Tinker Field Research Grant

The CLACS Tinker Field Research Grant supports master's, doctoral, and professional school students conducting preliminary (early career) exploratory field research in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Expanding from Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking Latin American and Caribbean countries, the Tinker Foundation now also supports research in Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bonaire, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Curaçao, Dominica, French Guiana, Grenada, Guadeloupe, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique, Montserrat, Puerto Rico, Saint Barthélemy, St. Kitts & Nevis, St. Lucia, Saint Martin, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad & Tobago, Turks & Caicos Islands, and U.S. Virgin Islands.

This program is funded with the generous support of the Tinker Foundation.

Eligibility

• University of Chicago master’s or doctoral students in the preliminary stages of graduate study with little or no previous field experience are invited to apply.
• Students in doctoral programs who have yet not defended their dissertation proposals are eligible.
• Students from all divisions and professional schools are welcome to apply.

Duration of the Grant

• Students are required to travel for a minimum of 2 weeks and may travel for up to 4 months.

Grant Benefits

• The Tinker Field Research Grants are primarily intended to support transportation (international airfare and in-country travel such as bus, taxi, train, flights, and car rentals), lodging, and food. Some minor direct research expenses may be allowed.

Application Process

Please complete your application via InfoReady, by 11:59 pm on Friday, March 13, 2026. Please have your faculty advisor send their letter of support through the same platform.

• Curriculum Vitae
• Current transcript (please download from https://my.uchicago.edu)
• A 2–4-page narrative description of the proposed research project (purpose of the trip, likely sources of data and their locations, qualifications to undertake the project, and its relevance to research and academic goals)
• Itinerary for the trip and itemized budget (use template here; see sample itinerary and budget)
• Short letter of support from faculty advisor (no more than 500 words recommended). Recommenders have until 11:59 pm on Monday, March 23, 2026 to submit their letters.
• Supplemental Materials: Where appropriate, applicants can demonstrate that host institution arrangements have been established by providing letters confirming access to facilities or archives or permission to conduct interviews or other human-subject research. Please note that all proposals involving Human Subjects must meet IRB approval by the intended date of receipt of the grant. For IRB standards, see http://sbsirb.uchicago.edu. 

Requirements

Within 30 days of returning from their travel, students are required to submit a brief narrative and financial report, as well as receipts for major expenses and several photos of their research. Students must also acknowledge the support of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies and the Tinker Foundation in any publication, film, or other product resulting from supported research.

Within 9 months of the end of the award period, awardees are required to present their work in a public forum, either at the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies Tinker Field Research Grant Colloquium, at another University venue (e.g., a workshop or departmental brown bag), in the community, or in another academic venue such as a conference or a symposium.

Failure to comply with any of the requirements will make the student unable to receive future funding from CLACS.

As you prepare your application, please review the Proposal Tips 

Questions? Please contact CLACS.