STONE CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
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Opportunities for Graduate Students

Academic Year

Students accepted into the M.A. and Ph.D. programs in Latin American Studies are eligible for two types of aid: Tulane University Graduate School Fellowships and U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Study (FLAS) Fellowships. Although the amount of financial aid and the general policies and procedures for students holding these fellowships are the similar, there are fundamental differences.

Graduate School Fellowships 
Academic Year

Graduate School Fellowships provide a fellowship stipend and a tuition waiver from the Graduate School.  As a condition of this funding, each fellow must provide either service or teaching for the Stone Center.  M.A. Students must serve for 6 hours per week as a Research and Project Associate and Ph.D. Candidates must either serve as a Teaching Assistant or as a Research and Project Associate.

FLAS Fellowships
Academic Year

With funding for the U.S. Department of Education’s Title VI program, the Stone Center for Latin American Studies is able to offer a special fellowship program to a select group of students.  The goals of the Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship program include: assisting in the development of knowledge, resources, and trained personnel for modern foreign language and area/international studies; stimulating the attainment of foreign language acquisition and fluency; and developing a pool of international experts to meet national needs.  FLAS fellowships are available to those graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and are in need of attaining language proficiency in Portuguese or an indigenous Latin American language.  There are awards available for both the academic year and for summer intensive language study. 

Academic year FLAS fellowships are awarded to those graduate students in Latin American Studies, Humanities, Social Sciences, or professional school programs whose program of study requires Portuguese or for those in programs outside of humanities or social sciences, advanced Spanish.  Although limited and rare, FLAS funding is available for students proposing to conduct dissertation research abroad using a Less Commonly Taught Language.  Benefits of an academic year FLAS fellowship include: a service-free fellowship stipend and a tuition waiver is provided by the Graduate School.  Those students receiving a FLAS fellowship during the academic year must register for their required language course (most often Portuguese) over and above the normal course load of nine hours.  Priority for funding of academic year FLAS fellowships goes to those students who demonstrate a need for proficiency in Portuguese. 

Summer

Summer Field Research Grants

Read Graduate Student Summer Field Research Reports, 2007

The Stone Center for Latin American Studies invites all Tulane University graduate students engaged in the study of Latin America or the Caribbean to apply for funding to conduct field research outside of the United States during the summer of 2008.  Funding is provided through the Stone Center for Latin American Studies and the Cuban & Caribbean Studies Institute, as well as through the Tinker Foundation.  These field research grants are not to be used for dissertation research, but rather to provide graduate students who have little to no field research experience with an opportunity to explore the feasibility of a particular field research project and to gain experience in conducting preliminary hands-on field research abroad.
Click here for successful grant proposals A complete application packet must include three documents: the Summer Field Research Grant Application Form, an official transcript of graduate work, and the Summer Field Research Grant Faculty Sponsor Recommendation form.  Before applying, please read the program eligibility and application guidelines carefully.

The application deadline is March 24, 2008.

FLAS Summer Fellowships

The Stone Center for Latin American Studies receives funding from the U.S. Department of Education's Title VI program for Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships.  Part of the FLAS fellowships administered by the Stone Center are available to graduate students for the intensive study over the summer of Kaqchikel Maya, Portuguese, or another less-commonly taught Latin American language.  Graduate students wishing to engage in intensive study of such a language are encouraged to apply for one of these fellowships.  Only U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible to apply; and only intensive summer language programs approved by the U.S. Department of Education are eligible under this program.  A listing of some of the approved programs is prepared by CLASP and available on-line.  The guidelines of this program are very specific, please read them carefully before applying.  Students will have to submit a complete Summer FLAS Fellowship Proposal Application Form, an official transcript of graduate work, and the Summer FLAS Fellowship Faculty Sponsor Recommendation Form. 

The application deadline is March 10, 2008. 

Opportunities for Faculty & Staff

Professional Travel

The Stone Center’s professional travel policy is intended to encourage long-range planning so that we can more effectively budget and distribute support. As of Fall 2001 there will be only one formal competition in the Stone Center for travel funds per academic year. This competition takes place in October after the Dean’s deadline for anticipated travel to meetings, so that faculty can apply for Stone Center resources with the advanced knowledge of a travel budget as provided by the Dean. The deadline for applications to the Stone Center's formal fall competition funding over the 2007-2008 academic year is: October 15, 2007. Prior to that deadline, the Center’s Faculty Research Committee will decide upon the priorities for funding for faculty travel. The Faculty Research Committee will then divide the funds available for faculty travel into two unequal “pots” – the larger of which will be available immediately for those applicants funded in the October competition, the smaller of which will be held in reserve for contingencies that might arise later in the year. Applications from faculty who apply in October will be reviewed and decided upon by the Faculty Research Committee. Those applications received after the October deadline will be considered by the Executive Director of the Center.

Please note also the following additional policies and procedures. Some of them are new:

• Faculty should seek all possible sources of support.
• In order of priority, the Center supports (1) the presenting of invited or juried scholarly papers, (2) chairing programs, and (3) attending board or committee meetings at reunions of recognized professional associations. The Center does not support travel and per diems for search committee members, or for invitational or free-standing lectures at universities or similar organizations.
• A complete application will include the following materials:
  a. Your application form for domestic or international travel. Please read the above guide for downloading these forms. This may be submitted electronically to <scapply@tulane.edu> or in hard copy.
  b. If applicable, your most recent “Annual Report of Faculty” to the dean should be on file with the Stone Center.
• Awards will ordinarily be for either a maximum of two-day per diem at the rate for the city you visit (set by the federal government) or one-half of the lowest round trip airfare between New Orleans and your destination. You should indicate which you prefer. You can find current per diem rates at: http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/ (domestic per diem rates); and http://www.state.gov/m/a/als/prdm/1502.htm (foreign per diem rates). The Center Committee on Faculty Research will make awards according to the merits of the proposal, the availability of funds, and the record of faculty service to the Center.
• Faculty members serving on the "Stone Center Faculty Research Committee" will be ineligible to apply for Faculty Travel Support during their tenure of service on the Committee.
• The Stone Center will fund no more than three travel requests per faculty over the course a one year period.
• If a faculty member wishes to apply for multiple trips, he or she must indicate an order of priority.
• If a faculty member is unable to make a proposed trip, the money may not be “banked” by the individual for subsequent travel; it reverts to the general fund.

Upon your return we must have the following documents and receipts in order to process your reimbursement:

• If requesting ½ airfare cost, Plane ticket passenger receipt (or a copy of this receipt if another entity is also covering remaining airfare costs);
• Evidence that you presented at the conference or event such as a copy of the event program;
• If requesting per diem, BOTH the plane ticket passenger receipt (or a copy of this receipt if another entity is covering airfare) AND either a hotel bill on which your name appears for at least 2 nights’ stay, or a collection of all other receipts (ground transportation, meals, registration fees, etc.,) for a total amount of the full per diem award. NOTE: Meals are reimbursable, alcoholic drinks are not. Please consult with us if you are driving, staying with a friend, or if there are any other special circumstances;
• Signed “Travel Expense Itemization” form.

Summer Research

The Stone Center provides a limited number of grants to core and affiliated faculty to conduct fieldwork, acquire materials, provide project assistance, and in very special cases, offer compensation for uninterrupted time for research and writing, during the summer months. Funding categories include:

(A) Fieldwork–field research conducted in Latin America and the Caribbean;
(B) Materials–the acquisition of unique, out-of-the-ordinary research materials essential to the project (books, maps, software, CD-ROMS, etc; and
(C) Assistance–the service of assistants, consultants, or external laboratories (translation, data collecting, illustration, photography, indexing, scanning.

Note that faculty members who wish to apply for Assistance grants for which they require the service of assistants or consultants should consult with the Assistant Director of Administration before beginning the approved project. View an example of a previously funded summer program.

Please review the program guidelines before completing an application form and refer to the above guide for downloading Stone Center Funding Application forms if you are not familiar with the process.

The deadline for applying is March 31, 2008.

Guest Lecturer/ Performer

In special instances, the Center is able to provide support for guest lectures and performances. Sponsors for such events must discuss the details with Center personnel well in advance.  If the Center supports such events, the Center is happy to handle the publicity for them.  In any event, publicity for such Center-supported events must bear the Center logo and must receive the approval of the Center before distribution.  If a student organization or group seeks support, a faculty sponsor must submit the application for assistance. Please refer to the above guide for downloading Stone Center Funding Application forms if you are not familiar with the process. Applicants in this category must: 

• Apply by September 1 for Fall Semester events.  Apply by December 1 for Spring Semester events.

• Provide biographical material on lecturer.

• Seek support from other entities first.  Document support with letters or agreements.

Business Meal

On special occasions where a business meal is appropriate as part of a center-supported event, sponsors of such events may apply for separate funds to cover the expense of such a meal. On the form, applicants should indicate the need for this meal, the purpose of the event, the names and affiliations of persons attending the meal, and the place and date of the meal. Please refer to the above guide for downloading Stone Center Funding Application forms if you are not familiar with the application process. 

Special Project Support

On rare occasions, the Center may support special projects not covered under the guidelines for faculty summer research programs or other support categories listed above.  In such cases, individuals must apply for Center support using the Special Project Support application form.  This form must be submitted by September 1 for Fall Semester projects and by December 1 for Spring Semester projects.  Please refer to the above guide for downloading Stone Center Funding Application forms if you are not familiar with the process. 

Applicants in this category must:

• Attach signed contractor/consultant proposal with description of anticipated work/itemization of costs.

• Attach project narrative which briefly describes the project rationale, goals, expected outcome(s), and timetable.  The application must address not only the importance of the project itself, but also why the Center’s support is crucial to the completion of the project.

STONE CENTER FOR LATIN AMERICAN STUDIES
Tulane University
100 Jones Hall
New Orleans LA 70118

ph: (504) 865-5164;  fx:(504) 865-6719; rtsclas@tulane.edu

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
11:28:39 PM