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Northwestern Buffett Institute for Global Affairs

Opportunities for Faculty

The Buffett Institute offers a variety of opportunities for faculty, from funding for collaborative, global projects across the disciplines to fellowships for international research. 

Global Working Group Funding

Through our Global Working Groups, the Buffett Institute offers faculty the opportunity to develop ambitious, collaborative projects that span multiple disciplines. We aim to leverage different forms of expertise across the social sciences, sciences and humanities to address the world’s most challenging problems. Buffett helps Northwestern scholars to find research partners as they tackle big problems beyond the bounds of a single discipline. We hold lunchtime workshops, make introductions and support projects as they develop. Applications for the new round of Global Working Group funding are due on March 1, 2024. Successful projects will be awarded up to $200k to be spent over the next two years. Learn more >>

Buffett Faculty Fellowship Program

The Buffett Institute’s Faculty Fellowship Program supports the international and global research of Northwestern faculty. These fellowships are non-residential by design so that faculty who need to be away from the university to conduct international research are able to do so. Faculty will join a wider Buffett community and will be encouraged to take part in the Institute’s activities when possible. The application deadline is March 5, 2024. Learn more >>

Global Collaboration Grants

Northwestern faculty can apply for a Global Collaboration Grant from the Buffett Institute to further their work with international collaborators. These partners can be faculty members at other colleges or universities, leaders from global civil society or individuals from government, private sector or community organizations. The grant is intended to support a wide variety of globally focused faculty projects in research, service, teaching, international development or community engagement. Applications are due October 15 and April 15 annually and are reviewed within six weeks. The maximum annual award is $10,000 per applicant. Faculty may only be awarded this grant once per academic year. The next application deadline is April 15, 2024. Learn more >>

Fulbright Grant Opportunities

Fulbright offers several grant programs for faculty, higher education administrators and professionals. The Buffett Institute 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 >>

Pre-Application Travel Grant for the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program

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. The application deadline is March 15, 2024. Learn more >>

Buffett Faculty Lunches

The Buffett Institute holds thematic lunches for Northwestern faculty members. Please join us if you'd like to meet colleagues with shared interests. Learn more >>

Buffett Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program

Through our new international research program for undergraduate students, the Buffett Institute will award grants for faculty to hire individuals or teams of undergraduate research fellows to collaborate with them on a global or international research project. The project may begin in the summer of 2024 and continue, based upon faculty needs and student availability, for up to three quarters of the 2024–25 academic year. The deadline for faculty to submit a proposal was February 19, 2024. Learn more >>

Sponsor a Visiting Scholar

When faculty sponsor their visiting scholar through the Buffett Institute, their visiting scholar gains access to our multidisciplinary, global intellectual community and find new opportunities for collaboration with their faculty hosts and others across the university. Application deadlines are September 15, January 15 and April 15.  Learn more >>

Apply to join the Northwestern University delegation to COP

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 past year, the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28) was held in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), and took place from November 30 to December 12, 2023. The deadline for Northwestern faculty members and graduate students to apply to join the delegation to COP28 was in spring quarter 2023. Check back in early spring quarter 2024 to learn how to apply to Northwestern's delegation to COP29.

Forthcoming Faculty Opportunities

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