Funding Opportunities

LLILAS offers a variety of funding opportunities for graduate students, including research fellowships, TA/GRA positions, and field research grants. Visit the Graduate Student Funding page. 

Generous undergraduate funding opportunities at LLILAS include travel and academic awards. Visit the Undergraduate Funding page.

Please check back for future funding opportunities to study Indigenous languages.

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La Iniciativa de Escritura Creativa del Departamento de Español y Portugués, con el auspicio del Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies (LLILAS), invita a los y las estudiantes de pregrado y posgrado de UT al Concurso de Escritura Enrique Fierro, 2026.

El plazo de entrega es 23 de marzo de 2026. 

Los trabajos deben ser escritos en español y pueden presentarse en dos categorías: POESIA o PROSA (ficción o no ficción, con extensión máxima de 1500 palabras).

Los trabajos deben ser ANÓNIMOS: Los y las concursantes deben subir el texto sin el nombre del autor o la autora en un documento titulado con las dos primeras palabras del título, e.g., El_Arbol.pdf.

Los textos y la otra información deben subirse a este enlace: https://utexas.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_ehC6ICsR7WgnJrg 

Una vez subidos los textos, no se pueden hacer cambios.

Se otorgarán dos premios en cada categoría: uno a nivel graduado y otro a nivel de pregrado, y se hará dos menciones a trabajos finalistas en cada categoría. 

Cualquier pregunta escribir a: isabelibanez@utexas.edu

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LLILAS will offer partial travel awards to non-LLILAS members of the UT Graduate Network who will present at the LASA2026 Congress in Paris, France. The purpose of this award is to promote the cutting-edge research in Latin American Studies produced by UT graduate students. 

* LLILAS students should contact the LLILAS graduate administrator for information on alternative sources of funding to attend this congress.

Submission deadline: February 2, 2026, at 12:00 pm CST

Because funding is limited, not all applicants will receive funding. Awards will be made on a competitive basis and dependent on available resources.  A review committee will prioritize strong applications from UT graduate students who:

• Are serving as presenters
• Hold multiple roles during the congress (chair, presenter, discussant, etc.)
• Present research focused on Latin America and derived from their current master’s thesis or PhD dissertation.
   

Required:

• A copy of your LASA session acceptance
• Applicants must be currently enrolled UT students who are not graduating in May 2026

Submission Instructions

Submit your funding request by February 2, 2026, at 12:00 pm CST, by completing this Qualtrics questionnaire. Award letters will be issued in February. Funding will be available in mid-March after awardees comply with the respective UT travel procedures.

Note:

• LLILAS travel funds cannot be used to cover LASA membership fees.
• Awardees who receive funding and later cancel their travel plans will be required to return the funds to LLILAS. Failure to return the funds may result in a financial hold or other impacts to their UT Austin student status.
• This competition is not open to LLILAS students. 
   

For more information, contact Paloma Diaz, coordinator of the UT Graduate Latin Americanist Network, at p.diaz@austin.utexas.edu

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Deadline: February 15
Opens: January 15

Tinker Field Research Grants are for graduate students with little or no previous field experience to enable them to conduct pre-dissertation field research in Latin America or the Caribbean, including territories. Students will be able to acquire a comprehensive knowledge of language, terrain, and culture; familiarize themselves with information sources relevant to their studies; conduct pilot studies and preliminary investigations; and develop contacts with scholars and institutions in their fields.  

The Tinker Field Research Grants are not to be used for advanced dissertation research, but rather to provide graduate students with an introduction to, or formative experience with, hands-on field research in Latin America or the Caribbean.

Eligibility:

• UT graduate students in any department, discipline, or professional school may apply. Only students at the master’s or early-stage doctoral levels, or those pursuing professional degrees, are eligible. All-But-Dissertation (ABD) doctoral students are not eligible.
• Funds are only for pre-dissertation or master’s thesis field research in any Latin American or Caribbean country or territory, with limited funds available for non-Spanish- and non-Portuguese-speaking locations.
• Applicants who have received the Tinker Field Research Grant once are eligible to apply. However, priority will be given to first-time applicants. Using the application portal, indicate if you have received the Tinker Field Research Grant in the past.
   

Requirements: The following files should be submitted with your application.

• Research proposal (not to exceed 4 pages)
• Include itinerary and estimated budget
• Select bibliography, one page maximum
• Current resume or CV, not to exceed 2 pages
• One (1) letter of reference

For more information: Overview of the Tinker Field Research Grants

Apply here

Eligibility: Available to LLILAS and non-LLILAS graduate students whose field research deals with Brazil. Applicants must send a proposal of 1,000 words detailing their summer research project in Brazil and justifying how the proposed activities would advance their research project and/or prepare them for a career focused on Brazilian Studies.

Deadline: February 15
Opens: January 15

Apply here

This call is now closed.

The E.D. Farmer Fellowship provides funds for students who plan to conduct field research in Mexico or whose research interests focus on Mexico.

Submission Deadline:  February 28

Amount of award: Varies annually

Objective: The Texas Legislature created the E.D. Farmer International Fellowship with the purpose of building friendship and fostering goodwill between Texas and Mexico. This fellowship provides financial support to conduct research or fieldwork in Mexico or to undertake undergraduate or graduate studies or research activities related to Mexico at The University of Texas at Austin. 

Eligibility: Applicants must have junior or higher status at UT and demonstrate academic excellence. Previous E.D. Farmer Fellows may apply, but preference will be given to new applicants.

Applicants should submit:

1. 1–2 page personal statement describing how the funds will assist in accomplishing educational goals at UT Austin
2. Current CV including foreign-language proficiency 
3. Two (2) letters of recommendation 

Apply here

If you experience any technical issues with the application, please contact llilas@austin.utexas.edu.

The Argentine Studies Program of LLILAS invites UT graduate students to submit a proposal for the Summer 2026 Field Research Award. Students graduating in the spring semester of 2026 are not eligible.

Deadline: Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 12:00 p.m. CST 

This award covers partial travel costs of a field research trip for scholarly work related to Argentina. The trip must take place in the summer of 2026.
 
Your submission should include the following information:

1. The research proposal, including planned activities, feasibility, and expected outcomes (publication, grants, dissertation, dissertation proposal, etc.).
   Proposals should have a length of 750–1000 words and should justify how the activities support scholarly work that strengthens Argentine studies at UT. In addition, proposals should specify how the funded activity will contribute to ongoing efforts on the topic (e.g., grant proposal, ongoing research, course development, etc.).
2. If the proposal includes institutional collaborations with Argentina-based scholars and organizations, identify the institution, academic contact, and describe the intended collaboration.
3. Total travel budget and the specific amount you are requesting from the Argentine Studies Program. Since in most cases we cannot fund 100% of the necessary travel budget, applicants must have supplementary funding from other sources.
4. Proposals must include a letter of recommendation from a UT faculty member (submitted directly by the faculty member to p.diaz@austin.utexas.edu by Feb. 1, 2026). 
5. Please submit the documents in a single electronic folder to this Box link:
   https://utexas.app.box.com/f/6a9af11834f9480e9f509487e22c0ce8

 

PLEASE NOTE: Awarded students must submit IRB approval and demonstrate compliance with the respective UT travel policies. Visit https://global.utexas.edu/risk/travel/student-international-travel