Global Health Ethics in Practice Awards
The Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility offers student travel funding of up to $2,000 in the form of our Global Health Ethics in Practice Awards, designed for UMN graduate students engaging in internships, applied experiences, and ethical hands-on practice abroad.
University of Minnesota students within and outside the health sciences are invited to apply for awards to support their global travel expenses. Travel must take place outside the U.S., relate to the student’s coursework or academic program, and be for a minimum of 1 week. Global experiences should be ethical and developed in true partnership with the community and/or organization that the student will be working with.
* This is a 2024-2025 funding initiative and may not be offered past summer 2025.
ETHICAL Practice Abroad
At the Center for Global Health and Social Responsibility, we prioritize an ethical, sustainable, and mutually-beneficial approach to global learning.
Applied experiences and hand-on practice abroad provide rich learning opportunities for students that they cannot necessarily receive inside the classroom. By participating in an applied experience abroad, health sciences students become more well-rounded global citizens.
However, gaining meaningful global experience can be prohibitively expensive to many students. Global Health Ethics in Practice Awards are intended to support global travel expenses such as airfare, room and board, fieldwork supplies, or conference registration, making ethical global experiences equitable for everyone.
Discover How to Apply
Global Health Ethics in Practice Awards are offered three times per year. Students may apply early and indicate the semester in which they plan to use their funds (i.e. apply by November for summer session, or apply by March for fall semester). The recipient must be enrolled in at least one tuition-bearing credit in order to receive the funding. Awards are up to $2,000 per student.
Student Eligibility
Global Health Ethics in Practice Awards are open to current and incoming University of Minnesota graduate students (master’s and doctorate) and professional students.
Preference will be given to students in health sciences schools; however, students outside the health sciences may be eligible if they can demonstrate their project is part of the broader social, cultural, political, economic, etc., determinants of health.
Awards are intended to support global travel expenses such as airfare, room and board, fieldwork supplies, conference registration, etc.
Awards are NOT intended to be used as scholarships for study abroad courses. Students who are part of a group program or course must describe their individual goals or project. The Award may be allowable if the student proposes an independently-arranged academic internship or research project following the group experience.
Eligible Activities
Awards will be given to students who are engaging in global health experiences such as internships, applied practice, field experiences, and other hands-on global health work. Travel experiences must take place outside the U.S., relate to the student’s coursework or academic program, and be for a minimum of 1 week.
Awards are intended to support global travel expenses such as airfare, room and board, fieldwork supplies, conference registration, etc.
Global Health Ethics in Practice Awards are not intended to be used as scholarships for study abroad courses or other organized group programs. Students who are part of a group program or course must describe their individual goals or project. The Award may be allowable if the student proposes an independently-arranged academic internship or research project following the group experience, for example extending CGHSR courses for additional independent study.
Global experiences should be ethical and developed in true partnership with the community and/or organization that the student will be working with. Activities should demonstrate mutual benefit to the student and the host community.
Examples of eligible activities:
- Internship abroad
- Community-engaged work
- Approved clinical observerships
- Presenting at or attending global health-focused conferences
- Existing practice-based programs, such as:
- School of Public Health Applied Practice
- Master of Development Practice Summer Field Experience
- Extending CGHSR courses for independent study
Examples of ineligible activities:
- Medical missions
- Clinical practice for non-licensed students
- “Voluntourism” trips (i.e. primarily tourism-based travel with casual volunteer work, usually not based on long-term community relationships and questionable ethical guidelines)
Not sure if your activity is a good fit? Learn more about guidelines and good practices for global health activities:
- Brocher Declaration
- Mini Medical School: Focus on Global Health
- How to Evaluate an Organization or Provider: Checklist for Students
We recognize that for many students, it is difficult to fully develop a global experience without first knowing that there will be funding available to support it. Students are invited to submit tentative applications with proposed travel/project details first, and adjust the application with finalized details when available.
Deadlines
Global Health Ethics in Practice Awards are offered three times per year. Applications will open at least 6 weeks before the deadline.
- November 1 deadline – funds available January 24, 2025
- March 1 deadline – funds available June 12, 2025
- August 1 deadline – funds available September 7, 2024
Students may apply early and indicate the semester in which they plan to use their funds (i.e. apply by November for summer session, or apply by March for fall semester).
Grants must be awarded during the term in which the travel is taking place and the recipient must be enrolled in at least one tuition-bearing credit in order to receive the funding. This award is not considered a tuition benefit.
Award Amounts
Awards are up to $2,000 per student. Applicants will submit a budget statement as part of their application (template provided).
Students are eligible to receive a Global Health Ethics in Practice Award no more than twice during their graduate program.
Grantee Obligations
Before travel: Recipients must complete the online Global Health & Travel Ethics materials before their activity.
After travel: Recipients must submit a travel grant report within 60 days of their travel. The online travel grant report asks you to describe your activity, impact of your work, and your plans to build upon the experience with your future learning or practice. Projects are not required to be completed to submit the travel grant report.
Application Process
Interested applicants should fill out the online application with their student information, details of their proposed global health practice activity and travel, budget statement, and answers to the three written questions below.
Apply Now
Student information:
- Name, email, student ID number, UMN degree program, academic advisor
- Proposed project, location, and travel dates
- Budget statement
- Unofficial transcript
- Letter of support from global health partner or institution
Written questions:
- Describe the activities you will conduct during your global practice experience, including how they relate to your UMN academic program / degree progress requirements. Please be as specific as possible. (200 words max.)
- Mutual benefit, bidirectionality, ethics, and sustainability are critical values in global health practice. Describe how your proposed project’s short-term or long-term goals will meet these values. (200 words max.)
Applications will be evaluated based on how thoroughly you answer the questions outlined above.