The UT-Austin School of Nursing is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Jung Kwak, PhD, MSW, FGSA, was awarded seed funding from Texas Global for her project, “What Matters to Persons Living with Dementia: A Japan-U.S. Cross-Cultural Comparison of Self-Agency and Relationship Quality.”
Kwak, the Interim Director of the Luci Baines Johnson and Ian J. Turpin Center for Gerontological Nursing, will be working in partnership with the University of Hyogo, Japan. Dr. Kwak is one of 16 award-winners for the spring semester.
“I am honored to receive the Texas Global Faculty Research Seed Grant,” Kwak said. “This award will strengthen our collaboration with the University of Hyogo and support a cross-cultural study of what persons living with dementia identify as important to their well-being, including self-agency and meaningful relationships. The findings will help us develop a framework for more person-centered dementia care and lay the groundwork for future U.S.–Japan research.”
Texas Global helps UT-Austin faculty pursue collaborative opportunities to drive discovery, innovation, and impact across the university through a range of funding opportunities. Faculty members can pursue international research partnerships, develop globally focused teaching initiatives and create innovative learning experiences with institutions around the world.
Since 2020, Texas Global has awarded more than $2 million to faculty from 17 colleges and schools, strengthening UT Austin's global engagement and advancing research, teaching and cross-disciplinary collaboration.
During the Spring 2026 funding cycle, Texas Global awarded more than $122,000 to 16 faculty members across 10 colleges and schools. The funded projects span engineering, computer science, public affairs, nursing, education and communications, and address pressing global issues such as healthcare innovation, climate resilience, sustainability, artificial intelligence, economic development and disaster preparedness through partnerships across Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Latin America.
Learn more about the Texas Global Faculty Research Seed Grants program on the Texas Global website.