The Greater Philadelphia Latin American Studies Consortium (GPLASC) is pleased to announce the competition for travel grants to undergraduate students interested in conducting research in Latin America. Successful students may use the award to undertake research during the summer of 2019. Grants vary in size, depending on the research project. The maximum amount per grant is $1,500. The GPLASC travel grants cover research expenses such as travel, room and board, and photocopying. The grant, however, does NOT fund study at a foreign institution, tuition abroad, internship fees, or purchase of durable equipment, such as cameras, computers, or camcorders. The grant may be combined with grants from other sources.
GPLASC grants will NOT be made directly to students but to their departments or universities. Prior arrangements must be made in advance of receiving funds that the student has been granted permission to conduct research from their schools along with the necessary travel insurance.
Eligibility:
Undergraduate students, except graduating seniors, from Colleges and Universities within the Consortium are eligible to apply. All majors are encouraged to apply; however, students must demonstrate a commitment to Latin American Studies through their coursework. Recipients will be required to make a presentation on their research to the GPLASC community in late fall 2019 or spring 2020 at the annual GPLASC-sponsored student research conference.
Deadline:
Complete applications must be sent electronically by Monday March 4, 2019 to greaterphillylasconsortium@gmail.com. The grant recipients will be announced on Monday March 15, 2019. A committee of faculty members from the 12 institutions that are part of the GPLASC consortium will make the final decisions on the grant applications. The applications must include the following:
- A cover sheet with a short project title along with the applicant’s name, university affiliation, undergraduate class, mailing address, phone number, and email address.
- A concise description of the proposed travel project with a brief summary of the project’s objectives and how the project contributes to the applicant’s undergraduate educational interest.
- Tentative dates and destinations of the trip
- A budget including airfare
- The applicant’s qualification to conduct the proposed research, including foreign language skills.
- A letter of recommendation on the departmental letterhead from a faculty member who has taught the applicant at least one course in the past. The letter should comment on the feasibility of the research project and the applicant’s ability to undertake such project, among others. The letter should be sent electronically by the faculty member to greaterphillylasconsortium@gmail.com
- A statement of support from the applicant’s department or university to which the GPLASC funds will be distributed.
- An official student transcript.
WARNING: Students should keep in mind that travel grants may not be awarded to those seeking to do research in countries or areas of countries under the US State Department’s travel warning. See the link at: https://www.osac.gov/Pages/Home.aspx. It is highly recommended that students use their school’s international/overseas studies office to register with whichever organization their school works with to ensure a safe travel abroad experience.
When, How, and Where: All submissions must be submitted electronically without exception by Monday March 4, 2019 to greaterphillylasconsortium@gmail.com
Questions? Please contact GPLASC Chair Carla Guerrón Montero at the following email: greaterphillylasconsortium@gmail.com