Center Field Research Grants
The Center for Latin American Studies (LAS) sponsors a Field Research Grant Competition to support graduate student research in Latin America and the Caribbean. Research in the United States on a Latinx Studies topic and research in Spain or Portugal on some aspect of Latin America are also supported. Awards are typically between $1,000 and $2,000 each, depending on travel costs to the research site, the availability of funds, and whether the recipient has received research funding from other sources. Funding can be used for international travel, in-country travel, lodging, meals, and other research-related expenses.
The Center's Field Research Competition is made possible by a Tinker Field Research Collaborative grant from the Tinker Foundation, the Boonstra Family Research Fellowship, the William Carter Fellowship, the Carol French Doughty Memorial Fund, the Nolan Graduate Fellowship, the Hugh L. Popenoe Mesoamerican Research Fund, the Charles Wagley Research Fellowship, and the A. Curtis Wilgus Fellowship.
Important Information:
- The competition is open to graduate students from across the University of Florida campus. Priority will be given to applicants pursuing a Graduate Certificate or an M.A. in Latin American Studies.
- Due to the number of applications, only one grant can be awarded per student per degree.
- Support is available for Master's thesis research and preliminary doctoral dissertation field visits (Ph.D. students who have advanced to candidacy are NOT eligible).
- Recipients must spend at least two weeks in the field. In most cases, recipients spend between 4 to 6 weeks in the field.
- If the recipient’s research involves human or animal subjects, IRB approval is required before traveling to the research site.
- If your project requires IRB approval, start the IRB application process as soon as you know the purpose and design of your project. Currently, obtaining international IRB approvals can require 3 months or more. Once you have IRB approval, you can modify research protocols (e.g., interview questions, surveys and such) through a simple updating process without starting the submission over again.
- Students proposing to do research related to environmental conservation or sustainable development should apply to the Tropical Conservation and Development (TCD) Field Research Grant Program.
- Students should plan to complete their field work by August 12th. Extensions may be granted but require prior approval.
Application Requirements
The following materials are required:
- A completed LAS Field Research Grant Application
- A completed Field Research Grant Budget Form
- UF Transcript (unofficial copy OK)
- One letter of recommendation from the student's adviser (or suitable substitute), accompanied by the Release Form
- An abstract of no more than 250 words explaining the project in non-technical language.
- A timetable for the proposed research project. Ph.D. level proposals should outline the overall dissertation project and specify the goals of this particular proposal.
- A proposal of no more than 4 single-spaced pages. The proposal should:
- Specify the problem to be addressed
- State the proposed research objectives and methods
- Indicate prior preparation or previous related work undertaken
- Locate the proposed study within the relevant scholarly literature.
- Emphasize the feasibility of the project and explain the significance of the topic.
- A one-page bibliography may be appended to the proposal
The Center encourages proposals that cross disciplinary boundaries and have broad scholarly appeal. Candidates should keep in mind that the committee members will be drawn from diverse disciplines and are advised to craft their proposal in a way that is accessible to non-specialists.
Application Deadline: March 4, 2024
Questions? Contact: info@latam.ufl.edu
TCD Field Research Grants
TCD Field Research Grants support field research addressing the issues of biodiversity conservation, sustainable resource use, and human well-being in the tropics at Masters and preliminary Doctoral levels. Grants will average $2,000 each, but may vary depending on travel costs to the research site, the availability of funds, and whether the recipient has received research funding from other sources. The TCD Field Research Grant is made possible by The Ford Foundation Endowment. TCD funds may be used for international travel, in-country travel, lodging, meals, and other research-related expenses.
Further information and application materials are available directly from the TCD Program's website.