Interdisciplinary Research Groups

Interdisciplinary Research Groups are teams of faculty members and doctoral students seeking to examine Latin American and Caribbean-related issues of common scholarly interest. Membership is open to faculty and graduate students.

The goal of these groups is to encourage interaction, cross-disciplinary exploration, and the sharing of knowledge and experiences among otherwise-isolated faculty and graduate students from across the schools and colleges of the university.

Groups meet regularly to carry out self-directed activities and projects. These groups form a series of vibrant nuclei around which major activities of the CLAS develop.

For information on submitting a proposal, click here.

Interdisciplinary Research Group Seed Money Grants

The Center for Latin American Studies at UM in collaboration with the Latin American Caribbean Center at FIU is accepting applications for a new set of $5,000 seed money grants to Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs) that commit to design and write-up grant proposals for major research or creative projects that seek outside funding from foundations and other funding sources external to UM and FIU.  Successful applicants will be initially funded up to $5,000 for one year, renewable for a second year upon positive review and demonstration of progress in the submission of a grant proposal ($10,000 maximum over two years). 

Successful applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Have faculty representation from at least two different departments (disciplines)
• Have members from both UM and FIU
• Commit to design and write-up a grant proposal(s) for an important research project(s) that will seek outside funding from major foundations and other funding sources external to UM and FIU

Of particular interest are proposals that encompass research that integrates researchers from the traditional area study core disciplines in the humanities and social sciences and researchers from the professional schools, e.g., Communication, Medicine, Education, etc.  Applicants are also encouraged to include scholars from Latin America/Caribbean to be virtual participants and eventual contributors to joint research projects. 

The funds provided can be used for travel, research assistance, on-campus meetings, conference and workshop attendance, data collection or any other expenses related to grant preparation. The funding cannot be used for faculty salary support. Unused funds will not rollover to the next academic year.  Each IRG will provide CLAS with a monthly accounting detailing expenditures. 
 
Applications must be received by October 15 for the 2009-2010 funding cycle.  The selection process will be conducted by the CLAS and LACC directors and a committee appointed by them and confirmed by the executive boards of both centers. 

Applications for IRGs may be submitted by any UM faculty member but must have the signature of at least one other faculty member from another department, school, or program and one FIU faculty member. The application—not to exceed three double-spaced pages, should include a description of the proposed theme and a tentative listing IRG activities.

2008-2009 Interdisciplinary Research Groups

• Andean Research Group: Profs. Bruce Bagley and Steve Stein
• Haiti Research Group: Profs. Kate Ramsey and Louis Herns Marcelin
• Atlantic Studies: Profs. Ashil White and Tim Watson
• Caribbean Literary Studies: Profs. Sandra Paquet and Lara Cahill
• Central American Gangs: Jose Flores
• Music: Tiffany Madera

2007-2008 Interdisciplinary Research Groups

• Haiti Research Group: Kate Ramsey and Louis H. Marcelin
• Women in the Contemporary Latin American Film Industry: Christina Lane
• Atlantic Studies: Ashli White and Timothy Watson
• Caribbean Literary Studies: Edmund Abaka