University Center for International Studies Center for Latin American Studies
University Center for International Studies Center for Latin American Studies

CLAS Faculty Fund

Rolling Deadline

Purpose

The Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS) Faculty Fund was created to support CLAS Faculty in their research and other academic endeavors. This small grant funds projects on Latin America, the Caribbean, and/or Latinx Studies that: ­

  • Enhance disciplinary expertise 
  • Contribute to existing knowledge, and/or 
  • Enrich the Latin American/Caribbean content of courses.

Eligibility

Applicants must be eligible for Center funding through CLAS affiliation. 

  • Interested applicants who are not yet affiliated should contact Luis Van Fossen Bravo (bravo@pitt.edu) for information on becoming affiliated.
  • Faculty already affiliated with CLAS must have updated their UCIS Faculty Survey within the past 12 months. That survey is available at: https://www.ucis.pitt.edu/facsurv/

NOTE: Previous awardees who have not submitted reports and/or expenditure documentation from past grants are not eligible.

Amount of Grant

Awards of up to $4,000 are available. 

  • Not all proposals may be funded at the maximum level.
  • Funds are limited and awarded on a rolling basis. Once annual allocations are exhausted, no further support will be available until the next cycle.
  • All funds must be spent by August 15, 2026, unless special permission is given.

Funding Priorities

Awards are designed to:

  • Provide seed money or supplementary support for larger projects
  • Support smaller projects or projects of short duration
  • Facilitate research leading to the development or enhancement of Latin American/Caribbean/Latinx courses (new course proposals must include departmental support)

Priority will be given to:

  1. New faculty (first two years at Pitt)
  2. Junior faculty (pre-tenure, especially with junior research leaves)
  3. Faculty in the Humanities or disciplines with limited external funding
  4. Senior faculty starting new projects or shifting research foci
  5. Senior faculty needing start-up funds for projects with strong potential for future external funding

Final awards will depend on the overall quality of the proposal.

Allowable Uses of Funds

Funds may be used for:

  • Trav­el and maintenance
  • Data collec­tion/ana­lysis—in­clu­ding laboratory anal­y­sis, com­puter time, participants' fees
  • Release time/salary replacement (only for junior CLAS core faculty in the tenure stream where research results contribute to tenure prospects)
  • Translation of publications to increase accessibility

For uses outside these categories, contact Luis Van Fossen Bravo (bravo@pitt.edu) 

Restrictions (Funds Cannot Be Used For)

  • Publication costs
  • Attendance at professional meetings (see “Travel to Professional Meetings Small Grants”)
  • Purchase of major equipment (items over $500, e.g., cameras, computers)
  • Salary supplements/summer salary (except as noted above for junior faculty research/tenure-track cases)

Proposal Requirements

Only electronic submissions will be accepted

Proposals must include:

  • A project description (max. 5 double-spaced pages, Word or PDF) including:
    • Topic/Problem (connection to CLAS Faculty Fund purpose)
    • Significance/Need for the project
    • Methodology
  • A detailed budget (MS Excel or PDF);
    • Specifies the amount requested from CLAS
    • Identifies other sources of funding (indicating which have been awarded and which are pending)
  • Curriculum vitae of the principal investigator (Word or PDF).

If the proposal is a continuation of a previously funded CLAS project, indicate this clearly in the description.

Note: Appendices (e.g., questionnaires, lists of contacts) are permitted but should be minimal.

Application

Submit all required documents electronically via the CLAS Faculty Funds Application Form by the stated deadline.

Additional Requirements & Compliance

  • Travel Registration: Awardees must register their trip with International SOS before departure. Registration instructions can be found here: https://globaloperations.pitt.edu/trip-registration/
    • Questions may be directed to the Global Operations Support Manager at: globalsupport@pitt.edu
    • If you are a citizen of the country you are traveling to, standard travel insurance coverage with International SOS/Cigna via Pitt may not apply based on policy rules. Please contact the Global Operations Support Manager about coverage options and policy specifics.
  • Export Control Compliance: U.S. export control laws and regulations apply to research conducted outside the United States. Awardees must consult with the Office of Trade Compliance to complete an Export Controls Review prior to beginning international research. Additional information is available here: https://www.tradecompliance.pitt.edu/about/remote-research-activities
  • IRB Approval: The IRB still encourages investigators to be proactive in knowing what the local standards are for any COVID-related restrictions. This could be done by reaching out to a representative of the external site and/or looking at governing body web pages for this information.
    Please see the descriptions below to determine the disposition of your research. All questions should be directed to: askirb@pitt.edu
    • All research involving interventions or interactions with individuals or the collection of identifiable private information concerning living individuals requires prospective Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval.
    • Even if the research may qualify in an exempt category, the researcher must obtain an exemption approval from the IRB.
    • Grantees are responsible for obtaining IRB approval when required and must provide documentation of IRB approval before the funds can be disbursed. For further information, check the IRB web site at www.irb.pitt.edu.

Reporting

Recipients must submit a brief written report (2–4 pages) within three weeks of completing their research:

  • Details on how funds were used
  • Include travel schedules (if applicable)
  • Summarize accomplishments, and
  • Indicate how research results will be used. 

Recipients must acknowledge the support of the Center for Latin American Studies (CLAS), the University Center for International Studies (UCIS), and the University of Pittsburgh in any publication, film, or products resulting from this grant. The CLAS logo is available upon request.

If you have questions about the grant, please contact:

Luis Van Fossen Bravo
Associate Director
bravo@pitt.edu

Funding for the CLAS Faculty Fund Competition is provided by the Center for Latin American Studies and the University Center for International Studies at University of Pittsburgh.