Faculty Funding Opportunities
Northwestern Buffett is proud to support university faculty pursuing interdisciplinary global collaborative research. Read about available funding opportunities for Northwestern faculty below and download a summary of all opportunities here >>
Global Working Group Funding
Groups that are selected through our annual Idea Incubation Process receive up to two years of Northwestern Buffett support to pursue their research projects. The support package is valued at more than $150,000 per year and includes funding, fundraising support, graduate assistantships and administrative staff support for operations. Learn more >>
Global Connections Seed Grant
The Global Connections Seed Grants support Northwestern faculty in initiating or expanding connections with international collaborators. This includes all forms of scholarly output and could involve partnerships with other researchers, university programs and units, and non-academic partners. Applications are due October 15, March 15, and June 15 annually and are reviewed within six weeks. Funding: max $10k, one grant per applicant annually. Learn more >>
Virtual International Visitors
This grant supports Northwestern faculty across the university interested in hosting international visitors from around the world — international university faculty, leaders from global civil society, government and/or the private sector — for short virtual residencies. Visits with in-person components will also be considered. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are expended. Funding: max $2K per grant. Learn more >>
International Classroom Partnering
The Office of the Vice President for International Relations and the Buffett Institute for Global Affairs invite faculty applications for $3,000 classroom partnering grants. This pilot program is an experiment in collaborating with faculty at Northwestern’s international partner institutions to provide cross-cultural, global opportunities for student learning and engagement using online tools. Learn more >>
Support for Visiting Scholars
Northwestern Buffett supports faculty members who wish to host visiting scholars. Visiting Scholars are individuals sponsored or employed elsewhere, by another university, a government agency, nongovernmental organization or industry. They are most often at Northwestern for one year or less and paid by their sponsoring organization. Learn more >>
Fulbright Grant Opportunities
Fulbright offers several grant programs for faculty, higher education administrators and professionals. Northwestern Buffett serves as the University’s Fulbright Scholar Liaison, facilitating increased participation in the Fulbright Scholar Program via institutional level support and peer-to-peer engagement. Learn more >>
Fulbright U.S. Scholar Pre-Application Travel Grant
This travel grant provides Northwestern faculty members funding to visit international partners and collaborators abroad in advance of applying for a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Award. Learn more >>
Northwestern Buffett Faculty Fellows Program
Northwestern Buffett offers internal Fellowships to Northwestern faculty looking to play a role in a robustly interdisciplinary and vibrant community of faculty. Northwestern Buffett plans to welcome an initial cohort of 8–10 Faculty Fellows in Fall 2023, each of whom will receive a course buyout, $5,000 stipend and $5,000 research fund. Learn more >>
Apply to join the Northwestern University delegation to COP28
Northwestern University has observer status as an accredited non-governmental organization with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and has sent delegations comprised of faculty and graduate students to attend climate change conferences since 2021. This year, the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) will be held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and will take place from November 30 to December 12, 2023. The deadline for Northwestern faculty members and graduate students to apply to join this year’s delegation was in Spring Quarter 2023. Check back at the beginning of Spring Quarter 2024 to learn how to apply to Northwestern's delegation to COP29.