Skip to main content

Diplomacy Initiative Curriculum Development Awards

Diplomacy Initiative Curriculum Development Awards

As part of Carolina’s Diplomacy Initiative, the Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs (OVPGA) offers curriculum development awards and assistance to UNC-Chapel Hill faculty in any Carolina school or department.

Through Diplomacy Initiative Curriculum Development Awards, UNC-Chapel Hill faculty incorporate experiential learning into existing Carolina courses with modules (e.g., case studies or simulation exercises) aimed at solving global challenges.

The OVPGA can assist faculty with identifying and, if needed, purchasing relevant case material for their course. Faculty may also request additional support for a graduate student to assist with course planning and development.

Diplomacy Initiative Curriculum Development Awards are made possible with support from the Chancellor’s Global Education Fund.

Award Information

  • Selected faculty receive $2,500 award (plus fringes.) Award funds can be disbursed as an overload payment in compensation for time developing and implementing the module. Alternatively, funds may be awarded to the faculty member’s home department. The financial award is intended to compensate faculty members for their time but may also be used to purchase materials and supplies (please contact program staff to discuss uses if you are interested in this option).
  • In the application, faculty can request an additional $1,500 award to fund graduate student support (student need not be identified at time of application).
  • The OVPGA will provide additional support to cover fees associated with obtaining case or simulation materials.
  • The OVPGA will provide assistance to faculty to identify relevant case studies or simulation exercises for their course.
  • The updated course with an experiential learning module must be taught within two semesters of the award date.

Application Deadlines and Instructions

The next deadline is Oct. 31, 2024 for courses taught in the Spring 2025 semester. Preview the application.

Apply

Eligibility

  • Faculty from any UNC-Chapel Hill college or school are eligible to apply for Diplomacy Initiative Curriculum Development Awards. If the course or module is co-taught, the award will be split between UNC-Chapel Hill faculty members (co-instructor must also be employed by UNC-Chapel Hill). Any full-time faculty member (tenure track, term, teaching, adjunct, other) is welcome to apply.
  • Courses must be 3 or more credits.
  • Courses can be at the undergraduate or graduate level.
  • If faculty are applying for a student assistant, the selected student must be a full-time, degree-seeking UNC-Chapel Hill student at the graduate level.
  • Faculty who have previously received a Diplomacy Initiative Curriculum Development Award are eligible to re-apply in order to develop additional modules or courses. A second award may not be used to repeat or revise the module or course for which the original award was received.

Award Selection

Applications for curriculum development awards are evaluated on the following criteria:

  • Does the proposed experiential learning module advance the learning objectives of the Diplomacy Initiative (see below) and the IDEAs in Action general education curriculum for undergraduate students?
  • In addition to learning about global challenges, will students in this course explore effective strategies used by global actors and networks to solve global challenges?
  • Does the module include a significant experiential element in which students develop and practice solutions-oriented skills used by diplomats?
  • Is the experiential learning activity sustained over several class meetings, which may include preparation and review of case material, simulation exercise and reflection?
  • If graduate student support is requested, are the student’s responsibilities reasonable and specific? (graduate assistants may not teach or grade).

Application Resources

Case studies and simulations are available from several institutions. The OVPGA can assist faculty with identifying and, if needed, purchasing relevant case material for their course. Below are examples:

Award Inquiries

Emmy Grace, Program Manager for Global Education
Office of the Vice Provost for Global Affairs
emmy.grace@unc.edu

Diplomacy Initiative

The Diplomacy Initiative is part of a growing menu of global education opportunities at Carolina that advance the university’s Global Guarantee, our promise that a global education is available to every student. Carolina’s global mission, articulated in the University’s strategic plan, Carolina Next, is to prepare students to address the most pressing challenges of our time—challenges that are increasingly global in nature. The Diplomacy Initiative directly supports that mission by equipping Carolina students with the knowledge and skills used by diplomats, policymakers, and other international affairs practitioners to address global challenges.

Learning Objectives

Identify pressing questions, problems, and issues

  • Identify global challenges (including those not receiving saturation coverage in the media, but which may be addressable and have significant impact)
  • Formulate questions

Discover ideas, evidence, and methods that inform these questions

  • Gather evidence and data from trusted information sources and experts
  • Listen to diverse stakeholders in the search for common ground
  • Integrate multi-disciplinary approaches

Evaluate these ideas, evidence, and methods

  • Understand and engage global processes, policies, and networks
  • Evaluate outcomes and impact of decisions

Act based on these evaluations

  • Frame agendas for action
  • Communicate in a clear and compelling manner
  • Form coalitions based on shared purpose