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Funding to Seed the Development of New Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Initiatives

Through a generous allocation of funds from the Office of the Provost, and on behalf of the Provost's Interdisciplinary Team, the Graduate School is able to seed the development of promising new ideas at the intersection of traditional disciplines that offer the potential for evolving into new interdisciplinary graduate or professional programs. The Provost’s allocation follows the University’s 2005-06 strategic positioning initiative and the recommendations of several Task Forces that emphasized interdisciplinary research and scholarship, and the foundation on which these rest—strong graduate and professional education and training programs—as essential factors in attaining our institutional goal of becoming one of the world’s top three public research universities.

These funds are awarded through a competitive process managed by the Graduate School and are targeted toward new interdisciplinary graduate and professional education initiatives that have the potential for academic excellence and to advance the next generation of ideas. Qualifying programs may culminate in the award of a Ph.D. degree, a master’s or professional degree, a post-baccalaureate certificate, or may be a free-standing minor, or a formal track within an existing Graduate School Ph.D. program. 

Successful proposals will involve participation from more than one collegiate unit.  As with other interdisciplinary funds awarded by the Graduate School, a key criterion for awarding the new interdisciplinary funds will continue to be the extent to which the faculty and other resources required by an emerging interdisciplinary programmatic initiative will be drawn from multiple colleges. 

DEADLINE FOR PRE-PROPOSALS: APRIL 1, 2010

Fall 2009 Call for Pre-proposals for New Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Initiatives

Fall 2009 Pre-proposal Cover Sheet

Outcome of the spring 2007 Graduate School Call for Proposals for New Interdisciplinary Graduate Education Initiatives

Please direct questions about interdisciplinary funds to seed the development of new interdisciplinary Graduate School programs to gradoii@umn.edu.