Global Hubs seed grant proposals due Oct. 14

Cornell faculty are invited to apply for Global Hubs Research Seed Grants by Oct. 14 to launch new international collaborations with researchers at Global Hubs partner universities.

The awards provide $5,000 to support travel, research supplies and student involvement. Some partner institutions are offering additional support.

Over the past four years, Global Cornell has awarded over $800,000 to 158 Cornell researchers. These investments have helped to generate $14 million in follow-on funding, over 89 peer-reviewed publications, 239 events, 101 reciprocal visits, and training opportunities for over 233 Cornell students and postdoctoral scholars.

Past funded projects demonstrate how seed funding can strengthen engagement between international partners.

Collins Bugingo, assistant professor of seed biology and technology in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, worked with partners at the West Africa Centre for Crop Improvement at the University of Ghana. "This collaboration has created a strong foundation for transcontinental research on seed systems," he said. The project strengthened engagement between stakeholders in the U.S. and West Africa and built capacity for seed health diagnostics and systems research.

Faculty also highlight the value of in-person visits to each other's universities.

"It was absolutely fantastic to be able to sit down with my collaborator for hours to discuss our respective interests and find points of contact," said Chiara Formichi, professor of Asian studies in the College of Arts and Sciences. "Zoom and emails might be a good enough substitute when travel is not possible, but nothing beats sustained, in-person conversations over time." Formichi studied the development of Bali with Faizah Zakaria (National University of Singapore).

Interested applicants can learn more at a virtual information session on Sept. 24 or review the full list of Global Hubs partners and proposal timeline on the Global Cornell website. Award decisions will be made by Dec. 18.