Overview

The Global Grad Grants provide funding opportunities for UC Davis graduate or professional students traveling to participate in a globally-focused social impact program or in a globally-focused research opportunity or program during the summer.

Students will be able to choose between two funding tracks: the Social Impact Track or the Research Track.

• The Social Impact Track is ideal for students who want to deepen their knowledge of the complexities of striving for justice across differences of culture and power and examine their own location within global flows of power and resources. Students who are selected for this track engage in a social impact internship, volunteer opportunity, or a globally-focused research project and participate in the UC Davis Widening Circles program, in addition to receiving a travel grant. Support with identifying a social impact volunteer position or internship is available through this track.
• The Research Track is ideal for students who have already identified a global research opportunity or program that relates to their academic and/or professional goals and want to explore how concepts of culture, identity, power, global systems and conflict relate to their work. Students accepted for a Research Track Global Grad Grant participate in the Global Leadership Certificate Program in addition to receiving a travel grant.
• Note: Research opportunities that have a strong social impact focus are welcome to apply to either track.

Please see more details below about the structure, eligibility, and timeline for each track. This year, thanks to generous donations, we have over $60,000 to award to graduate and professional students through the Global Grad Grant.

I was able to go on this research exchange through financial support from the Global Grad Grant program. I'm truly grateful that I could be a part of this program, as it significantly alleviated the financial strain of moving to another country. The program also allowed me to participate in the Global Leadership Certification pathway, which taught me about cultural humility and approaching my exchange through a global perspective. This training has helped me approach my collaborations and social interactions with more curiosity, which I feel has enriched my international experience and my desire to pursue other international opportunities.” – Gillian Bergmann, Ph.D. student in Ecology and Global Grad Grant-Research Track recipient

Funding Tracks Criteria and Eligibility

Social Impact Track

For the Social Impact Track, selected students will be enrolled in the UC Davis Widening Circles Program at no cost to them and will need to complete all requirements of that program. Global Grad Grant awardees will also receive a $2000 travel grant to support the travel costs associated with their social impact internship, volunteer opportunity, or a globally-focused research project that engages with one or more local communities. You can identify your own project or find support through our program partner, Omprakash, which has connections to hundreds of community organizations around the world.

Eligibility

• Continuing UC Davis graduate or professional students.
• In good academic standing.
• Demonstrated financial need.
• International students are eligible.
• Verification from department that you are able to receive additional funding in the form of a travel grant stipend.

Criteria

• Demonstrated connection between the UC Davis Widening Circles program learning outcomes and your graduate studies.
• Demonstrated connection between one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals and your social impact internship/volunteer/research opportunity goals.
• Slight priority for internship/volunteer opportunities based in Latin America or Africa.
• Priority for students with demonstrated financial need.
• Priority for students with limited previous opportunities for travel.

Additional Requirements

Social Impact Track recipients must:

• Complete all requirements of the UC Davis Widening Circles program.
• Participate in the Widening Circles virtual symposium at the end of the summer.
• Write a Global Aggies blog post about your experience for the Global Learning Hub.

What do we mean by "social impact"? Generally speaking, the UC Davis Widening Circles program is designed to help students get involved with issues pertaining to human and environmental well-being. This typically involves opportunities in fields like public health, education, sustainability, human rights and economic development—but we intentionally take a wide-angle view of what "social impact" really means, and we believe that it is possible to bring a social impact perspective to any kind of volunteer, internship or globally-focused research experience. This includes internships with nonprofits as well as opportunities in the private sector and public sector. For social impact research or community-engaged projects, we do want applicants to demonstrate how their proposed activity engages or impacts one or more local communities. Whatever your academic and professional interests may be, this program will help you reflect on how these interests intersect with broader questions about inequality, social change and your own impact on others.

Research Track

For the Research Track, selected students will be enrolled in the Global Leadership Certificate Program at no cost to them and will need to complete all aspects of the certificate program by the specified deadline. Global Grad Grant awardees will also receive a $2000 travel grant to support research activity in the summer.

Eligibility

• Continuing UC Davis graduate or professional students.
• In good academic standing.
• Demonstrated financial need.
• International students are eligible.
• Verification from department that you are able to receive additional funding in the form of a travel grant stipend.

Criteria

• Demonstrated connection between the Global Leadership Certificate learning outcomes and your graduate studies.
• Identify a research opportunity/program related to your graduate studies.
• Demonstrated connection between one or more UN Sustainable Development Goals and your research opportunity/program.
• Slight priority for internship/volunteer opportunities based in Latin America or Africa.
• Priority for students with demonstrated financial need.
• Priority for students with limited previous opportunities for travel.

Additional Requirements

Research Track recipients must:

• Complete the Global Leadership Certificate modules by June 15, 2025.
• Write a Global Aggies blog post about your experience for the Global Learning Hub.

Note: First consideration for all awards will be given to students who have not previously received a grant in their selected track.

Timeline

Both Tracks

• Application Opens: January 6, 2025
• Application Closes: March 16, 2025
• Award Notification: week of April 14, 2025

Social Impact Track

•  UC Davis Widening Circles program dates: June 23-August 22, 2025.
  • View the UC Davis Widening Circles webpage for more details about program dates.
  • Program will be approximately 3-5 hours/week during program dates
  • Social impact internship, volunteer opportunity or a globally-focused research project: Summer 2026.

Research Track

•  Global Leadership Certificate module dates: April 28–June 15, 2025.
  • The six asynchronous modules will take approximately 10 hours to complete.
• Research opportunity/program: Summer 2025.

Contact Information

Kimberly Bellows

Experiential and Intercultural Programs Senior Analyst
Global Learning Hub, Global Affairs
kmbellows@ucdavis.edu