COIL Faculty Fellows Program-Africa (Cohort 4)

Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is an educational methodology focused on fostering online intercultural learning experiences within universities in different countries. Michigan State University’s Center for Global Learning and Innovation, Alliance for African Partnership (AAP), African Studies Center(ASC), and the Tanzania Partnership Program (TPP) are pleased to announce the launch of the fourth cohort of the COIL Faculty Fellows Program-Africa. Prior experience in COIL is not required; faculty from any discipline are welcome!

Team (pair) formed by one MSU faculty and one African university faculty (see list below)
Each team will be supported with US$2,000 (US$1,000/faculty).

List

Notes:

Faculty is being defined as "an individual who holds a higher-education teaching position – e.g., professor, lecturer, academic staff with teaching appointments, etc."
An individual's decision to take part in this fellowship program should be made in consultation with their department chair and/or work supervisor.
All applications will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis, and the selection committee is expecting to receive only submissions for bilateral COIL projects (one MSU faculty and one African university faculty - see list above).
At MSU: faculty/academic staff may need to complete an Outside Work for Pay form; honoraria are taxable.
Outside of MSU: please consult your own institutional regulations.

2. COIL Project

Each individual part of a team must already have an existing academic course in mind to be "COILed;" this means a course that they are teaching at their own institution in 2027 which can be slightly restructured or modified to incorporate the COIL project. The courses do not need to be in the same field of study, nor do the instructors need to be affiliated with similar academic colleges.

Since the COIL project will connect two different classrooms, it's important that all academic courses are scheduled to run at their own institutions around the same time so students can collaborate with one another. Options of timeframes for this call for fellows are:

during Spring/27 (Jan 19 - May 7, 2027),
during Summer/27 (May 17 - Aug 20, 2027), or
during Fall/27 (Aug 30 - Dec 17, 2027).

While the COIL project will be defined by each team of faculty fellows during the fellowship program, applicants should plan for COIL projects (at least 3 weeks long) that focus on providing an intercultural exchange through collaborative activities across institutions, and that focus on one or more AAP priority areas.

3. Fellowship Program Activities

In addition to the honoraria mentioned above, faculty fellows will receive extensive COIL training, which is currently estimated to cost at least US$350 for similar training taken directly through external partners. The program also includes opportunities for further engagement through online communities of practice, connections with COIL campus coordinators, and a future COIL symposium.

During the 5-week COIL training (October 23 to November 20, 2026), teams are expected to work on their COIL projects through a mix of asynchronous and synchronous activities.

Notes:

Synchronous activities will always take place on Fridays starting at 8am or 9am (U.S. Eastern Time).
In total, all synchronous activities will take about 7-10 hours, but teams are expected to work together on their COIL projects outside of these meeting hours.
During the last synchronous session, each team will present their ideas/vision for their COIL project and receive feedback.
All required synchronous sessions will be recorded for participants' convenience.
Teams will be required to 1) submit a final report after their 2027 COIL project is implemented and 2) contribute to the 2028 COIL Symposium.

4. Application Process

We are expecting team applications to our program based on the following:

- Team Application Form:

Due on Sunday September 20, 2026 (11:59pm Eastern Time)
Submit it via the link: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3QwPLsn5sqrCF0O
Only one application per team is required, and teams must submit information about themselves, the respective courses being "COILed", and a document containing their shared reasoning for the following:

Explain how their COIL project relates to one or more of the AAP priority areas.

Explain their initial overall shared vision for the COIL project, focusing on the intercultural and collaborative components.

Explain the benefits of their COIL project for their students, their institutions, and themselves as course instructors.

Note: specifics about the COIL project will be defined by each team during the fellowship program; this is merely an initial brainstorming idea.

Individuals in search of a teammate can submit an interest form (see details below).

- Individual Interest Form:

Due on Sunday August 23, 2026 (11:59pm Eastern Time)
Submit it via the link: https://msu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0TxszCRqS6MBozA
After the deadline has passed, individuals will be notified about other individuals who are also looking for teammates.

Note: Submitting the individual interest form does not guarantee that you will find a teammate. We are merely the bridge: you are responsible for contacting potential teammates and collaborating with them in preparation for your team application submission.