How well the proposed international travel meets the needs of the faculty member’s home department and college and/or international partnerships.
2. How well the proposed international travel contributes to the faculty member’s professional academic development.
3. Potential for generating extramural funding and/or international collaborations that lead to joint research projects and publications.
   
   Other factors to be considered include:
   
4. How well the travel is planned and whether it’s cost effective.

Questions should be directed to Tammy Mayo at bushtam@auburn.edu or 844-5771.

Expected Outcomes
Travel should lead to new study abroad opportunities embedded in the curriculum, or research collaborations such as joint graduate student mentorship, collaborative research publications with overseas colleagues, or joint research grant authorship.

Funding Levels
Funding shall be for a maximum of $5,000 per proposal.  The program will pay for travel costs (including immunizations and necessary documents), as well as certain costs associated with making professional contacts and conducting research, extension or teaching such as copying, materials, sample transportation, and fuel.

The program will not pay for student workers, equipment, computers, or laboratory analysis.  

Due to limited funding only one proposal will be funded per department or research program, except in highly unusual circumstances.

Applicants are advised to carefully review the Auburn University policies for international travel reimbursement which can be found at:
http://www.auburn.edu/administration/business_office/policy_manual/travel-allow.html#foreign

Fund Distribution
Travel costs will be reimbursed for each awardee.  Each candidate will submit their travel requests (RAT-50 forms) and subsequent travel reimbursement forms through the Provost’s Office.