Global Impact Fund to support international initiatives for Purdue faculty, staff and students now live

Purdue’s Global Partnerships and Programs (GPP) department has officially launched the new Global Impact Fund, designed to catalyze international collaboration and innovation through six new grant programs targeting Purdue faculty, staff and students.

The Global Impact Fund is a cornerstone of the Giant Leaps for Global Impact campaign — a bold, multiyear initiative that underscores Purdue’s commitment to international education and research, transnational partnerships, and the values of a modern global land-grant university.

Descriptions of the six grant programs and further information on how to apply are below:

• Global Partners Collaboration Grants — Designed to cultivate and deepen Purdue’s collaborations with strategic partner institutions. GPP will provide up to $10,000 for activities, which may include workshops, mobility programs or other creative ideas that ultimately enhance Purdue’s relationship with a current or emerging strategic partner institution.
  
  
• Global Professional Development Grants — Designed to support Purdue staff who wish to deepen their global expertise in areas that would enhance the staff member’s ability to support Purdue’s internationalization goals. GPP will provide up to $1,500 for activities, which may include taking courses or attending seminars, webinars, workshops, conferences, networking events, etc. 
  
  
• International Short-Term Visitor Grants — Designed to bring distinguished visitors to Purdue. GPP will provide up to $3,000 to visitors for events such as conferences, workshops, lectures or performances for the purpose of fostering global learning, research and/or engagement in alignment with Purdue’s internationalization goals.
  
  
• International Travel Grants — Designed to invest in a faculty member’s international research, teaching or engagement work. GPP will provide up to $2,000 for travel, which may include participation in major disciplinary or interdisciplinary conferences in international venues or participation in smaller workshops or working sessions.
  
  
• New Ideas Grants — Designed to support new and innovative ideas that enhance Purdue’s global impact in any of the three land-grant pillar areas of discovery, learning or engagement. GPP will provide up to $10,000 for activities.
  
  
• Student Enrichment Grants — Designed to support internationalization at Purdue by providing Purdue student groups funding for international activities on campus. GPP will provide up to $1,000 for activities, which may include hosting visiting lecturers, speakers, film series, exhibitions, cultural center events, competitions, festivals, artistic performances or other public activities that support international engagement on campus.

In addition to the six grant programs listed above, Global Partnerships and Programs would like to highlight two more continuing international education grant opportunities.

The first is the fund’s premier initiative, the Giant Leaps Study Abroad Scholarship Program, a five-year commitment to increase access to international experiences for Purdue students. The program, supported by an annual $1 million investment jointly by GPP and Purdue’s colleges, makes international credit-bearing study abroad opportunities more attainable through grants based on student financial need. The program ensures that Boilermakers from all socioeconomic backgrounds have the opportunity to gain invaluable perspectives and global competencies through both short-term and longer-term study abroad programs.

The second, the Giant Leaps Exploratory Grants, supports faculty and staff in developing new study abroad programs.

Descriptions of these two grant programs and links to learn more and apply are listed below:

• Giant Leaps Study Abroad Scholarship Program — Available to assist undergraduate students of any major with costs associated with a study abroad program. Scholarship amounts vary.

• Giant Leaps Exploratory Grants — Designed to support faculty and staff in developing new study abroad programs. GPP provides up to $3,000 to help offset travel costs associated with visiting potential study abroad destinations, ensuring the establishment of high-quality, faculty/staff-led international programs.

“Through the Giant Leaps for Global Impact campaign, Purdue is amplifying its leadership in international education and research, enabling Boilermaker students, faculty and partners to further accelerate the university’s rich legacy of global impact,” said Vijay Raghunathan, vice president for global partnerships and programs, director of semiconductor education, and professor of electrical and computer engineering. “This campaign reaffirms Purdue’s commitment to the power of education, innovation and collaboration to address the world’s most pressing issues, staying true to the university’s mission of excellence at scale — a mission that now reaches across borders and continents.”

From empowering students to embrace global opportunities to fostering innovative partnerships, Purdue’s Giant Leaps for Global Impact campaign represents a shared commitment to advancing knowledge and creating meaningful change. Together, Purdue’s students, faculty, staff and alumni will continue to define what it means to lead on a global stage, demonstrating the relentless drive and ambition that make Boilermakers truly exceptional.