The information below is from the 2023 request for proposals. Please see the opportunity website for updated information.
The Chicano Studies Research Center in collaboration with the Office of Research and Creative Activities (ORCA) is pleased to announce a call for proposals for the Latinx Studies Seed (LSS) Grants Program. These LSS Grants are designed to help launch and support research projects related to topics relevant to Latinx populations in the United States, including (but not limited to) comparative studies that attend to forces that shape the experiences of Latinx groups (including those of Mexican, Central American, Caribbean, and South American origin) and other historically marginalized populations. As such, proposals funded by this grant program may also have implications for Black, Indigenous, Asian American, Pacific Islander, immigrant, and refugee communities. Projects that incorporate research training opportunities for first generation and underrepresented students are highly encouraged and will be prioritized. This funding competition is open to scholars of any discipline.
The goal of the LSS Grants is to facilitate investigators’ preparedness for attaining extramural funding. Grants must be used to design and launch work-in-progress where the PI has not previously been awarded major research funding for the proposed project. LSS Grants can be used for the development of proof-of-concepts, the collection of pilot data and archival research, drafting of white papers, creation of functional prototypes, development of preliminary art and multimedia work, training programs that allow the research team to be competitive for future funding, the study of campus climate issues, and other deliverables. As a multi-year commitment, LSS Grants are a part of the HSI Infrastructure Initiative announced by Chancellor Block and EVCP Carter in Sept 2021. Successful LSS projects are expected to advance the goals of the HSI Initiative by enhancing UCLA’s commitment to supporting scholarship with implications for diverse Latinx communities.
In addition to LSS grant funding, it is anticipated that the lead principal investigator (PI) will participate, along with other members of their cohort, in grants development workshops/activities hosted by ORCA and IAC during the grant period. This includes meeting with national and local foundation and philanthropic representatives. The goal is to advance academic research by providing grantees with greater access and tools to build and broaden their exposure to major grants development resources.
NOTE: The proposal must represent a research or creative collaboration that substantively relates to or has implications for Latinx populations in the United States (including Puerto Rico). Each collaborator’s expertise should clearly contribute to developing a project competitive enough to be funded through extramural support beyond the LSS Grant.
Award Amount and Details
It is anticipated that 8-10 projects will be funded, with a maximum award of up to $30,000 per project.
Deadlines and Date Information
The due dates listed below are the most recent due dates our office is aware of. Please see the opportunity home page for information about potential upcoming deadlines or other opportunities.
- Application opens: February 2023
- Application due date: Monday, March 27, 2023, 11:59 PM
- Announcement of Awards: May 2023
- Project Start/Funding Date: June 2023
Eligibility Information
- Projects must have one lead principal investigator (PI) from a school or division at UCLA, and may include Co-PIs from other schools, divisions, and institutions.
- The PI must hold UCLA academic faculty or academic administrator appointments as of 7/1/2023.
- Visiting faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and individuals without UCLA appointments are not eligible to serve as the PI, although they may serve as co-PIs or team members.
- Activities currently or previously funded by major research awards (over $30,000) are not eligible for consideration. Should any aspect of a proposal receive alternative funding, the primary applicant must notify the LSS grant program coordinator within 5 business days. Proposals that build off other funded work are eligible, but the application should describe how the proposal is distinct from existing funded work.
- The same project is not eligible to apply for more than one ORCA funding opportunity.
The following activities are not eligible for funding under this mechanism:
- Seminars, courses, or curricular development
- Conferences or conference support and workshops
- Publishing subventions
