Graduate Student Research Grants

The Center for Latino/a & Latin American Studies (CLLAS) Announces Graduate Student Research Grants

CLLAS is excited to announce its 2024 Graduate Student Research Grant. We expect to award at least five research grants for up to $3,000 each to advance research for either master’s or doctoral candidates.  The award will support research-related activities carried out before December 31, 2024.* We are especially interested in projects that link Latinx Studies or Latin American Studies with other disciplines.

Possible project topics include but are not limited to:

• history
• ethnic identity
• immigration
• education
• mental health and well-being
• language and language use
• popular culture and media
• historical memory and human rights
• gender and sexualities
• Latino/a literature, performances, or visual arts
• testimonies
• the impact of structural adjustment policies on local communities
• environmental and economic sustainability projects
• philosophical inquiries
• public health
• governmental or public policy
• sustainable business practices

Criteria for Application:

1. This grant is available to graduate students currently enrolled at the University of Oregon who are pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree in any discipline and conducting research with an emphasis in the areas of Latinx and/or Latin American Studies.  Former recipients are not eligible. 
2. The grant is available to all students regardless of citizenship or visa status.
3. The maximum award is $3000 per proposal. There is no minimum to apply – smaller proposals are welcome. Most awards will range from $1000-$3000.
4. Research activities that are interdisciplinary in nature or which can demonstrate the potential to put Latinx and Latin American Studies in conversation with each other and other disciplines are particularly welcome, but not required.
5. Applicants must show in their grant proposal what specific activities they propose to undertake, how these are directly related to their project, thesis, or dissertation research, and how the proposed activities will move the applicant forward in carrying out original research for a specific graduate degree. If the research will be conducted under COVID restrictions, please explain how the applicant is planning to accomplish the research plan.
6. Students will be asked to present a short talk on the results of their research during the 2024-2025 academic year. Students must also report to CLLAS any further grant funds they receive and share copies of publications resulting from CLLAS-funded research, including dissertations and masters’ theses. Grant recipients will also be asked to write a report on their research for the CLLAS newsletter.

APPLICATION PROCESS

Application Deadline: Friday, March 1, 2024, noon.

Applicants will be notified by April 5, 2024.

Applications should include:

1. Title and Description of the Project | Describe the concrete set of activities to be undertaken and how these activities relate to a master’s or doctoral program or other research in a maximum of 850 words. Use non-specialist language and avoid discipline-specific jargon. If you have a research prospectus for your thesis or dissertation, it will be helpful to draw from this document to demonstrate how the activities you will undertake relate to your master’s or doctoral original research. Please provide a timeline for activities proposed.
2. Budget and Grant Request | Please include a budget for the project. How will the grant be spent? (Please note that these grants do not cover equipment needs such as digital cameras or laptops.) What other sources of funding are needed? Have they been secured? Are there other sources of funding you will use to meet the financial needs of your research?
3. Statements of Qualifications and Vita | Please describe your qualifications and capacity to carry out the proposed project. CVs/resumes must not be longer than two pages.
4. Letter of Recommendation | A brief letter of recommendation from the student’s primary advisor stating how this grant will enhance the student’s ability to complete their degree is required. The letter should also comment on the quality and feasibility of the proposed project. This letter is an important part of the application.