Canadian Studies Center :: Strategic Partnership Grants

The Canadian Studies Center awards Strategic Partnership Grants (SPGs) to core faculty members pursing collaborative research with Canadian partners. Grant funds are provided by the Provost and the Dean of International Studies and Programs (ISP) to strengthen strategic partnerships with Canadian universities and promote interdisciplinary research and collaboration.

SPG funds will provide partial support for travel and other related costs to develop strategic partnerships, both for MSU faculty and their partners coming from abroad. The applicant faculty member’s college, department, and other institutes will be expected to share the costs, a minimum of 20% of the grant amount, to ensure that the commitment to long-term partnering is shared by departments and colleges.

Strategic partnerships may involve:

collaborative research between MSU faculty and Canadian peers
regular exchange of faculty and students between MSU and Canadian institutions
co-developed distance learning courses, including courses with a collaborative online international education (COIL) component
co-sponsored dual degree programs with Canadian institutions
other forms of cooperation that build institutional partnerships and further interdisciplinary research

Successful awardees will be asked to complete a short report about their trip and project next steps upon their return.

Please see attachments for application instructions. Core faculty with questions about SPG funds should contact Center Director Rebecca Malouin.

CSC SPG Description and Instructions.pdf

CSC SPG BudgetTemplate.xlsx

Core faculty describe how SPG funds furthered their international collaboration

Professor of Engineering Carl Boehlert on his SPG-funded work with faculty at the Université Laval.

Professor Michael Everett on his SPG-funded work with colleagues at the University of Saskatchewan

2024-2025 SPG Award Recipients:

Michael Lockett, Ph.D.

Dept. of Integrated Arts and Humanities

Project Title: AB/BC: Sport and Culture in the Canadian Rockies

This SPG-funded project will include site visits to universities and sports arenas in Alberta and British Columbia to establish an education abroad course for MSU students interested in sport and culture in western Canada.

Laura Macdonald, Ph.D.

Residential College in the Arts and Humanities

Project Title: Women-centered Storytelling and Nostalgic Fandom (or, What You Oughta Know About the Jagged Little Pill musical)

This project will facilitate engagement between MSU and University of Windsor theater scholars interested in the Jagged Little Pill musical, based on Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette's iconic 1995 album.

Candice Chovanec, MFA

Dept. of Art, Art History and Design

Project Title: Faces and Traces: A Cross-Border Portrait Project

This SPG-funded Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project virtually connected MSU art students with students at the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto. Students collaborated on portraits which were later exhibited in Toronto with some MSU students and faculty in attendance.

2023-2024 SPG Award Recipients:

Crystal Eustice, Ph.D. and Michael Evertett, Ph.D.

Dept. of Community Sustainability

Project Title: Collaborative Teaching and Learning Between MSU and the University of Saskatchewan

This SPG-funded project aimed to develop networking and collaborative opportunities for knowledge between MSU and the University of Saskatchewan regarding diversity, equity, and inclusivity across undergraduate and graduate curricula.

d'Ann de Simone, MFA

Dept. of Art, Art History, and Design

Project Title: Exploratory Trip to set up an Education Abroad in Toronto

SPG funds were awarded to allow for travel to the Ontario College of Art and Design University in Toronto, Ontario, to explore the logistics for a potential education aboard and exchange for MSU students in the art, art history, and design program.

2022-2023 SPG Award Recipients:

Grace Pregent, Ph.D.

The Writing Center

Project Title: Community Literacies and Engagement Across Borders: A Strategic US-Canada Higher Education Partnership

SPG funds were awarded to support the development and execution of an education abroad course in Canada for MSU students.

2021-2022 SPG Award Recipients:

Carl Boehlert, Ph.D.

Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Material Science

Project Title: Collaboration with Laval University on the Study of Corrosion of Metals and Alloys

SPG funds were awarded to support collaborative research with Dr. Hendra Hermawan and graduate students at the Université of Laval.

Caroline Szczepanski, Ph.D.
Dept. of Chemical Engineering and Material Science

Project Title: Supporting growing collaborations in materials, wood sciences, and forestry between MSU and Université Laval.

SPG funds were awarded to further work in Canada and to develop joint research with Véronic Landry at the Université of Laval.

Emily S. Huff, Ph.D.
Dept. of Forestry

Project Title: Climate sensitive social dependencies: Developing a collaborative team

This SPG award supported travel between MSU and the University of Waterloo to engage faculty members with diverse expertise to form research collaborations, as well as expand on existing collaboration with Dr. Grant Gunn.