TSU-AIIS Faculty Development Seminar in India
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CAORC & COE-LWRM Overseas
Faculty Development Seminar

India: Traditions and Innovations in Agriculture and Forestry

Delhi, Dehradun, Coimbatore, and Agra

This Overseas Faculty Development Seminar is administered by CAORC in collaboration with the American Institute of Indian Studies, and designed for faculty of the institutional members of The 1890 Center of Excellence in Land, Water, and Resource Management (COE-LWRM). The OFDS award supports participation in a two-week seminar that includes travel to the cities of Delhi, Dehradun, Coimbatore, and Agra. 

The program explores contemporary challenges and emerging opportunities in India’s forestry and agricultural sectors, with particular attention to natural resource management and conservation, forest health, and ecosystem health. Participants will examine how India’s rapid development intersects with issues of water quality and the adoption of precision agriculture and artificial intelligence to enhance productivity. Through collaboration with university faculty and NGO researchers, participants will engage in specialist-led site visits and cultural excursions, gaining a deeper understanding of India’s rich history, culture, languages, religions, and contemporary society. These experiences will inform discussions and strategies for professional and workforce development in the context of global agricultural challenges.
 

​Seminar dates: May 10 - May 23, 2026

 

Meet the AIIS Seminar Leaders

Information about the seminar leaders will be available soon. Check back for updates.

Eligibility

 

The program is open to faculty of the institutional members of The 1890 Center of Excellence for Center of Excellence in Land, Water, and Resource Management (COE-LWRM): 
 

  • Alabama A&M University

  • Florida A&M University

  • Fort Valley State University

  • Langston University

  • Lincoln University

  • Prairie View A&M University

  • Southern University

  • Tennessee State University

  • University of Maryland at Eastern Shore


Applicants must be U.S. citizens at the time of application and must hold a valid, current U.S. passport that does not expire within six months of the last date of the program. Applicants must individually apply for and receive a visa from the government of India to participate.
 

Program Expectations

As an outcome of the Overseas Faculty Development Seminar program, participants are required to develop and implement a project to increase internationalization on their campus. Details and examples of these projects will be shared with awardees during pre-departure orientation. Projects should be implemented within one year of the conclusion of the program, at which time participants will be asked to submit a project report and share curriculum and/or documentation of the project for inclusion on CAORC's Open Educational Resources site.

Application Process

Applications can be accessed via CAORC's SM Apply application portal. You must sign up for an account to access the seminar application. This will allow you to save and return to your application before submitting. Please save your login/password information for future applications.

​In addition to providing basic personal and professional information, applicants are required to respond to the following essay questions (up to 500 words each):

  1. Discuss your background and experience, elucidating your personal interest in joining this Overseas Faculty Development Seminar, with a focus on the region and/or seminar theme. Provide details about your current engagement with these subjects in your teaching, research, campus activities, or community initiatives. (500 words)

  2. Articulate how your participation in the seminar will contribute to your professional growth, particularly in enhancing your teaching, research methods, and/or contribution to global education on your campus. (500 words)

  3. Outline a proposal for your post-seminar project, describing how participation in this seminar will directly impact your teaching, curriculum, and/or research. Specify the projects, courses, or activities you envision resulting from the seminar. Furthermore, discuss how your OFDS experience might be multiplied for the benefit of your students, colleagues, institution, and/or community. (500 words)

  4. Share a specific occasion when you encountered attitudes, perspectives, values, or behaviors different from your own. Explain your response and reflect on what you learned about yourself and your attitudes from the experience. (500 words)

 

​In addition, applicants are required to:

  • ​Upload a current cv/resume (maximum of 3 pages)

  • Request a letter of support from a department chair, academic division head, or academic dean at your college or institution. You will be able to send a link to your recommender via the online grant portal, SM Apply, by entering their contact details, which will trigger the system into sending an automated email. Your recommender will then be able to upload their letter. Recommendation letters will be confidential in the system.​In their letter, the recommender should address the following questions/points:

    1. ​​Please tell us why you support the applicant’s participation in the CAORC faculty development seminar. From your perspective, how will they benefit professionally from the program?

    2. Please describe the applicant’s engagement with your institution’s internationalization efforts and how their participation in the seminar might benefit students, colleagues, and the broader campus community.

    3. Please discuss the applicant’s collegiality, teamwork, and professionalism. How have they demonstrated the ability to cooperate, work, and share with others to achieve goals and positive outcomes?

  • It is advisable to enter your recommender's contact details into the recommendation letter section of the application as soon as possible (and click 'mark as complete') so that they have sufficient time to complete and upload their letter. The applicant is responsible for checking in with their recommender to ensure the letter is submitted by the recommender deadline. CAORC is not able to reach out to recommenders on behalf of the applicant. 

Opening date for applications: November 7, 2025

Application deadline: January 5, 2025 at 5:00pm ET

Recommendation letter deadline: January 9, 2025 at 5:00pm ET

Seminar Dates: May 10-23, 2026

If you have questions, please email: fellowships@caorc.org.

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