- What is the purpose of the Centers for International Business (CIBE) program?
- What kinds of activities can be supported with grant funds?
- How often are competitions generally held?
- What is the duration of the average grant and what is the average annual grant amount?
- Is there a cost matching requirement? If so, are in-kind contributions acceptable as part of the grantee’s match?
- What are the reporting requirements for grantees? What kind of records and data should be maintained or collected in order to complete required reports?
- What are the requirements for the evaluation of funded projects?
- Are there program-wide performance measures?
- What are a few concrete examples of allowable activities?
1. What is the purpose of the Centers for International Business (CIBE) program?
The CIBE program increases and promotes the nation's capacity for international understanding and economic enterprise and promotes educational training activities that contribute to the ability of the United States to prosper in an international economy. CIBEs serve as national resources for the teaching of improved business strategies which emphasize the international context in which business is transacted. They provide instruction in critical foreign languages and international fields in order to improve understanding of the cultures of countries that trade with the United States. CIBEs engage in outreach activities to other institutions of higher education and provide research and training opportunities in international aspects of trade and provide export assistance and training for the business community.TOP
2. What kinds of activities can be supported with grant funds?
Grant funds can be used for faculty salaries for teaching and research; for faculty or students overseas travel; for curriculum development; and for outreach to assist other institutions to improve their international business curriculum.TOP
3. How often are competitions generally held?
Competitions are held every four years.TOP
4. What is the duration of the average grant and what is the average annual grant amount?
Each grant is awarded for four years. The average annual award was $386,000 in FY 2010.TOP
5. Is there a cost matching requirement? If so, are in-kind contributions acceptable as part of the grantee’s match?
The CIBE program has a cost-sharing requirement which requires institutions to match 50 percent of the total cost of each project; in-kind contributions are an acceptable match.TOP
6. What are the reporting requirements for grantees? What kind of records and data should be maintained or collected in order to complete required reports?
Grant recipients are required to submit interim and annual performance reports through the International Resource Information System (IRIS). Grantees are expected to report on the following categories:
- Objectives and Accomplishments
- Adjustments to Project
- Exemplary Activities
- International Travel
- Budget – Use of Funds and Expected Use
- International Business Courses
- Language Courses
- Program Graduates
- International Research
- Professional Development Programs
- Outreach Activities
7. What are the requirements for the evaluation of funded projects?
All funded projects must have an evaluation plan for their grant and report on evaluation activities in accordance with that plan through the International Resource Information System (IRIS).
The evaluation plan should discuss goals, objectives, performance measures to monitor progress, data gathering techniques, funding, and personnel. Activities should focus on both formative and summative evaluation. The formative evaluation will provide feedback to you on your progress in meeting goals and objectives and reveal areas for improvement. The summative evaluation should focus on outcomes and should be completed by an independent evaluator that does not have a relationship with your project.TOP
8. Are there program-wide performance measures?
Yes. The Department will use the following measures to evaluate the success of the CIBE program:
Performance Measure 1: Percent of graduates of a doctoral or master's, including MBA, program with significant international business concentration at the postsecondary institution who are employed in business-related fields, including teaching at a business school.
Performance Measure 2: Percentage of Centers for International Business Education projects judged to be successful by the program officer, based on a review of information provided in annual performance reports.
Efficiency measure: cost per master's, including MBA, degree recipient or doctoral graduate employed in business-related fields, including teaching in a business school.TOP
9. What are a few concrete examples of allowable activities?
- Taking a group of faculty for a 14-day trip to China to learn about business conditions
- Developing a new undergraduate International Business (IB) major that incorporates new research on "green" technologies into the curriculum
- Revising an existing MBA program to provide updated information on the four BRIC nations: Brazil, Russia, India and China
- Holding a two-day workshop for U.S. business on how to export water-related technologies and equipment to the Middle East