The Kendall-Rives Latin American Research Grant makes available approximately $10,000 each year to Wooster sophomores or juniors to support a research project on some aspect of United States-Latin American Relations. Research projects must be conducted in a Latin American country in preparation for, or as part of, a senior Independent Study project in any major. Projects may be conducted either under the auspices of an accredited academic program or independently without academic credit, but they must be approved in advance by the Dean for Faculty Development.
Please Note: If you plan to request travel funds for international research, you must first reach out to the Global Engagement Office to receive travel approval and develop a plan for care or quarantine should the need arise during your time abroad.
Grant Criteria
Grants are awarded to academically outstanding Wooster students regardless of their major. Awards will be made by the Dean for Faculty Development on the advice of the student’s academic adviser and the Kendall-Rives Committee according to the following criteria:
- The student’s academic achievements;
- The student’s demonstrated ability to converse in either Spanish or Portuguese, defined minimally as having satisfactorily completed at least two years of college-level language study or its equivalent;
- The quality of the student’s research proposal; and
- The recommendation of both the student’s advisor and the Kendall-Rives Committee.
- The award is made on the basis of merit rather than financial need. If the student receives financial aid from the College and if academic credits are earned for the work completed, this grant will be considered as an outside resource and therefore included in the calculation of the College’s financial aid award to meet financial need.
Successful applicants will be required to submit a report on their use of the funds and progress made on their projects. The report will be shared with the donor and will become a part of the College’s Kendall-Rives file.
Learn more
If you are interested in learning more about the Kendall-Rives Latin American Research Grant, please contact Professor Katie Holt (Department of History) or Professor Rebecca Garonzik (Department of Spanish), Co-Chairs of the Kendall-Rives Committee. Applications must be submitted to them along with a detailed research proposal and letter of recommendation from their academic advisor.
Deadline
- Fall Semester Deadline: 4:00pm, Friday, October 27, 2023
- Early Spring Deadline: 4:00pm, Friday, February 2, 2024
- Late Spring Deadline: 4:00pm, Friday, March 8, 2024
Past grant recipients
Successful projects in the past have included an archaeological excavation in Honduras, a summer stay in Reynosa, Mexico to gather information to create a testimonio, a semester in Chile and Argentina examining the process of national reconciliation, and a summer in Mexico City examining the question of Chicano identity as perceived by Mexicans, and an examination of the effects of private and public investments in prenatal health programs on maternal health outcomes in São Paulo, Brazil.