Welcome to the Global Initiatives updates for faculty, researchers, and staff.  The newsletter presents opportunities for globally engaged research and teaching as well as celebrates the global engagement of our campus community and the partnerships we build and strengthen.  If you have global opportunities, highlights, or events to share that are relevant to faculty, researchers and staff, please email global@ucsd.edu by the 30th of each month. 

Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Infosession

Learn how the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) can help you do research in Japan. Please join UC San Diego and the JSPS for an infosession on funding opportunities in all disciplines for Master's and Ph.D. students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty and other researchers.

When: Thursday, November 20, 2025 from 11:30-12:30

Where: virtually with registration

Contact: Questions?  Email elangridge@ucsd.edu.

Discovery Research: Thriving with Bipolar Disorder

This program seeks multidisciplinary teams to collaborate and explore the fundamental mechanisms, heterogeneity, progression and underlying biology of bipolar disorder to dramatically improve systems of care and accelerate research.

Sponsor and contact: Breakthrough Discoveries, please reach out to the Office of Corporate and Foundation Relations at UC San Diego for further assistance

Applications due: November 21, 2025

Lafayette Fellowships

The French Embassy in the United States is launching this new scholarship program to support the next generations of young leaders who have a strong interest in the transatlantic relationship between France and the United States. The Fellowship emphasizes reflection on major global challenges and supports one year of master's level study in France.

Sponsor and contact: French Embassy in the United States; lafayettefellowship@villa-albertine.org

Applications due: November 30, 2025

University of California - University of Baja California (UABC) Call for Proposals

This Alianza MX funding opportunity provides up to $25,000 seed funding to collaborative projects addressing 'sustainable food systems and binational food security,' 'mental health and social cohesion in contexts of vulnerability,' or 'energy transition and sustainability of critical materials.' Proposals need two PIs from the UC system and two PIs from UABC.

Sponsor: UC Alianza MX

Application due: December 5, 2025

Technical University of Munich Global Visiting Professor Program

The Technical University of Munich (TUM) is interested in recruiting faculty from international universities for temporary teaching and research collaborations as a way to further internationalize their campus. A TUM host (faculty or junior fellows) must be identified for the application and stays can be between one week and three months.

Sponsor: Technical University of Munich

Submission Deadlines: January 31, 2026 for stays possible from April 1, 2026

International Summer Research Program 2026: Call for Faculty Mentors

Global Initiatives invites faculty researchers from all disciplines to participate as mentors in the International Summer Research Program (ISRP) from June 28-August 29, 2026. ISRP is a program in which undergraduate and graduate students from partner universities spend nine-weeks conducting full-time research in a research lab. Hosting laboratories will receive $500 materials and lab fee for any costs associated with hosting the student. Additionally, this is a great opportunity for graduate students and postdocs in labs to gain supervising experience and is a possible recruitment tool for graduate students, postdocs and researchers. If you are interested, you can submit your information via the Call to Faculty form. 

Sponsor and contact: Global Initiatives, Max Reinke, mreinke@ucsd.edu 

Update on the H-1B Presidential Proclamation on New $100,000 H-1B Fee

The International Services and Engagement Office immigration policy updates page has the latest information on the policies that might affect our international students and scholars, including the latest information on the new H1-B policy.

Required Research Security Training

As a reminder, federal regulations, including the CHIPS and Science Act and forthcoming regulations anticipated in National Security Presidential Memorandum 33 (NSPM-33), require covered individuals involved in federally funded research to complete research security training.  Federal agencies are actively rolling out these training requirements. This training is accessible in your UC Learning portal.  

FAQ Sheets for Federal Updates

UC San Diego has drafted responses to some of the most frequently asked questions related to federal updates as a way to keep the UC San Diego community informed in an evolving landscape. For our community on the Health Sciences campus, there is also a new federal updates website accessed through a Health Sciences log-in.

International Services and Engagement Office (ISEO) Updates on Recent U.S. Government Actions

UC San Diego’s International Services & Engagement Office (ISEO)  is actively working to keep our population informed on the latest federal updates.  We encourage you to visit their website for the most up-to-date information and updates: iupdates.ucsd.edu.

Did Lead Limit Brain and Language Development in Neanderthals and Other Extinct Hominids?

A new study by University of California San Diego School of Medicine and an international team of researchers from Australia, South Africa, and China reveals that ancient hominids — including early humans and great apes — were exposed to lead earlier than previously thought, up to two million years before modern humans began mining the metal. This exposure may have shaped the evolution of hominid brains, limiting language and social development in all but modern humans due to a protective genetic variant that only we carry. The study was published in Science Advances in October.

Why It’s Not Just About Money: Who Goes to the Ballet, Opera and Symphony

A new paper coauthored by Joe Gladstone, an assistant professor of behavioral sciences and marketing at the University of California San Diego Rady School of Management, studied roughly 7,500 people in the United Kingdom and the United States to understand what actually drives participation in so-called “highbrow” cultural activities. Their findings reveal that a person’s education, vocabulary and social networks are much stronger predictors of cultural engagement than however much is in their bank account.

UC San Diego Global Strategic Plan

Global Initiatives is proud to release 'A Bold Era of Strategic Internationalization: A Strategic Plan for UC San Diego'. After nearly two years of campus-wide stakeholder engagement and feedback, Global Initiatives has collated and consolidated this expansive work into a living document with innovative and actionable strategies and recommendations for global engagement made for the UC San Diego community by the UC San Diego community.

Here, Now 여기, 지금 exhibit

Here, Now 여기, 지금 presents publications and special materials on the Korean War (1950–1953) and the Korean Demilitarized Zone from historical and artistic perspectives. This exhibition invites reflection on the aftermath of the war and explores ways to promote peace in the present.

When: Here, Now 여기, 지금 is on view from September 19 to December 14, 2025. 

Where: The Nest in Geisel Library (open hours)

International Services and Engagement Office (ISEO) Events Calendar

Throughout the Fall Quarter, ISEO has multiple opportunities to engage with ISEO and with the campus community. These include events like the Global Coffee Hour but also workshops that can help unravel the intricacies of U.S. visas.

When: multiple dates

Where: both in person and virtual

Contact: Questions?  Email iprograms@ucsd.edu with an indication of which program or event you have questions about.

Global Initiatives welcomes delegations of senior leadership and key faculty from partner institutions, government entities and industry. Many of these visits center around the exploration of potential collaborative partnerships, exchange programs, and co-sponsored research projects. 

The Global partnership database contains the latest information on active UC San Diego’s formalized international partnerships.