Global Challenges Teaching Awards
The Global Challenges Teaching Awards support pairs of teaching faculty—one at a US higher education institution (HEI) and one at a UK HEI—in co-delivering virtual exchange programs for undergraduates that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The Global Challenges Teaching Awards support pairs of teaching faculty—one at a US higher education institution (HEI) and one at a UK HEI—in co-delivering virtual exchange programs for undergraduates that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. This cycle focuses on four key global challenges:
- Climate Action
- Disinformation and Misinformation
- Health Inequality
- Peace and Justice
These awards aim to expand access to global exchange opportunities by addressing the limitations of traditional in-person exchanges, which can face economic and environmental challenges. By embracing virtual exchange, we aim to better address the urgency and relevance of these global challenges.
We're seeking courses tackling the pressing issues of climate action, disinformation and misinformation, health inequality, and peace and justice. The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) pedagogy is well-suited for inter-disciplinary collaborations, so no matter your field, we encourage you to join us in addressing these challenges.
What's included?
- Honorarium: $7000/£5510 for each faculty awardee, paid in two instalments.
- Institutional Support Fee: $3000/£2360 for the awardee’s higher education institution, payable upon completion of the professional development programme.
- Travel Funding: for the awardee and a member of administrative staff to the US/UK to visit their partner institution, up to a value of $7500/£5900.
- Professional Development and Mentoring: Tailored COIL-modelled blended professional development and customized mentoring led by VE/COIL experts from AAC&U, designed for teaching faculty, instructional designers, and academic administrators.
1. Review Eligibility Criteria
To be eligible for the Global Challenges Teaching Award, you must meet the following requirements:
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Be employed by a university or higher education institution (HEI) in the US or the UK, or their sovereign territories
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Regularly teach undergraduates as part of your role at the university
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If applying from the UK, you must be eligible to apply for an ESTA visa waiver or hold existing clearance to enter the USA
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If applying from the US, you must be eligible to enter the UK under the Electronic Travel Authorization or hold existing clearance to enter the UK
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Be able to provide evidence of support from your home university or HEI
While we welcome applications from institutions with prior COIL experience, we encourage applications from those seeking to establish or expand their international collaboration efforts.
Previous Fulbright Scholar Award recipients are eligible to apply, provided their prior award was completed at least two years ago (i.e. before August 2023).
2. Review Application Information
Read the Global Challenges Teaching Award Application Information
Review the Fulbright Commission Privacy Notice
Ensure you familiarise yourself with the specific information related to the award you are applying for.
3. Apply Online
Complete an online application.
The online application consists of:
- Biographical and institutional information
- Short answer questions related to your proposed module
- Three referee nominations:
- One from the Department Head
- One from your institution's international office
- One from an external referee
- Supplemental form
You will also need to upload the following documents:
- A teaching-focused resume/Curriculum Vitae
- A class syllabus
Important note: references must be submitted by the application deadline of Monday 10th March 2025.
Application Timeline
Tuesday, 10 December 2024, 9am GMT
Applications open
Monday, 10 March 2025, 5pm GMT
Deadline for applications
March to May 2025
Screening of applications by the US-UK Fulbright Commission followed by review by reading panels. You should not expect to hear from the Commission during this time, and staff will be unable to comment on the process or an individual application’s status.
June to July 2025
Shortlisted candidates must be available for interviews, which will be held online before the end of June 2025. You will be given at least one week to prepare for the interview. Interviews will consist of a group interview and an individual interview. Candidates who have not been selected for interview will be notified via email before interviews begin. Please check your spam/junk folders for updates.
End of July 2025
All candidates will be notified of the interview outcome.
August 2025
Orientation and Commencement of AAC&U Institute on VE/COIL
January 2026
Part 2 of Institute on VE/COIL
Autumn 2026
Course delivery with partner
About the Awards
Yes, you can apply with a co-taught or team-taught course. You will need to nominate a primary applicant whose name is on the application and who will be the primary contact, but you can reference the fact that it is a co-taught course in the application.
There is no fee to participate in the GCTA programme. The award benefits include a $2500/£2000 technical support fee for the awardee’s higher education institution. This will be payable on completion of the professional development and is intended to cover any costs incurred by the institution through their participation in the programme. It is entirely up to the institution how they use this money.
Yes, any faculty teaching an accredited course at a UK or US higher education institution are welcome to apply. It is important that all applicants have the support of their institution for their application, and you will need to submit letters of support from your Department and International Office to confirm this.
No, you can only apply for one award and you can only submit one application.
No, applying for a Global Challenges Teaching Award does not prevent you from applying for other Fulbright awards in the same application cycle. This award is being run by the US-UK Fulbright Commission independently of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarships Board, so applicants are not subject to FFSB approval. Previous Fulbright award recipients are welcome to apply provided they completed their Fulbright award at least two years ago.
No, any faculty who teach an accredited course at a higher education institution in either the US or the UK, or their overseas territories, are welcome to apply. Applicants need the support of their institution and must be eligible for the Electronic Travel Authorisation (US applicants) or US ESTA (UK applicants), or have an existing entry clearance, for the visits to the partner institution.
How does the award work?
The professional development will take place online in two stages from August 2025 through November 2025 and January 2026 to March 2026. Professional development will be made up of synchronous and asynchronous activities, as well as regular workshops, check ins, and mentoring sessions with the US-UK Fulbright Commission and AAC&U staff.
The Collaborative Online International Education (COIL) pedagogy professional development is a crucial component of this award. The faculty member (main applicant), an instructional designer (or similar), and an administrator from their institution will participate in the professional development alongside their counterparts from the other side of the Atlantic. The professional development occurs in two stages from August 2025 through November 2025 and January 2026 to March 2026, spanning 20 weeks.
While some sessions require scheduled attendance, other activities can be completed asynchronously. The exact number of hours will be agreed upon between the awardees at the beginning of professional development, but as a minimum, we expect awardees to commit to 5 hours of professional development per week. A similar commitment would be required by the administrator and instructional designer.
You do not need to specify the administrator or instructional designer in the application. If you are shortlisted for an interview, you will be asked to confirm who the administrator and instructional designer would be if you were to receive the award. Both the administrator and the instructional designer will be invited to participate in the partnering process and will be expected to participate in the professional development.
The administrator should be someone involved with international programmes at your institution. The instructional designer, COIL coordinator, or similar individual should be someone who will provide pedagogical support to instructors and help determine and implement appropriate technologies for the partnership’s instructional needs and envisioned student tasks.
Both the administrator and instructional designer will be involved in the interview process and will also undergo professional development and campus visits. This collaboration aims to establish more enduring connections between the two institutions.
If you are unsure about selecting the right individuals to work with you on this project, please feel free to get in touch.
The campus visits will be scheduled to accommodate the timetables of both institutions. The duration and exact timing of the visits should be convenient for both parties, but we expect them to last between 5 days to 2 weeks. We recommend that the faculty member and one administrative support team member visit the campus during this period, though we encourage all team members to join if convenient for both teams.
The visit's main aim is to provide awardees with a better understanding of the other institution, allow them to connect with their collaborator, and establish the foundation for a long-term relationship between the two institutions. Recommended activities include meeting with university leadership and students, campus tours, delivering an outreach session on COIL and the GCTA partnership, and further developing details for the shared COIL course.
Please feel free to contact either the US-UK Fulbright Commission or AAC&U for support or suggestions for activities during the visit. It’s important to note that the campus visit is optional, and awardees who would prefer to conduct a fully virtual visit are welcome to do so.
The campus visits will be scheduled to accommodate the timetables of both institutions. The duration and exact timing of the visits should be convenient for both parties, but we expect them to last for 1 or 2 weeks. We recommend that the faculty member and one administrative support team member visit the campus during this period.
The visit's main aim is to provide awardees with a better understanding of the other institution, allow them to connect with their collaborator, and establish the foundation for a long-term relationship between the two institutions. Recommended activities include meeting with university leadership and students, campus tours, delivering an outreach session on COIL and the GCTA partnership, and further developing details for the shared COIL course.
Please feel free to contact either the US-UK Fulbright Commission or AAC&U for support or suggestions for activities during the visit. It’s important to note that the campus visit is optional, and awardees who would prefer to conduct a fully virtual visit are welcome to do so.
The award consists of three financial benefits, all of which will be disbursed by the US-UK Fulbright Commission.
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An honorarium of $7000/£5550 for the awardee (faculty member). This can be spent however faculty see fit. The honorarium will be paid out in two payments, the first at the start of the professional development, the second on completion of the professional development.
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A technical support fee of $3000/£2360 for the awardee’s higher education institution. This will be payable on completion of the professional development.
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Travel for the awardee and a member of administrative staff to the US/UK to visit their partner institution, up to a value of $7500/£5900. This will be paid to the institution for them to book flights, accommodation, etc., on the awardee’s behalf and to disburse funds as per their departmental regulations.
The course you apply with
Yes, the course should be credit-bearing at your institution. Students who take the class will continue to receive the same credits for the course as they would normally. The virtual exchange elements of the course will take place to enhance the course.
As part of their participation in the module, students will receive a certificate of completion from the US-UK Fulbright Commission, recognizing the skills they’ve acquired in global citizenship, cultural exchange, and cross-cultural communication.
The course needs to directly address the global challenge, but it is not required for every class to be specifically related to the topic. For the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) pedagogy to be effective, we recommend at least 5-8 weeks (about 2 months) worth of material that directly addresses the subject. As a minimum, there should be 5 weeks of content directly related to the chosen global challenge. Additionally, the learning outcomes for the course should be directly aligned with the selected global challenge and the associated UN Sustainability Development Goal.
Successful applicants will be paired with a course from the US/UK that also addresses one of the global challenges of climate change and climate action/ disinformation and misinformation/ heath inequality/ peace and justice. The specific courses for pairing will be determined during the selection process.
Applicants should anticipate being paired with a course with a different focus or from a different discipline. The COIL pedagogy is designed to work across disciplines and the professional development programme will guide you through building a COIL component between the two courses. Therefore, there is no need to pre-emptively outline adaptations to your course in your application. Instead, the application should emphasize the importance of your current course and the benefits to your course, your students, and your institution of participating in the virtual exchange programme.
No, you can only apply with a course that you have taught previously. The virtual exchange/COIL course is designed as an enhancement of an existing course. Therefore, it is crucial that you have previous experience teaching the material to students before proposing it for this virtual exchange.
Additionally, it is essential that the virtual exchange course is approved by university boards before delivery in the Autumn/Fall 2026 semester. The professional development and exchange have been structured to allow for module information to be finalised after the first professional development segment. Please contact us if you have any issues or concerns about the approval processes.
The course should cater to undergraduate students of any level. It needs to span at least eight weeks, with at least 5 of those weeks dedicated to material directly related to the chosen topic. There is no specific requirement for the number of teaching hours. The specific duration spent on the virtual exchange will be agreed upon between faculty members as part of the professional development programme. It is also not anticipated that all the hours taught on the current course will translate into live virtual sessions with partners abroad. While each course will continue to reach its existing learning outcomes, it will need to be adapted to accommodate collaborative activities between the two groups of students.
No, we are not seeking applications from specific disciplines. We welcome courses that address the award topics. If your course engages with these subjects, you are welcome to apply. The Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) pedagogy is well-suited for inter-disciplinary collaborations, and we encourage applicants from any discipline.
The course should cater to undergraduate students of any level. It needs to span at least eight weeks, with at least 5 of those weeks dedicated to material directly related to the chosen topic. There is no specific requirement for the number of teaching hours. The specific duration spent on the virtual exchange will be agreed upon between faculty members as part of the professional development programme. It is also not anticipated that all the hours taught on the current course will translate into live virtual sessions with partners abroad. While each course will continue to reach its existing learning outcomes, it will need to be adapted to accommodate collaborative activities between the two groups of students.
You can apply with any course that will be taught in the Autumn/Fall 2026 semester of the 2026-27 academic year.
Applicants can propose a fully online, fully in-person, or hybrid course to enhance via COIL.
No, you will apply as an individual applicant with the support of your home institution. We will select awardees and introduce them to their potential counterparts on the other side of the Atlantic.
If you already have a preferred collaborator in the US/UK, both parties should apply separately and note that they are applying as part of a partnered application. You will be asked additional questions around your partnership and collaboration. However, each applicant and their home institution should be open to working with whomever they are paired with through the process.
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)
Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a teaching and learning modality pioneered by The State University of New York (SUNY) COIL Center since 2004. COIL connects students and professors in different countries for collaborative projects and discussions as part of their coursework. This method identifies shared aspects between courses to develop collaborative activities and embed intercultural exchange into existing classes. COIL enhances intercultural student interaction through proven approaches to meaningful online engagement, providing significant opportunities for global experiences. It is the most widely adopted form of virtual exchange, fostering effective and productive cross-border relationships in over 100 countries.
To learn more about COIL and its impact on global education, visit: COIL's Impacts: Collaborative Online Learning | Florida International University.
No, you won’t have to rewrite or substantially rework your course. The virtual exchange is designed as an enhancement to your current curriculum, with collaborative activities and projects as supplements to regular classes. The professional development process will establish how the two courses intersect, ensuring a seamless integration. You won’t be combining or re-working two courses into one; instead, you will build on the connections established between the two courses during the design phase of the AAC&U Institute on VE/COIL.
Yes, applicants with previous experience of COIL are welcome to apply. In the application, you will be asked to confirm your level of experience with COIL and answer further questions on this.
About Applying
No, you can only apply with one course. We recommend that you carefully consider which course aligns most strongly with the chosen award and has learning outcomes that are most directly related to the award subject.
No, since you do not yet know the specific course, your application will be paired with, there is no need to pre-emptively outline collaborative activities. Instead, we will ask you to provide short-answer responses regarding the course you have taught previously and the benefits that participation in a virtual exchange course would bring to you, your course, your students, and your institution.
The letter from the international office needs to outline your institutions priorities around internationalisation. It also needs to demonstrate support for the hosting a virtual exchange course and commit a member of the institutions’ administrative staff to undertaking the professional development programme alongside the faculty member.
The letter does not need to name the administrator at the point of application, but if you are shortlisted for an interview, we will ask you to confirm who the administrator would be. The letter does not necessarily need to come from the International Office, and it may be that there is another person at your institution who is better placed to confirm support for the application. If you have any questions about who you should be asking for this letter of support, please get in touch.
The reference from the department head needs to outline the benefits of the virtual exchange course to the department. It also needs to demonstrate the department’s support for hosting a virtual exchange and commit to offering the course as an accredited course choice to undergraduates in the 2026-2027 academic year. There may be more than one person in your department who can make these commitments. If so, the letter can come from either of them. If you have any questions about who you should be asking for this letter of support, please get in touch.
The third letter of support should be from someone outside your institution. It could be a former academic colleague or supervisor, a collaborator, a previous employer, or professional contact. The letter is closer to a standard reference letter and should comment on your general suitability for the award. They might like to mention your academic expertise, your teaching proficiency, your ability to collaborate and your conviction for your subject.
No, you do not need a letter of support from your instructional design department. You may find it useful to reach out to them to discuss your application as you will likely need their support to effectively deliver your COIL course.
The letters of support need to be submitted by your referees directly to our application portal. When you log in you will be able to request the right people to submit the letters directly. If your referees have any issues uploading their letters, please get in touch.
The deadline for written applications and all letters of support is Monday 10th March, 5pm GMT/12pm ET. Applications not submitted by this deadline will not be considered. If you have any technical difficulties in submitting your application, please get in touch.
We do not have any example applications. The best way to get a sense of what the application requires is to set up a profile and start an application in the portal. You can save and come back to the application at any time, so you do not need to complete and submit the application in one go.
If you have specific questions as you go through the process of applying, please get in touch. Please also attend our application webinars for faculty and administrators for more information on this award's application process and benefits.