Tinker Field Research Grant

Competition for Winter/Spring 2026-27 Research Grant

APPLICATION DEADLINE - Sunday, September 20, 2026

The Tinker Field Research Grant is designed to facilitate preliminary, exploratory field research that lays the groundwork for future graduate-level scholarship in Latin America. Funding is available for Master's students and pre-dissertation PhD students (ABD students are not eligible) in Spanish- or Portuguese-speaking countries within Latin America. Students enrolled in any discipline, including professional degree programs are eligible to apply. 

Award amounts will vary based on the scope and budget of the proposed project, with a maximum grant of $3,500.  Funds are intended to cover the recipient's travel and field-related expenses directly associated with their research. 

Applicants must plan to conduct a minimum of two weeks of field research. Please note that participation in study abroad programs or academic conferences is not field research.   

Previous Tinker award recipients may reapply; however, subsequent travel must occur at least 12 months after the original funded trip and must have a different geographic location or research focus. 

Attend a Tinker grant workshop on Friday, September 11, 2026 at 3:30 - 5:00 pm in Bailey 318 for guidance on crafting a strong research proposal for the grant application. View video testimonials from former awardees via the links provided in the right-hand column of this webpage. To learn about how past recipients have utilized their grants for field research, attend the weekly Merienda Series presentations held in Bailey 318 most Wednesdays (dates & times TBD.) 

Click on the blue APPLY button below to begin the application for a Tinker Field Research Grant.  There are two application cycles per year - one for research conducted during the Winter/Spring period and another for projects carried out in the Summer/Fall cycle.  Be sure to submit your application to the currently open research cycle, rather than the subsequent one.  The following separate documents will need to uploaded: 

APPLICANT -

• Proposal, not to exceed 4 double-spaced pages, which describes your proposed project. The file MUST use the following naming convention: Proposal_FirstName_LastName (e.g., Proposal_John_Smith).

  Your proposal should include:  

  • your name, department, and title of research project
  • disciplinary and/or country significance
  • planned contribution to your academic career
  • any established in-country research contacts or those you plan to make
  • degree of language proficiency
  • anticipated research timeline
• Detailed budget. The file MUST use the following naming convention: Budget_FirstName_LastName (e.g., Budget_John_Smith)
  • researched airfare (list all international and in-country flights)
  • baggage fees, if necessary
  • visa and passport fees, if necessary
  • travel health insurance (through Study Abroad)
  • immunizations, if necessary
  • researched lodging (by location)
  • local transportation (taxi, bus)
  • car rental and gas, if needed
  • food (per diem)
  • entry and ticket fees, if necessary
  • translator, if needed
  • books/photocopying/ digitization, if needed
  • scientific equipment, if needed
• Unofficial transcripts or a Degree Progress Report (DPR) of graduate work (KU Advising Report). The file MUST use the following naming convention: Transcript_SchoolName_FirstName_LastName (e.g., Transcript_KU_John_Smith) 

REFERENCES - 

• Two letters of recommendation to be submitted by references. 

  PLEASE NOTE: References will NOT receive an automatically generated email prompting them to submit a letter on your behalf. It is your responsibility to ask your references to submit letters via the blue button below on this page. You should provide your references with your proposal as soon as possible so that they can submit a well-informed letter by the application deadline, September 20, 2026.
  
  For technical issues with the application, contact the Center's Administrative Associate, Mariya Borisova.