Honors students at Troy University will have more opportunities for international travel and research thanks to funding from the U.S. Department of State’s 2025 IDEAS Grant Competition.

Troy University is one of just 32 colleges and universities in the United States to be awarded funding through the program. Troy University’s project, titled “Global Paths, Local Impact: Empowering Students through Honors Global Research & Immersion Pathway (H-GRIP) at Troy University,” will allow the University Honors Global Scholars Program to develop international research experiences for honors students.

“The IDEAS Grant affirms Troy University’s commitment to preparing students for leadership in an increasingly interconnected world,” said Dr. Kerry Palmer, Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs. “Through the H-GRIP initiative, we are expanding access to meaningful, credit-bearing international research experiences that align directly with students’ academic and career goals. This investment strengthens our ability to equip students with the global perspective, research expertise and professional networks needed to contribute to American competitiveness, advance national security interests and bring transformative knowledge back to their communities and our state.”

In a rapidly globalizing economy, students in Alabama’s communities need more than a passport—they also need meaningful research experience and the skills to lead on the world stage, said Dr. Priya Menon, Director of TROY Honors and the project’s Principal Investigator.

Building on its longstanding commitment to international engagement and student access, H-GRIP embeds global research directly into students’ degree pathways through a structured course sequence that connects each project to a student’s major and career goals. The program will expand placements in countries central to Alabama’s economy and U.S. trade partnerships—including the United Arab Emirates, Germany and Japan.

“For many of our students from rural Alabama, the world can feel distant,” Menon said. “H-GRIP brings that world within reach. It gives our best students the chance to pursue real research abroad, guided by our Honors Faculty Council, and to return with knowledge that strengthens their communities. Ultimately, it enriches and strengthens the Honors curriculum at TROY.”

The Honors Faculty Council is comprised of faculty from different areas of study within the University, including Dr. Andrew Tatch, Anthropology, Sociology and Criminology; Dr. Bruno Costa, Chemistry and Physics; Dr. James Meadows; Social Work; Dr. Jonathan Farrow; Art and Design; Dr. Noah Trudeau; Decision Systems and Sciences; Dr. Lesley Parrish; School of Allied Health; and Dr. Johanna Alberich, World Languages and Cultures.

H-GRIP strengthens Troy University’s leadership in global education and prepares graduates with the research skills, cultural understanding and professional networks needed to succeed in key industries at home and abroad. 

About the IDEAS Grant Competition

The IDEAS Program is a program of the U.S. Department of State and the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs and its implementing partner, World Learning.

The IDEAS Program strengthens international higher education partnerships and programs that prepare U.S. undergraduate students to contribute to fields critical to U.S. national security and economic prosperity. Through small grants, trainings, and resources, the IDEAS Program increases the number of U.S. students gaining international experiences and broadens the destinations where U.S. students study abroad, particularly to strategic locations where American engagement matters.