Cultivating Excellence: A Collaborative Global Fellowship Initiative

This poster presentation will spotlight the Tyler Center for Global Studies Fellowship–a program for advancing global undergraduate research. The Fellowship’s aim is to promote impactful undergraduate research that contributes to an awareness of and appreciation for global mindedness. FSU partners with the Tyler Center as coordinating institution to accomplish this mission, managing the network of Tyler Center institutional partners and their respective Tyler Fellows. The impacts of the Tyler Center are preliminary to date. Survey feedback from five pilot participants helped discern the strengths and weaknesses of the Tyler Center model. Successful cases of students conducting research in several geographic areas confirm the advantages of this model for producing diverse scholarship, strengthening research skills, and promoting global competencies. However, feedback from grantee institutions pointed to the need for more robust support to be able to adhere to the mission and vision of the Tyler Center. From survey feedback, FSU identified two categories for improvement. First, the expectations for undergraduate international research needed to be refined in the fellowship program parameters. Second, the Center needed to strategically amplify cohort engagement among Tyler Fellows. These two initiatives are integral for producing high-caliber scholarship and maintaining a sense of community among the Fellows. By providing substantial support in the form of coordination and program management, FSU is prepared to realize the full potential of the Tyler Center. The impacts of FSU’s collaboration with the Tyler Center will be assessed through pre- and post-surveys administered to grantee institutions.