The Kendall-Rives Latin American Research Grant makes approximately $10,000 available each year to Wooster sophomores or juniors to support a research project on some aspect of United States-Latin American Relations. Funds are to be used during the current academic year, including the summer months. 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.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.
If you are interested in learning more about the Kendall-Rives Latin American Research Grant, please contact Professor Cynthia Palmer (Department of Spanish), Chair of the Kendall-Rives Committee. Kendall-Rives Committee members are Katie Holt (History) and Laura Sirot (Biology). Applicants must submit to Professor Palmer a detailed research proposal and letter of recommendation from their academic advisor.
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.
The deadline for applications is Monday, April 4, 2016, by 5:00 pm; candidates will be notified by Monday, April 11, 2016.