Tinker Field Research Grant Competition for Graduate Student Research in Latin America and Iberia

Application Instructions for Summer 2008

I. SELECTION OF APPLICANTS

Eligibility: Students matriculating for an MA degree, professional degree, and/or PhD degree in any unit at the Urbana-Champaign campus of the University of Illinois are eligible for awards. Priority, however, will be given to those matriculating for Professional and PhD degrees. There are no nationality restrictions, and there is no restriction on nationals of Latin American or Iberian nations using the funds for research in their own countries.

Research projects are to be conducted in the Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America, including Iberia. However, work in Belize or Puerto Rico is not eligible.

Funding is provided for travel and research costs, which now includes limited amounts for per diem, travel insurance, and research supplies for four or more weeks during the summer of 2006.

The awards will be primarily, but not exclusively, for individual projects; interdisciplinary collaboration, or collaboration between professional and disciplinary units, is also encouraged.

Tinker Research Grants are not to be used for dissertation research, but rather to provide graduate students with their initial exploratory experience in developing independent research projects and conducting field research in Latin America or Iberia.

Research should be visualized as a coherent unit as well as a preliminary project paving the way for future research. For this reason, these grants provide partial support for brief research periods (normally four or more weeks). Grant money cannot be used for conference or course registration, or for intensive language workshops or field schools. It is acceptable to use other grants in conjunction with this grant. In applying, the candidate must indicate all other sources to which s/he plans to apply.

Evaluation: The following criteria apply:

  1. Scholarly excellence: The applicant must be a student of high academic standing making clear progress toward degree. Each applicant must supply a current transcript, curriculum vitae, and two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the applicant's academic advisor.

  2. Viability of research: The program is specifically designed to encourage exploratory research. A competitive proposal is one that demonstrates the following:
    1. The research site chosen is suitable for the study, and that appropriate facilities or conditions for the proposed research exist there.
    2. The research problem is germane to historic, political, economic, sociocultural and/or ecological characteristics of the specific locale chosen.
    3. The research problem is relevant to current concerns in the applicant's field of study
    4. The research methods proposed and the time allowed (normally four or more weeks) are adequate to achieve substantial progress, as demonstrated by a schedule of proposed activities.

  3. Technical competence: The applicant must demonstrate, through transcripts and/or letters of recommendation, a level of language competence adequate to the research task, and sufficient grounding in all other technical skills required in the proposed research.

  4. Priority areas: Because one of the purposes of the program is to improve the University's capacity in certain specific areas, preference will be given to projects with two or more of the following characteristics:
    • A contribution to economic policy and governance, environmental policy, and those targeted social science disciplines with strong public policy implications.
    • A contribution to the areas of humanities, the fine and applied arts, social sciences, international relations, or national resource development, broadly defined.
    • An interdisciplinary or interprofessional commitment, either through formal conceptualization, or through collaboration with a colleague.
    • A commitment to apply the candidate's Latin Americanist knowledge to the improvement of international linkages and scholarly interaction in the applicant's profession and teaching unit.
    • A lack of previous intensive field experience in Latin America.

    Emphasis in the proposal must be on the significance of the project to Latin American or Iberian Studies, as well as to the applicant's discipline. This is especially important for students in the Natural and Applied Sciences, but applicable to everyone.

  5. International scholarly reciprocity: Applicants must demonstrate a well-informed plan for affiliation with, or other tangible cooperation with, an appropriate institution in the proposed host country. Appropriate institutions would include institutes, research centers, museums, government agencies, universities, professional associations, foundations, hospitals, or private firms that correspond to the applicant's field or endeavor. The researcher may accept a subsidy for research or living expenses, provided it does not duplicate any part of his or her Tinker Research Grant or entail any non-research responsibilities within the host institution. Terms by which the benefits of the research are to be made available to host-country scholars must be negotiated directly between the researcher and the host institution. The completion of such negotiations need not be demonstrated prior to applying, but inclusion of prior correspondence will be considered an asset to the application. Terms of reciprocity may not include any payment in cash or kind to the host institution. Reciprocity means exchange of expertise, services, data or research results. The Center may be able to provide guidance on how to proceed with these affiliations. Because of the extensive contacts our faculty and previous students have developed in Latin America, as well as the many formal agreements signed between the University and Latin American institutions, the Center may be able to help candidates to initiate contacts regarding affiliation.

  6. Preference is given to students who have not taken their qualified exams (or prelimins).

Selection Panel: An interdisciplinary faculty panel of Latin Americanists and Iberianists will judge the competition. Ex-officio members of this panel are the Center Director and the Director of Research. The Center Director chairs the panel. In the evaluation of proposals with a markedly technical content, the Center Director will draw upon the expertise of relevant faculty members with appropriate technical expertise.

Application Procedures: Questions about the program are welcome at the Center at any time (217-244-2790). An informational meeting for prospective applicants will be held on Tuesday, February 5, 2008 at Noon in Room 200 International Studies Building.

All applications must be received by Friday, February 29, 2008 no later than 4:00 p.m. should be submitted to:

Angelina Cotler
Associate Director
Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies
201 International Studies Building, MC-481
910 S. Fifth Street
Champaign, IL 61820

Phone: 217-333-8419
Fax: 217-244-7333
cotler@uiuc.edu

Thereafter, a second orientation meeting will be held for all grantees at noon, Monday, April 7, 2008 in Room 200 International Studies Building. This meeting is mandatory for all awardees; failure to attend jeopardizes the grantee's award.

Every application package must include a current curriculum vitae, mailing address, phone number, email address, current transcript (transcript copies or grades downloaded from the Web are acceptable), two letters of recommendation (one of which must be from the student's academic advisor), and a proposal. Do not staple your application papers together. The proposal must be 3-5 pages (for items 2-9 below), typed and double-spaced, although a short appendix on some highly technical facet of the project may be attached in exceptional cases.

All proposals must include:

  1. A Tinker Field Summer Research Cover Sheet form, which can be downloaded at http://www.clacs.uiuc.edu/media/tinkercover.pdf.

  2. A brief description of the project, its significance, and its proposed methodology.
  3. A sketch of the applicant's preparation to conduct the project, and work already completed on it.

  4. An estimate of the work to be accomplished during the summer research.

  5. An argument for the viability of the research as outlined (see Evaluation, #2, above, above).

  6. Demonstration of adequate provisions made for protecting the privacy and safety of human subjects involved in the research (see Handbook for Investigators: For the Protection of Human Subjects in Research at http://www.irb.uiuc.edu/?q=investigator-handbook/down.html). Formal clearance from the Institutional Review Board (IRB) is essential to receive funding once a grant is awarded. If working with non-humans, the application proposal must demonstrate compliance with animal protection rules and regulations.

  7. An explanation of how the project fits into our priority areas (see Evaluation, #4, above).

  8. A statement of technical competence and a discussion of plans for scholarly reciprocity.

  9. A projection of the results of summer research for the applicant's future scholarly and/or professional endeavors, and for the advancement of knowledge in the appropriate fields.

  10. An additional one-to-two-page bibliography of relevant sources. "Relevance" applies to Latin American or Iberian Studies, as well as to disciplinary concerns.

  11. An additional one-page proposed budget, itinerary, and timetable. Include an estimate of the least expensive round-trip travel fare between Champaign and your research destination. The grant will cover travel and a limited amount for other research related costs, so the proposal should include a full and reasonable budget so that the student and the committee are aware of the full costs of the project.

II. GUIDELINES FOR DISBURSEMENT

Project Budgeting: The applicants' proposed budget must include the following items:

  1. Lowest-cost round-trip airfare to work site on a US Carrier.
  2. In-country travel expenses.

Direct travel and related research expenses (e.g. per diem, film, supplies, food, lodging, copies) are allowed under this grant. Costs of registration in absentia or any other such costs will not be allowed.

Disbursement Procedures: Grantees will receive awards in the form of a Student Travel Award, which will be submitted to his/her Student Financial Aid Account as directed by University policy. The selection panel will determine the amount of each award based on the candidate's budget, quality of the proposal, and on available funds. The funds for this program will be administered by the Center Director.

III. ORIENTATION

There will be an informational meeting Friday, February 1, 2008 at noon in Room 200 ISB for interested prospective applicants. We will answer any questions about the program, procedures, and proposals at that time. After the announcement of the awards, there will be a second meeting for all awardees at noon on Monday, April 7, 2008 in Room 200 ISB. At this meeting the main agenda will be discussion of projects, tips for overseas travel and relations with host-country institutions, reporting requirements, fellowship obligations, and IRB procedures.

IV. REPORTING REQUIREMENTS

Awardees will be required to furnish the following documents:

  1. Within two weeks of arrival on site, the award recipient is required to send a one-page letter reporting on initial set-up and negotiations with the host country institution. Awardees should supply the Center with a contact address, phone number, fax, and email address.

  2. Within two weeks after the completion of the research, the award recipient is required to submit three unstapled copies of a two-page final report as well as all accounting receipts. One of these copies is to be sent to the student's advisor and the remaining two copies to the Center. The report should include a summary of research activities and data gathered, significance of the grant to increased knowledge in Latin American or Iberian Studies, future research plans, and scholarly ties developed in the field. This report is a public document that may be used in Center reports. It must be clearly written, grammatically correct, and free of jargon.

    If applicable, one or two glossy black and white photographs that illustrate the research experience should be included in the report to the Center. The report to the Center must conclude with a report on the expenditures of the grant.

    The copy of the report to the Center must be accompanied by an orderly presentation of all original receipts and other documentation of expenses. Failure to submit this report two weeks after return to the U.S. will cause encumbrance, no access to U of I Direct, and delay of the payment of fall stipends.

  3. By mid-October 2007 the grantee must complete a longer (ca. 12 pp.) report on her/his research which s/he will present at the Tinker Workshop for Pre-Dissertation Field Research.

  4. Any thesis, published research, or other substantial product of the research, must include acknowledgment of funding provided by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies.

You may obtain additional copies and information from Angelina Cotler, Associate Director, at the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, 206 International Studies Building, MC-481, 910 S. 5th Street, Champaign, IL, 61820, Phone: 217-333-8419 or Fax: 217-244-7333 or cotler@uiuc.edu.