The Office of the Vice-President & Provost and the Office of the Vice-President, International, are pleased to launch the International Student Experience Fund (ISEF), the objective of which is to continue to foster a learning environment on U of T’s campuses that aligns with the University’s global mission and profile. The fund is intended to support academic and non-academic initiatives that: enhance the experience of international students; foster intercultural and international-to-domestic student, staff, and faculty engagement; and internationalize the University of Toronto student experience.

Funding Streams

The ISEF supports two streams of activities; Seed ($5,000-$15,000 per year) and Impact ($15,000-$100,000 per year). This two-tiered system is intended to provide opportunities for projects that explore, implement and scale up promising practices at different stages of their development and implementation, and create a pathway for projects from their initial inception to their full potential. Both tiers of grants are intended to be completed within 1 to 3 years.

2018 Thematic Areas

Proposals that integrate one or more of the following key thematic areas will be given preference. This list is not exhaustive; proposals that address the goals through alternative means are encouraged.

Programs and Services: Improve the structure and delivery of U of T’s programs and services to better serve students from all backgrounds.

Inclusive Classrooms: Create conditions within the classroom through curricular and pedagogical innovations to facilitate intercultural understanding.

Understanding Barriers: Improve international students’ access to key services by addressing existing impediments for international students to receive timely and accurate information at each stage of the recruitment-to-convocation experience. Find ways to effectively provide information in order to foster integration.

Interactional Diversity: Enhance intergroup interaction (across domestic/international students and between international students) inside and outside the classroom for the purposes of developing global fluency, a critical 21st-century skill. Empower and equip students with the skills and experiences to communicate confidently across cultures in both academic and informal settings.

Reaching Students Early: Enhance and complement existing University efforts to facilitate student integration through proactive, coordinated, and timely engagement of international students before they arrive at the U of T and at subsequent key moments during their first year of study.

Timeline 

The 2018-19 Call for Proposals is now available online. Applications for the two fund streams will be accepted as follows:

• Seed Grants ($5,000-$15,000 per year) will be accepted on a rolling basis.
• Impact Grants ($15,000-$100,000 per year) will be accepted once per year in the fall term. The 2018-19 deadline for submitting Impact Grants is Monday, October 15.

Those interested in applying are invited to join the Strategies for Writing Teaching and Learning Grants workshop on Thursday, June 7 at 10:00am.

Questions about ISEF can be directed to international@utoronto.ca.