Funding
CLACS Awardees
2024-2025 AY FLAS Awardees
Nathaniel Blum (MA student in Geography), Kaqchikel Maya
Christa Osarczuk (MA Student in Anthropology), Kaqchikel Maya
Raul Rangel (MA student in Indigenous Studies), Quechua
Salem Sanfilippo Solindas (MA Student in Indigenous Studies), Kaqchikel Maya
Mary Self (incoming MA Student in Global and International
Studies), Portuguese
Raine Flores-Peña (BA Student in Visual Arts), Portuguese
Alysia Martínez (BA Student in Psychology & Linguistics), Yucatec Maya
Ana Silva (incoming freshman), Quechua
Devin Rogers (BA student in Spanish & Portuguese), Yucatec Maya
Summer 2024 FLAS Awardees
Luisa Garcés Sierra (PhD Student in Spanish &
Portuguese), Quechua
Raul Rangel (MA Student in Indigenous Studies), Quechua
Devin Rogers (BA Student in Spanish & Portuguese), Yucatec Maya
Jorie Stump (PhD Student in Curriculum & Instruction), Quechua
Sarah Thornsberry (PhD Student in Rhetoric & Composition), Quechua
Davilyn Yates (PhD Student in Spanish & Portuguese), Yucatec Maya
Salem Sanfilippo Solindas (MA Student in Indigenous
Studies), Kaqchikel Maya
Stansifer Awardees
Luisa Garces Sierra (PhD Student in Spanish & Portuguese), Nicaragua
Manuel Rodriguez (PhD Student in Spanish & Portuguese), Mexico
Daniel Ibañez IV (MA Student in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology), Panama
Tinker awardees
Adesoji Adedipe (PhD Student in History), Brazil
Nathaniel Blum (MA Student in Geography), Guatemala
Gabriel Castro (PhD Student in Political Sciences), Brazil
Elizabeth Chunda (MA Student in African & African-American Studies), Brazil
Kiera Eckhardt (PhD Student in Anthropology), Ecuador
Juan David Martinez Zayas (PhD Student in Educational Leadership & Policy Studies), Paraguay
Cap McLiney (MA Student in Geography), Peru
Christa Osarczuk (MA Student in Anthropology), Guatemala
Claudia Salas-Forero (PhD Student in Spanish & Portuguese), Brazil
Laryssa Rodrigues (MA Student in Spanish & Portuguese), Brazil
Emily Tummons (PhD Student in Curriculum & Instruction), Guatemala
Herzfeld awardees
Bernice Abolga (MA Student in African & African-American Studies), Literature, Arts, and Culture in Cuba
Chrishayla Adams (BA Student in Sociology & African & African-
American Studies), Language & Culture in Salvador, Brazil
Oluwakorede Ajibona (PhD Student in Philosophy), Literature, Arts, and Culture in Cuba
Nicholas Caterine (BA Student in Political Science / Spanish), Language & Culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Maddie DeWitt (BA Student in Business Administration), Universidad de Costa Rica
Grace Larson (BA Student in Global and International Studies), Language & Culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Kristina Lincoln (BA Student in Biochemistry & Pre-med), Language & Culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Leah Loura (BA Student in Social work), International Social Services: A Costa Rican Perspective
Kaden Ray Miller (BA Student in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology), Independent Study in Bonaire
Delainey Miltner (BA Student in Business), Supply Chain Management and Logistics in Panama
Margarita Núñez Arroyo (PhD Student in American Studies), Intercultural Perspectives in the Huasteca Potosina, Mexico
Yareli Ortiz (BA Student in Social Work), International Social Services: A Costa Rican Perspective
Kyra Schrock (BA Student in Behavioral Neuroscience & Linguistics), Language & Culture in Buenos Aires, Argentina
Angelina Rinella (BA Student in Architecture & Design), Travel Writing & Costa Rica
Funding for Undergraduate and Graduate Students
The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) works closely with KU to provide students with the opportunity to fund their schooling through a variety of sources. CLACS also helps students find grants, fellowships, assistantships, awards and scholarships from other sources.
Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships FLAS fellowships were established by the US Department of Education to encourage college students to learn “less commonly taught languages” (LCTLs), which include all languages except Spanish, French, German, and Italian. Because CLACS won FLAS funding from the US Department of Education for 2022-2026, it can annually award 4 undergraduate FLAS awards per academic year and 3 awards per summer to receive LCTL and area studies instruction. Academic Year FLAS’s include $10,000/year for tuition and $5,000 as a living stipend for undergraduates. The Summer FLAS’s include $7,500 for tuition, travel, and living stipend, with the possibility of an additional $1000 for travel-related expenses.
Please see FLAS Funding for details, limitations, and application procedures.
The Anita Herzfeld Award honors Anita Herzfeld, professor emerita of Latin American and Caribbean Studies, former director of the Office of Study Abroad and beloved teacher and noted linguist, who retired in 2012 after working to expand international education for KU students during a distinguished career spanning more than fifty years. The award is for study in any Latin American country.
Check out other KU undergraduate and outside funding on the side menu.
The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CLACS) and KU provide graduate and advanced professional students with a variety of grants, fellowships, and awards. The FLAS, Stansifer Fellowship, the Oppenheimer Memorial Scholarship, and Tinker Field Research Grants are the signature grants of CLACS.
Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships
FLAS fellowships were established by the US Department of Education to encourage college students to learn “less commonly taught languages” (LCTLs), which include all languages except Spanish, French, German, and Italian. Because CLACS won FLAS funding from the US Department of Education for 2022-2026, it can annually award 4 graduate FLAS awards per academic year and 3 awards per summer to receive LCTL and area studies instruction. Academic Year FLAS’s include $18,000/year for tuition and $20,000 as a living stipend for graduate students. The Summer FLAS’s include $7,500 for tuition, travel, and living stipend, with the possibility of an additional $1000 for travel-related expenses. Please see FLAS at KU for details, limitations, and application procedures.
Since 1979, the Tinker Field Research Grant (FRG) program has provided support to graduate students in U.S. universities to conduct exploratory research in the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries of Latin America. Through its funding, matched by universities, the Foundation has supported more than 9,000 individuals to conduct field research in Latin America. CLACS directors have won several cycles of funding for KU graduate students from the Tinker Foundation, including in 1995-97, 2000-03, 2007-10, 2014-2017, 2020-2022, and 2020-2025 with inaugural Tinker Field Research Collaborative. This places CLACS in a prestigious cohort of only 15 universities to currently have Tinker Field Research funding.
Tinker Foundation funds are designed to encourage graduate students to specialize in Latin America. Therefore, funding is aimed at graduate students who have yet to begin their dissertation research: master’s degree students; pre-ADB (pre-candidacy) PhD students; and post-baccalaureate students in professional schools. Awards and their amounts depend on project design, budget, academic record, and letters of recommendation. Individual awards range from $1,000-$3,500, and CLACS grants at least 9 awards per academic year. Except for the flight, which CLACS can purchase pre-trip, the funding will be reimbursed to awardees upon submission of receipts directly related to their research-related travel expenses.
CLACS Graduate Student Field Research Grants
This grant, funded by our generous donors, is meant for students who cannot apply for a Tinker either because they are ABD (PhD candidates) or they are researching in countries that speak a language other than Spanish and Portuguese. CLACS can award up to $1000 per academic year in these funds, and students should use the Tinker submission link, making sure to identify this grant at the top of their application. Competitiveness is based on quality of the proposal and budget, 2 letters of recommendation, academic record, and demonstrated economic need.
Endowed by Professor Emeritus Charles Stansifer, this award of up to $6000 is for the support of graduate students planning to complete a doctorate in the study of Middle America (defined as Central America, Mexico, and the Caribbean).
Priority is to be given first to students of Central America (Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Belize, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, or Panama), second to Mexico, third to the Caribbean, and fourth to students of relations between the United States and any Middle American country.
Graduate students from any department in the College of Arts and Sciences are eligible. The interdisciplinary CLACS Graduate Committee will referee the competition. Previous Stansifer awardees are eligible to apply but are considered at a lower priority than other applicants.
Robert Oppenheimer Memorial Scholarship
This award was established for graduate students in History and Latin American & Caribbean Studies in memory of Dr. Robert Oppenheimer, former KU professor of Latin American history. CLACS and the Department of History alternate annually in selecting the awardee(s). During even years, History selects the awardee(s), and during odd years it is CLACS.
The maximum Oppenheimer award is $3000, and multiple awards each year are possible. Selection will be based on the proposal narrative, grade point average, letters of recommendation, and budget. The budget should detail how funds would be spent on research-related travel expenses. Recipients of other awards (e.g., FLAS) are eligible.
Teaching Assistantship for Latin American & Caribbean Studies MA students
CLACS provides one teaching assistantship per academic year for graduate students in the Latin American & Caribbean (LAC) Track of the Global & International Studies (GIST) master’s degree program. The assistantship includes a full tuition waiver plus roughly $18,000 for a living stipend in exchange for either assisting in the instruction (grading, discussion sections, exercises) of in-person LAC 100 “Latin American Culture & Society” or teaching the same course online. Applicants to the GIST LAC Track should specify whether they would like to compete for the assistantship.
Other KU Funding for Graduate Students
KU strongly supports Study Abroad and intensive language opportunities for Graduates. The Chancellor has a fund of $46,000 yearly for Costa Rican fellowships and exchanges. Such opportunities are critical for developing advanced language abilities. Other graduate student funding provided by KU can be found here:
Graduate Student Funding
Graduate Studies Awards/Departmental Scholarships
The Office of Student Financial Aid
Funding for Faculty
The Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies has been funded by the U.S. Department of Education (USDE) to be a designated Title VI National Resource Center (NRC) in Latin American and Caribbean Studies from 2022-2026. Our proposed initiatives focus on the theme “Strengthening Communities” within KU, between KU and the region, and between these and Latin American and Caribbean communities and institutions. The funding creates opportunities for research, curriculum development, international collaboration, and community outreach. High priority is given by the USDE for activities that include Minority Serving Institutions and community colleges. Below are opportunities where funds are already allocated, although the center will consider other creative fundings requests (click on the links to access the online request forms):
Faculty Research International Travel Awards: To conduct research (up to $1,250).
Partner Projects Faculty Travel Awards: To build international partnerships, design exchange programs, arrange joint study abroad trips, and conduct collaborative research with Latin American / Caribbean partners (up to $5,000). Please explain the collaborative nature of your project and submit a detailed budget. Projects involving area Community Colleges or Minority Serving Institutions will be favored. Application: CV, 300-word narrative about collaborative project, and detailed budget. Revolving deadline but no later than 45 days before travel.
Collaborative Online International Learning (COILs): To enhance student-to-student transnational course engagement. Students in a KU course would meet regularly online (e.g., Zoom, Teams) with students or others in Latin America and the Caribbean at least 8 times in a semester. The point could be as simple as students sharing information or as complex as the student co-design of projects. The number of participants in online meeting sessions depends on the language abilities of the KU students and their Latin American partners. Optimally, enough KU students will know Spanish or Portuguese or the international partners will know English to facilitate the exchange and allow for small group meetings. The Center can provide up to $1000 as compensation for establishing a COIL project and can help find a partner in Latin America.
Curriculum Internationalization STEM Faculty Development Program: For KU STEM faculty travel to Latin America or the Caribbean to gain cultural and linguistic training to enhance their research and/or teaching. The maximum award is $2000. To apply, please send a brief proposal, itinerary, and budget to Brent Metz, CLACS Director: bmetz@ku.edu
For further information and direct applications please email Brent Metz, CLACS Director, directly: bmetz@ku.edu