Student Funding

The CLACS Endowment funds scholarships to support undergraduate education abroad, internships, or research in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Eligibility: 

Awardees must be enrolled in the minor in Latin American and Caribbean Studies (LACS) or the major in Global and International Studies with a Latin American and Caribbean Studies track (GLIS-LACS).

How to Apply:

1. Complete the scholarship application form. Application forms will be available here each January.
2. Prepare an essay of approximately 500 words answering the following:
   1. Why you chose this program and location;
   2. How this program will contribute to your educational and professional goals;
   3. How this program will stretch and challenge you as a person;
   4. Discuss why you need this scholarship and how you will use it;
   5. Other information you would like us to know.

Application Deadline: The last day of February of each year.

MSU's Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies offers Graduate Student Research Fellowships to support master's or dissertation research in Latin America and the Caribbean. These awards are funded by the center's CLACS Endowment and the Hunter-Muelder Endowment.

Students may use these funds to develop field or archival research projects (e.g., select field sites or locate archival materials, establish relationships with local communities and scholars, pilot research methods) or to carry out fully developed research projects. For students from the U.S., these awards provide a foundation for developing competitive proposals for external dissertation funding. For students from Latin America and the Caribbean—who are not eligible for most U.S. dissertation research funding—these fellowships support the research required to advance toward completion of their degrees.

Eligibility:

• Awardees must be doctoral or master's students in good standing.
• Awardees must travel abroad for at least two weeks; longer stays are prioritized.
• Travel must be completed by the end of the calendar year in which the award is received.
• No awards will be made to support study abroad programs.

How to Apply: 

Applicants for the CLACS Graduate Student Research Fellowship must submit the following materials:

1. A short proposal (not to exceed 3 pages, single-spaced) that explains:
   1. The research question or problem and its significance;
   2. The location for the research and rationale for this location;
   3. The nature of the data required to address this question/problem and how this data will be acquired;
   4. How this research will advance the applicant’s graduate program.
2. Letter of recommendation from the applicant’s faculty advisor. The advisor should email the letter directly to CLACS Associate Director Catherine Hamlin.
3. Budget for the proposed research.
4. Application Form.

Application Deadline: The last day of February each year.

Submit all application materials to Catherine Hamlin, CLACS associate director.

Students who accept a CLACS Graduate Student Research Fellowship are required to:

1. Submit a research report upon completion of their fieldwork.
2. Present their research at the annual CLACS Graduate Student Research Conference.
3. Enroll in the Graduate Certificate Program in Latin American/Caribbean Studies through CLACS. 

Students do not need to be enrolled in the certificate program at the time of application; if awarded, they must enroll prior to travel. To enroll, email Catherine Hamlin.