For University of Vermont employees and students traveling internationally for UVM business or academic purposes, the University of Vermont is providing letters articulating the purpose of the travel as well as business cards with UVM emergency contacts.  These letters can be obtained by submitting the required information to your dean and their designated point of contact (See the contacts listed below).

 Information needed will include: 

• Name: [Full Name, as in Passport]
• University of Vermont Position: [Job title, or student level and program]
• Dates of [date of departure from US] and [date of reentry to US]
• Travel Destination(s) outside of US: [countries only– cities not needed]
• Purpose of Travel: [1-2 sentences on purpose of travel – ex: to present research at xyz conference; to engage in undergraduate student recruitment; to conduct field work focused on abc – keep it brief]

This letter may feel helpful for some UVM travelers whose circumstances would benefit from additional explanation as to the purpose of the travel. These letters will not prevent US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) from conducting their standard full review, which may include secondary inspection of some travelers. UVM travelers requesting a travel support letter should only present the letter if they are moved to secondary inspection by a CBP officer. Presenting such a letter at initial entry can create unnecessary confusion.

Clients of the Office of International Education are additionally encouraged to consult with the relevant OIE team prior to making any international travel plans.

Travelers who are concerned about computer searches should consider traveling with a loaner computer provided by ETS.  

CONTACTS:

• College of Agriculture and Life Sciences:      Stephanie Dion
• College of Arts and Sciences:    Paul Deslandes 
• College of Education and Social Services:     Pamela Blum
• College of Engineering and Mathematical Sciences:     Jacob Leopold
• College of Nursing and Health Sciences:     Martin Hoak
• Grossman School of Business:    Barb Arel
• Patrick Leahy Honors College:     Ian Grimmer
• Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources:     Rose Feenan
• Graduate College:      Taylor Page
• Larner College of Medicine:    Brian Cote

The International Partnerships and Programs office awarded six Global Catalyst Research Partnership Grants to faculty across campus in December 2024. These grants will contribute not only to faculty research initiatives but help grow the University of Vermont’s connections across array of partner institutions and their faculty. These partner institutions stretch across the world to include Brazil, Canada, France, Ireland, Vietnam, and Zambia.

The awarding office, International Partnerships and Programs, established in 2023, advances the university’s international strategic directions to enable the comprehensive internationalization of the campus. “Fostering research connections is certainly an important dimension of this internationalization,” according to Jamie McGowan, executive director of the office. “UVM faculty are well-placed to cultivate international research partnerships, and we find that faculty who do collaborate internationally tend to tap into opportunities that leverage unique expertise, field sites, data, and/or equipment, for instance, and they build important research relationships that can meaningfully catalyze their work,” she continues. Building mutually beneficial research relationships can also enable broader impacts on the university – from recruiting international students; enabling faculty, staff and student mobility; accessing international grant opportunities and the like.

This year’s Global Catalyst Research Partnership Awards went to the following principal investigators:

Eric Bishop-von Wettberg, Plant and Soil Science, Vietnam-US collaboration in plant biodiversity conservation

Katherine Creutzinger, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Integrating GPS and Bluetooth technology for cow-calf contact research: an international interdisciplinary collaboration

Kelsey Gleason, College of Nursing and Health Sciences, Land Use Change and Early Childhood Health Outcomes: A Brazil Case Study

Laurent Hébert-Dufresne, Computer Science, Vermont-Ireland Rural \& Temporal Inference Group (VIRTIGo)

Benjamin Lee, Pediatrics, The Zamont Project: A Zambia-Vermont Global Health Research Initiative

Rory Waterman, Chemistry, Development of a Collaboration Between the University of Vermont and the University of Rennes

Beyond these international research partnerships, the International Partnerships and Programs office is also working on a few other partnership opportunities.  A couple of these opportunities include extending a relationship from a study abroad connection with a university in Korea, where we are exploring focused research opportunities for UVM faculty at that institution. Another opportunity, in collaboration with the Graduate College, seeks to develop global partnerships that support curricular pathways to graduate school at the University of Vermont. If you are interested in exploring international partnerships, reach out to Jamie McGowan about your ideas and interests.

February 6, 2025

Join this session to learn more about applying for a faculty Fulbright Fellowship. A faculty panel comprised of several UVM faculty and presenters from International Partnerships and Programs as well as Research Development will highlight opportunities for pursuing a Fulbright. To join, contact Jamie McGowan for the Teams link.   

November 18-22, 2024

During this week, we host events, workshops, and discussions that promote the value of studying abroad, building international partnerships, and embracing diverse perspectives. By participating, students can expand their horizons, enhance their educational experience, and prepare for a global workforce.

During the 2023-24 academic year, six faculty members and staff, along with three recent alumni from the University of Vermont, received Fulbright grants. 

UVM Fulbright Awardees Forge Connections Around the World