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.

Undergraduate and graduate scholarships during spring and summer 2026 provide tuition stipends for training in K'iche' Maya (spring 2026) or another Indigenous language (summer 2026 only), along with one Latin American Studies course. Apply for the scholarship by October 27, 2025, for spring 2026. Contact Ramya Iyer for more information.

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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

The purpose of this award is to help cover travel expenses related to field work conducted during the summer of 2025 in the Caribbean. For the purposes of this award, the Caribbean includes all islands of the Caribbean, the Caribbean coasts of Central and South America, and Caribbean diasporas. This includes the diversity of linguistic areas of the Caribbean (Kreyol, Dutch, English, French, Papiamentu, Spanish, and various creoles or patois).  

Research conducted in either Brazil or Mexico will not be considered for these awards as LLILAS has other sources of funding devoted specifically for those two countries (see elsewhere on this page for information on those opportunities). Please visit the Caribbean Studies Initiative webpage for descriptions of past awards.

Deadline: February 21, 5 p.m. CST

Eligibility: UT Austin graduate students whose research area is the Caribbean, as defined above. Winners of the 2024 CSI Summer Research Travel Awards are not eligible for this year’s competition.

Amount of Award: Two awards in the amount of $2,000 each 

Requirements: Applicants should create a single PDF, with LAST NAME as the file name. The PDF should consist of the following:

(1) an updated CV that includes your contact information, and

(2) the completed application form, downloadable at this link.

Apply here: Submit your PDF no later than Friday, February 21, at 5 p.m. CST by using this link: Caribbean Initiative Application

For any questions regarding this award, please contact llilas@austin.utexas.edu. 

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.

Undergraduate and graduate scholarships during spring and summer 2026 provide tuition stipends for training in K'iche' Maya (spring 2026) or another Indigenous language (summer 2026 only), along with one Latin American Studies course. Open to all UT students. Apply for the scholarship by October 27, 2025, for spring 2026. Contact Ramya Iyer for more information.