04/06/2020 12:00:00 AM Honors College<a href="/news-tags/undergraduate-research">Undergraduate Research</a>story A new initiative administered by UNT’s Division of International Affairs is helping graduate students go great distances in conducting their research. The Graduate Research Experiences Abroad Travel Grant, or GREAT Grant, program supports international projects that enhance global perspectives by providing research experiences outside of the U.S.  “We know the importance of international collaborations as we work to solve global problems,” says Jennifer Cowley, provost and vice president for academic affairs.  Internationalization is an important part of expanding UNT’s impact as a Tier One Research university, Cowley says.  “A big part of why we’re designated a Carnegie R1 research university is the strength of our graduate program,” she says. “What better way to enhance our research than to provide grant funding and help support our students in engaging in their scholarship in international environments.” Pia Wood, vice provost and dean of international affairs, established GREAT Grants during the 2018-19 academic year to help support innovative research by master’s and doctoral students at UNT. The program funds independent research abroad that directly supports a student’s research for their thesis or dissertation. While financial assistance exists for traditional study abroad that results in credit for specific courses, funding for travel related to student research is not always available, especially if it is not funded by a mentor’s research grant.  “GREAT Grants was created as a way to use division resources to create impact for students and enhance research at UNT,” Wood says.  Eleven of the initial student applications representing six colleges were funded, chosen for their contributions to their overall educational careers and to their fields of scholarly study. Each student worked with a UNT faculty mentor who encouraged and fostered their research. The first group of students conducted research in the summer of 2019 and recently shared their experiences at a luncheon hosted by the Division of International Affairs. “They were all extremely worthy grants. It was a very difficult decision,” Wood says. “The diversity of projects was amazing.” GREAT Grants are available for full-time UNT graduate students to conduct independent research abroad. Projects must support applicants’ thesis or dissertation research and include a minimum of four continuous weeks abroad. Awards up to $4,500 can be used for transportation, accommodations, meals, travel insurance and other expenses as approved. Applications for the 2019-20 program are available online at https://international.unt.edu/content/grants-and-funding-opportunities and are due by Feb. 3. Contact Amanda White Bennett, director of global partnerships and engagement, at Amanda.White@unt.edu or 940-369-5292 for more information. The 2018-19 grant recipients, their research projects and countries of study were: Theresa Abah rehabilitation and health services “Assessing Nigeria’s Health Policy on Governance and Organization of Primary Health Care (PHC) Services for Geriatric Care Service Integration” Nigeria Sampson Akwafao computer science and engineering “Development of an Improved Routing Optimization Algorithm for Emergency Deliveries and Disaster Management of Low-Resource Settings” Nigeria and Ghana Farinaz Basmechi sociology “Does Online Activism Impact Offline Behavior? An Ethnographic Study of Protest in Iran” Iran Justin Conner biological sciences “The Mechanism for Ventilatory Control in Digesting Burmese Pythons (python molurus)” Denmark Amy Cooper music history, theory, and ethnomusicology “Borrowing Culture: Music Circulating Library Catalogs and Domestic Music-Making, 1853-1910”| Great Britain Shannon Cronin anthropology “Evaluation of a Post-earthquake Reconstruction Program in Kathmandu” Nepal Hongxin Li kinesiology, health promotion, and recreation “Institutional Pluralism and the Organization’s Response: Chinese Women’s Ice Hockey Club as a Case Study” China Juana Monsalve Mejia vocal studies “Maria Teresa Prieto’s Seis Melodias: An Analysis of the Text-Music Relationship” Mexico Gerard Munyazikwiye physics “Analyzing Rwandan Air Samples Using Micro-Pixe at ION Beam Modification and Analysis Laboratory (IBMAL)” Rwanda Farzana Rashid computer science and engineering “Reasons of Collegiality in Conversations: Analyzing its Effects on Professional Success” Italy Meredith Winn political science “Stranger in a Strange Land: The Impact of Far-Right Parties on Immigrant Political Behavior” France, Switzerland, United Kingdom