Details

The Einaudi Center's faculty seed grants launch international studies research and activities that show promise to grow and secure external follow-on funding.

Tenured and tenure-track Cornell faculty are eligible to apply. All disciplines and topics are welcome. Read about recent research Einaudi seeded.

Building International Studies Capacity

Einaudi Center seed grants support international studies research and collaborations that reach across world regions and bring together researchers who have deep knowledge in different regions and disciplines. The awards launch early-stage interdisciplinary research projects with clear plans for scaling up and securing external funding support. 

"If you think about the issues of nationalism, climate change, threats to humanitarian aid—a lot of the things that are foremost on our minds these days are affecting not only the U.S. They really are very global. And at the same time as they’re global threats and interests, the forms they take and the abilities to address them differ a lot across different regions and across different peoples and places."

~ Ellen Lust, Einaudi Center Director

The Einaudi Center is dedicated to international studies. Our seed grants focus on complex global and regional issues and community-engaged methodologies across the social sciences, hard sciences, and humanities. Some research conducted abroad and international collaborations—while valuable—do not qualify for the awards.

Proposals must align with the mission and interests of at least one of our international studies programs. The application requires only your own thoughtful assessment of how your project might contribute to the work of one or more programs. 

Proposals that engage with two or more geographical regions are eligible for larger awards of up to $25,000.

Eligibility

Tenured and tenure-track Cornell faculty in all colleges and schools are eligible to apply as individuals or teams. The Einaudi Center will not accept proposals from past awardees who failed to submit the required final report by the deadline stated in the award letter.

• Funding-eligible activities: Data collection, research assistance, travel, meetings
• Not eligible for funding: Salary offset, summer salary, computers and equipment, student stipends/tuition

Requirements

• All funds must be used within one year of the award date.
• You must submit a final report to the Einaudi Center director within one year of the award date. The report must include:
  • A summary and assessment of the research and activities you accomplished.
  • An update on your external follow-on funding proposal.
  • A promotional paragraph written for nonspecialists (100 words maximum) describing the outcome and value of your project.
• The Einaudi Center must be acknowledged in all publications, promotion, and media coverage related to your funded research and activities. Please inform the Einaudi Center in advance of publications and other project outcomes.

How to Apply

Complete the seed grant funding application and submit a proposal including the following:

• Curricula vitae (CVs) for principal faculty
• Statement including objectives, activities, work plan, expected outputs, beneficiaries, and impact
• Human subjects approval, if relevant
• Detailed budget with justification of expenses
• Plans for pursuing future research and external funding support

Evaluation 

All successful proposals will meet these criteria. The proposal:

• Shows a high likelihood of generating new knowledge of key economic, environmental, social, cultural, or political problems in the world.
• Includes clearly articulated deliverables.
• Includes a budget appropriate for planned activities.
• Includes a plan for obtaining full project funding to sustain and expand the research.

Questions?

Please email our academic programming staff if you have questions about the seed grant program or your application.