Call for Proposals – For transformative programs in French and Francophone studies
French departments and programs can be found in a wide range of institutions across the United States, from community colleges to public and private colleges and universities. In recent years, these programs have undergone significant transformations. They have embraced the concept of Francophonie, worked towards the inclusion of minoritized students, adapted to world language standards, utilized modern technology in innovative ways, and developed professionalizing opportunities for students. Leaders in the field have successfully addressed these and other challenges.
To further support the growth and diversification of French and Francophone studies in colleges and universities, the French Embassy in the United States and the Albertine Foundation have partnered to fund innovative projects, including immersive internship programs in Francophone countries. The aim is to improve the quality of programs and departments in this field and increase enrollments. Through a call for proposals, projects that exemplify the dynamic and practical nature of learning French today, and/or create opportunities for professional immersion in French-speaking countries, will be identified and supported.
Grant amounts will range from $2,000 to $20,000, depending on the anticipated impact and matching funds. Matching funds from the institution or other sources are not mandatory but they are strongly encouraged.
Objectives
Projects should be able to:
Applications should include a reflection on the following:
Relevant examples
Some projects that received a grant from the French Embassy last year:
The project “Professionalizing Pathways for Learners of French” at UC Berkeley has achieved considerable progress in less than a year. It introduces a “Professional Path” program leading to a “French for Professional Purposes” certificate granted to students who follow Professional French coursework, internships in French, and 2 department-level courses. New professional French courses have been added (French for Economics, Politics, and Business / French for Art World and Cultural Institutions / French for Environment, Science, and Medicine) and guidelines have been created for internships in French-speaking environments (either local or abroad). UC Berkeley is also organizing a series of conferences with guest speakers on social sciences. Plans include recruiting a graduate student for evaluation and presenting at national conferences. This project strengthens French language education and collaborations with local and international partners.
At Duke University, the selected project aims to reimagine their French language and culture curriculum from a lens of sustainability (both cultural and environmental). The grantees are establishing partnerships with other departments on campus and with collaborators (locally and abroad) whose work intersects with sustainability to have an interdisciplinary approach and to show the vital contribution that the study of Global French can make to their students’ understanding of how grounded questions of sustainability are in communities and cultures.
At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the grantees developed a new “French Food for Thought”, a general education course introducing the concept of French culinary history to an introductory course. The final goal is to expose the campus to more cultural learning and to make students work with the French-speaking population in their community. Their biggest focus is helping with integration: education, healthcare, and other options.
In particular, for proposals pertaining to internship programs:
Should help French departments meet the demands of today’s students and global workplace by demonstrating the use of French as a professional resource,
Contribute to the acquisition of cultural and linguistic skills,
Attract talented young professionals to France and Francophone countries, especially those who have not previously traveled/lived abroad,
Give students the opportunity to put their learning into practice and acquire professional experience.
Internship programs may take the form of an agreement with a French (or Francophone-country-based) corporation, business, or institution to reserve a certain number of places for interns each year, an internship requirement built into a course sequence, or career center support for international internship searches and logistics. Funds will be disbursed to cover expenses associated with developing organizational partnerships and internship contacts.
Universities should prioritize internship projects that span disciplines, reach new audiences, and combine language, culture, and career training in innovative ways. The goal is to help French departments build collaborations that equip students for professional experiences in Francophone countries.
In developing your project application, consider the following:
What relationships does your university already have with organizations, both public and private, in Francophone countries? How might these relationships be expanded and strengthened?
What specialties does your French department have that can be built upon? For instance, do you offer courses in medical French or French for business? How could these courses be connected to potential internship partners?
What internships can you offer that will motivate students in other disciplines to join French courses (and attain a B1+ level in French)?
What internships can you offer for students with Francophone backgrounds who may not take classes in a French program or department?
For further inspiration, explore these existing internship programs:
The University of Rhode Island integrates language and professional experience through its innovative International Engineering Program, which combines engineering with language study. Through this five-year program, students earn two bachelor’s degrees and spend one year abroad – an experience that includes a semester of study at a partner institution abroad and a six-month international internship. With a goal of training students in global competencies, this program makes the most of cross-departmental collaboration and international experience.
Washington University in St. Louis’s Healthcare in France Program offers participants a unique opportunity to experience the French medical system firsthand through a five-week internship in Nice. During their stay, students shadow doctors at the CHU Hôpital Pasteur, hear from a wide range of health professionals, and participate in academic, cultural, and linguistic activities with local families. By combining medical studies with a deep dive into French culture and language, students gain unique insights into global health and a formative experience to apply to their future studies.
All US-based post-secondary institutions are eligible and encouraged to apply.
K-12 institutions and other stakeholders can be supporting partners but may not apply for funding.
Projects must be supported by the department chair, program head, or dean.
Project coordinators can have any role in their institution (tenured faculty, graduate student instructors, administrators, part-time faculty).
General overhead or administrative costs cannot be covered by the grant. This includes salaries for teachers and other staff. Funding will be provided to institutions directly.
Examples of eligible expenses:
– Cost for training or professional development workshops
– Materials (e.g. technology, books, office supplies)
– Stipends for project design and implementation, where appropriate and reasonable
Selected projects will receive grants ranging from $2,000 to $20,000. Matching funds are encouraged whenever possible, depending on the institutional context. Applications must include all proposed matching funds and specify whether or not they have already been approved.
Selection criteria
Projects will be selected using the following criteria:
1. For transformative projects
a. How transformative is the project for the French and Francophone studies department or program?
b. How realistic is the proposal? Are the targeted goals in line with the proposed work plan?
c. How scalable is the project? We are looking for pilots that can inspire others.
d. How sustainable will the impact of the project be?
2. For internships
a. How realistic is the proposal? (Have administrative obstacles been taken into account? Have key departments, I.e. study abroad, been contacted?)
b. How scalable is the project? We are looking for pilots that can inspire others.
c. Will the program and its impacts be durable?
d. How immersive is the program?
Timeline
The call for proposals is open from October 15th, 2023 to January 30th, 2024.
Selection results will be communicated in early March 2024.
Projects should start between late March 2024 and September 2024.
Projects should last a minimum of 2 years, including time for evaluation and dissemination.
How to apply
Please fill out this online form with all major information regarding the project.
Supporting documents to be uploaded via the form include:
o A professional resume of the project coordinator highlighting, inter alia, experience in project management or innovative teaching (2 pages maximum)
o Letters of support from your department/program, from all internal and external partners, and your institution’s leadership
o If relevant, references to supporting documents that clarify the rationale for the project or offer evidence of likely success (scholarly articles/presentations, blog posts, etc.)
Only complete applications will be taken into consideration.
Elisa Schilling-Alvarez, Higher Education Officer elisa.alvarez@frenchculture.org