2009 Jane's Travel Grant for Latin American ResearchThe Latin American and Latino Studies Program is pleased to announce the availability of travel grants for Brandeis students to conduct research in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the Latin American diaspora in the United States. Grants vary in size, depending on the air fare, length of trip, and project budget. The maximum grant is $3000. Brandeis graduate students and undergraduates in all departments are eligible to apply, although students in the LALS major/minor will receive highest priority. Proposals connected with a senior project, departmental honors thesis, independent research, internship, master's thesis, or doctoral dissertation are eligible. Small grants are also available for groups of students traveling to Latin America during winter or spring recess in connection with a class or structured study project. Recipients will be required to make a presentation on the research to the Brandeis community upon return. The Jane's Travel Grant covers research expenses such as travel, room and board, and photocopying. It does not fund study at a foreign institution or cover tuition, internship fees, or the purchase of durable equipment such as tape recorders, cameras, laptop computers, etc. The travel grant may be combined with other university grants such as the Sachar, Peace Prize, Undergraduate and Richter Research Awards, or individual departmental funds. Projects involving research with human subjects (interviews, participant observation, etc.) will require clearance from the Brandeis Committee for the Protection of Human Subjects. |
El mundo es un redondo plato de barro
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Poem & Illustration taken from: Brotherston, Gordon (1992) Book of the Fourth World: Reading the Native Americas through their Literature. Cambridge University Press.
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Undergraduates may use the awards to conduct research during the inter-semester break or during the summer. Graduate students may schedule research within six months of receiving the grant. Undergraduates in all classes and majors are eligible to apply for the winter research grant; all but seniors may apply for the summer grant. Graduate students may apply for the grant only if they will be enrolled as a student at Brandeis during the semester or year after their research trip. The individual winter research trips may begin any time after December 19, 2007 and must be of at least two-and-a-half weeks' duration. The summer research trips may begin any time after May 9, 2008 and must be at least four weeks long.
Applications for the winter and spring grants are due Monday, November 3, 2008 by 9:00 a.m. The recipients will be announced by November 13. Applications for the summer grants are due Thursday, March 5, 2009 by 9:00 a.m. The recipients will be announced by March 19. Winners must notify the LALS program of their acceptance within ten days of receiving the award. Submissions should be sent to Marilyn Brooks, LALS, MS 036/Olin-Sang 218. Applicants for individual grants must submit all items listed below; applicants for group grants need submit only those listed under number 1.
Applicants must submit:
- A proposal which includes:
- a cover sheet with a short project title and the applicant's name, undergraduate class or expected date of graduate degree, mailbox, phone number, and e-mail address
- a concise description of the proposed travel project with a well-thought-out summary of the project's objectives and how it fits into undergraduate or graduate program
- the dates and destination of the trip
- a budget, including airfare
- the applicant's qualifications to conduct this research, including foreign language skills
- proposal dates for post-research presentation to Brandeis University.
- Two letters of recommendation from Brandeis professors who have taught you in a course. Both letters should comment on the feasibility of the proposed project as well as the applicant's ability to conduct the research.
- A Brandeis University transcript, official or unofficial.
Jane's Travel Grant recipients will be selected by a committee of faculty members from the LALS program. Applicants may be called for an interview at the committee's discretion. A list of previous prizewinning projects and instructions on how to prepare a proposal is below. For further information, please call Marilyn Brooks, ext. 62293, or e-mail her at mbrooks@brandeis.edu.
How to Prepare a Jane's Travel Grant Proposal
Your proposal should choose one major question, concern, or issue as the main focus of your research, but may also include additional subsidiary questions. The proposal should give a general description of your research problem. It should address the following questions: Why is this subject interesting or important? What is the relationship of your primary question or approach to other work in this field?
Be certain to explain what you will do should you win the grant. Where will you conduct research and for how long? How do you go from an intellectual problem to doing actual fieldwork? Be specific in how you will spend your time: in interviews, library research, observation, etc.
A budget must be included with your proposal. You should show that you have done some logistical planning: airfare, cost of food, lodging, transportation within the country, etc. Jane's Travel Grants do not cover equipment and book purchases or research assistants.
Your proposal should state your qualifications to conduct this research by describing any relevant courses taken, papers written, previous travel or research experience, special preparation or training, language skills, etc. Be sure to include any contacts you have made and how they will help with your research project. Such details will emphasize to the committee the serious thought you have given to your proposal.
Proposals involving research with human subjects (interviews, participant observation, etc.) require proof of clearance from the Brandeis Committtee for the Protection of Human Subjects (BCPHS). The Committee provides oversight and assurance that human subjects are protected from possible harm during the research. BCPHS approval may require several months, and students are therefore urged to work with faculty advisors to begin the process well before the submission of the travel grant proposal. Proposals undergoing the review process may be approved for funding dependent upon the final approval of the BCPHS; however, the release of funds to grantees will be dependent upon the Committee's final approval. Information on human subjects research and the BCPHS, along with the required forms, may be found at: http://www.brandeis.edu/osp/hsintro.html.
If you have questions concerning your project, and whether it requires the approval of the BCPHS, please contact your advisor or the Office of Sponsored Programs.
Projects Funded by Jane's Travel Grants
2008 - Anna Pancheshnikov - "Access to Information, Education, Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS among Pregnant Women in San Juan, Puerto Rico"
2008 - Brandeis Hillel - "Pasando por la Puerta: Hillel's Alternative Spring Break in Honduras"
2008 - The Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children - "Heal the World: A Journey into the Health of Alajuelita, Costa Rica"
2008 - Katie Kelly-Hankin '08 and Hannah Ramer '08 - "Visions for the Future: New Strategies of the Anti-Mining Movement in the Community of Junin, Ecuador"
2008 - Rachel Kleinbaum '08 - "The Guatemalan Labor Movement"
2008 - Gleisson Araujo (SID) - "The Decision-making Process in Agrarian Reform Settlements in the Brazilian Semi-arid Region"
2007 - Pesha Black '07 - "Growing in the Spirit: Framing the Pentecostal Increase in Managua, Nicaragua"
2007 - Elizabeth Cosser '07 - "Caught in the Storm: How Multinational Corporations Responded and Adapted During the 2001-02 Argentine Peso Crisis"
2007 - Noah Foster '07 - "Researching the Xalala Dam Project in Guatemala"
2007 - Kendra Harrison '07 - "Transnational Dominican-American Identities: Interpretations from 'Home'"
2007 - Logan Jergen '07 - "Gender, Sexuality, and Religion in Addressing HIV/AIDS in Port-au-Prince, Haiti"
2007 - Melanie Kingsley (Anthropology) - "In Search of Nito: Preliminary Survey of Southeastern Guatemala"
2007 - Betsy Marzahn-Ramos (Anthropology) - "Style, Affiliation, and Regional Political Dynamics: Small Classic Maya Sites in the Usumacinta River Region"
2007 - Hannah Ramer '08 - "Sustainable Agriculture in the Intag Region of Ecuador"
2007 - Mrinalini Tankha (Anthropology) - "Touring Money: Uses and Meanings of Currencies in 21st Century Cuba"
2007 - Brady Wheatley '07 - "Within and Without the System: Contemporary Social and Political Movements of Bolivia"
2006 - Brandeis Hillel - "Rehabilitating Isla de Mendez After Hurricane Stan"
2006 - Laura Cornejo Ruh (SID Program) - "Comparison Between Women's Contribution to the Economy and Women's Advancement in the Industrial Sector: Costa Rica"
2006 - Jacob Daniels '07 - "Neoliberal Privatization, Dirigista Economics and the Spirit of Democracy: A "PP&E" Approach to Development in Bolivia"
2006 - Logan Jerger '07 - "Gender, Sexuality, and Religion in Addressing HIV/AIDS in Port-au-Prince, Haiti"
2006 - Arnaud Lambert (Anthropology) - "Rereading the Olmec Presence in Southeastern Mesoamerica: The Las Victorias Rock Carvings, Chalchuapa, El Salvador in Comparative Perspective"
2006 - Brooke Linden '06 and Shayna Skelly '06 - "The Music Diversity of Argentina: Mendocino Folklore and Buenos Aires Tango"
2006 - Betsy Marzahn-Ramos (Anthropology) - "Non-Elite Households in the Classic Period Maya Borderlands"
2006 - Jane Oslin (SID Program) - "Assessing the Impact of a Women's Rights Campaign in El Salvador"
2006 - Neena Pathak '08 - "Zapatismo, International Solidarity, and the Ethics of Travel Activism"
2006 - Naomi Schiesel (Anthropology) - "The Female Experience of Urban Poverty: Preliminary Research into Latino Adolescent Pregnancy and Mothering in the Fruitvale Community of Oakland, CA"
2006 - Allison Sherrill (Anthropology) - "Assessing the Impact of a Women's Rights Campaign in El Salvador"
2006 - Loretta Stein '06 - "Investigating Children's Health Issues in the Nicaraguan Refugee Communities of La Carpio, and Puente los Anonos, Costa Rica: Que debemos hacer ahora?"
2006 - Erica Weston '08 - "An Exploration of Public Health, Poverty, and Nutrition: Amaranth and Empowering Women in Oaxaca, Mexico"
2005 - Jefferson Arak '07 - "Voice Through Film: A Visual Study of the Chiapas Media Project and Its Influence in Chiapas and Guerrero."
2005 - Juliana Barrera '06 - "Landscape Modification and Site Dynamics at Medicinal Trail, Orange Walk District, Belize."
2005 - Robert Marx '06 - "Gendered Liminality in Buenos Aires: Transvestites' Internalization of Gender Roles."
2005 - Mariana Caram (SID) - "Measuring the Impact of Solar Ovens on Household Welfare in Argentina."
2005 - Brandeis Hillel - "Alternative Spring Break Trip to Honduras."
2005 - Betina Freidin (Soc) - "Hybridizing Eastern Medical Knowledge in Latin America: The Case of Acupuncture in Argentina."
2005 - Eric Michael Kelley (Anthropology) - "Shamanic Music and Language Among the Ava-Guarani of Eastern Paraguay."
2005 - Adam Mendelsohn (NEJS) - "To the 'Extreme Side of the Habitable Globe': Investigating the Role of Caribbean Jewry in the Emergence of the English-Language Diaspora."
2005 - Yanina Seltzer '05 - "The Politics of National Identity and Race in Costa Rica: Challenges Presented by Early 20th-Century Caribbean and Current Nicaraguan, Colombian and Argentine Immigration."
2005 - Troy Trejo '06 - "Investigating Children's Health Issues in the Nicaraguan Refugee Communities of La Carpio, and Puente los Anonos, Costa Rica: Que debemos hacer ahora? (What should we do now?)."
2004 - Jocelyn Knowles '06 - "Conservation of the Inscriptions in the Ndaxagua Cave, Tepelmeme de Morelos, Oaxaca, Mexico."
2004 - Evan Paster '04 - "Responding to the Coffee Crisis: Costa Rican Efforts Towards Sustainable Agriculture."
2004 - Bekka Saks '06 - "Aesthetic Traditions of Pre-Hispanic Mexico: An Exploration of the Nuine Inscriptions in the Ndaxagua Cave, Tepelmeme, Oaxaca."
2004 - Whitney Stern '04 - "The Impact of Women's Rural and Indigenous Movement in Chile: An Examination of Gender, Race, and Identity Formation in a Social Movement."
2004 - Jeffrey Tornheim '04 - "Intercultural Medicine in Southern Chile: Biomedical and Mapuche Practice at Hospital Maquehue."
2004 - The SID Alternative Development Field Studies Committee - "Sustainable Development in Cuba."
2004 - Brandeis Hillel - "Working with The Maria Luisa Ortiz Cooperative in Nicaragua."
2003 - Deana Becker (SID) - "The Role of Community-Based Monitoring in Conjunction with Women's Capacity Building in the Drive to Global Corporate Responsibility."
2003 - Toby Bloom (SID) - "Strengthening Environmental Conservation and Economic Development in Latin America Through Community-Based Ecotourism."
2003 - Izaskun Gaviria (SID) - "A Research on the Mechanisms Put in Practice in Cuba to Prevent and Mitigate the Effects of Natural Disasters."
2003 - Laurence Alex Green '04 - "Etlatongo Research Project 2003: Intrasite Lithic Analysis at Etlatongo."
2003 - Nalbert Tero '04 - "Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Ceramic Artifact Styles at Etlatongo, Mexico."
2003 - Sara Withers (Anthropology) - "The Negotiation of Gendered Roles Within Dual-Career Families: A Comparative Study in Oaxaca, Mexico."
2003 - Brandeis Hillel - "From Pupusas to Pick-Axes: El Salvador Comes to Brandeis."
2002 - Ryan Arp (Anthropology) - "Ceramic Trait Correlations in the Mixteca Alta, Oaxaca, Mexico."
2002 - Peter Coleman (SID) - "The Need and Perception of Electricity in Isolated Miskitu Populations on the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua."
2002 - Jessica Hedgepeth '03 - "Pottery Production at Etlatongo, Mexico: Material Manifestations of Social Organization."
2002 - Brandeis Hillel - "An Alternative February Break: Brandeis Hillel Students in El Salvador."
2002 - Naomi Lambertson (SID) - "A Comparative Analysis of Amazon Basin Indigenous Organizational Approaches to Effecting Change in Extractive Industry Policies."
2001 - Eric Michael Kelley (Anthropology) - "Searching for Shamans in Lowland South America."
2001 - Fatima Naqvi (SID) - "The Role of Community Participation in the Conservation of Biological Diversity: An Empirical Test Among Maya Communities of Belize."
2001 - Anastasia Norton (Sociology) - "A Deep Exploration of Globalization Among the Saramaccan Maroons of Suriname."
2000 - Greg Foley '00 - "Intercolony Behavioral Differences in Paraponera Clavata (Giant Tropical Hunting Ants or Bullet Ants) in Costa Rica."
2000 - Silvia Grigolini (Anthropology) - "Remittances and International Migration in Oaxaca, Mexico."
2000 - Rebecca Pearl (SID) - "The Economic and Social Rights of Women in the Andean Region."
1999 - Sharen Bidaisee '99 - "Making Art in Trinidad and Tobago."
1999 - Katerina Ailova (Anthropology) - "The Power of Tradition: Festival and Religious Imagery in Oaxaca, Mexico."
1999 - Homero Castanier (SID) - "Economic Values of Ecosystems Services: The Case of Punta de Manabique, Guatemala."
1998 - Gabrielle Dickerman '99 - "The Jews of Honduras: Tradition within Assimilation."
1998 - Yasmin Howes '99 - "The Impact of the 1995 Volcanic Eruption on Montserrat."
1998 - Andrew Levine '98 - "The Death Squad Phenomenon: An Analysis of Brazilian Extralegal Violence."
1997 - Damian Payiatakis '99 - "Argentine Opinions on International Investment as a Key to Stable Growth."
1997 - Amy Todd (Anthropology) - "Regulation of Marketplaces in Oaxaca, Mexico."
1997 - Peter Wogan (Anthropology) - "Nationalism, Historical Consciousness, and Uses of Literacy in Highland Ecuador."
1996 - Odessa Deffenbaugh '96 - "The Popular Education Program in Morazan, El Salvador."
1996 - Holly Snyder (American History) - "The Jewish Community of Colonial Jamaica."
1995 - Jeffrey E. Michels (JPLS) - "Contemporary Jewish Argentine Views of Jewishness and Nationalism."
1995 - Jabes Rojas '97 and Joseph Schick '97 - "Health Promoters in San Lucas Toliman, Guatemala."
1994 - Janina Fenigsen (Anthropology) - "Plantation Talk: The Ideology and Practice of Language Use in a Barbadian Plantation."