Opportunities & Support at CLACLS

CLACLS Pre-Dissertation Research Award 

The CLACLS Pre-Dissertation Research Award recognizes and encourages graduate students whose work engages Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latino communities in the United States. The award is intended to support graduate students at the pre-dissertation stage as they prepare for advanced doctoral research. 

The award provides up to $1,500 to support preliminary research activities, which may include exploratory fieldwork, archival research, or the development of research design and data collection strategies. Students from all disciplines are encouraged to apply, particularly those whose work aligns with the interdisciplinary mission of CLACLS. 

Award recipients are expected to share their work as part of the CLACLS Pre-Dissertation Awards Colloquium, which provides an opportunity for intellectual exchange, feedback, and community building among graduate students and faculty. 

Download the Call for Applications: Spring 2026

Award Recipients – 2025 

Mariana Pinto Alvarez 
Doctoral Candidate, Community Health Education, School of Public Health & Health Sciences 
Project Title: Understanding Suicide among Older Adults in Bogotá, Colombia: A Mixed-Methods Approach 
Abstract: This project examines suicide among older adults in Bogotá through a mixed-methods approach, including a systematic review, survey analysis, and a photovoice study. By integrating social determinants and critical perspectives, the research aims to inform public health policies and interventions that support mental well-being in aging populations. 

Carol Pinzón Masmela 
Ph.D. Student, Department of Anthropology, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences 
Project Title: Embodied Transitions: Female Ex-Combatants and the Gendered Realities of Colombia’s Post-Agreement Period 
Abstract: Following Colombia’s 2016 peace agreement, female FARC ex-combatants face persistent stigma and the challenges of reconciliation. This project examines how women reconfigure their gendered subjectivities as they navigate social expectations, legacies of violence, and the redefinition of imposed roles in the post-conflict period. 

Gerardo Zelaya 
Ph.D. Student, Language, Literacy & Cultures, School of Education 
Project Title: Last Name, Identidad, and Heritage Spanish Speakers: A Raciolinguistic Inquiry in a Novice Spanish Classroom 
Abstract: This ethnographic study examines how heritage Spanish speakers perceive their linguistic identities and roles within a novice Spanish classroom in a predominantly White school context. Drawing on classroom observations, interviews, and thematic analysis, the project explores distinctions between heritage speakers and second-language learners. 

Graduate Awardee Outcomes include: 

2020 Cohort 

• Claudia Morales Rivera (Anthropology, PhD 2022) – Assistant Professor, Dominican University of California 
• Christian Puma Ninacuri (Hispanic & Lusophone Studies, PhD 2024) – Lecturer, Bowdoin College 
• Manuel García (Economics, PhD) – Lecturer / Assistant Professor, SOAS University of London 
• Marcelo Leal (Political Science, PhD 2024) – Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Dallas 

2021 Cohort 

• Claudia Matachana (Hispanic & Lusophone Studies, PhD 2024) – Assistant Professor, Bentley University 
• Paulina Ochoa Figueroa (Hispanic & Lusophone Studies, PhD) – Editor and Programs Manager, Restless Books 

2022 Cohort 

• Aitor Bouso (Hispanic & Lusophone Studies, PhD 2024) – Lecturer in Latinx Studies, Harvard University 

Awardees from 2022–2024 continue to make progress on their dissertations. 

New! Call for Applications: Spring 2026

CLACLS Undergraduate Community Project Award 

The CLACLS Undergraduate Community Project Award recognizes undergraduate-led initiatives that make meaningful contributions to Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino communities, on campus, locally, or beyond. The award highlights projects that demonstrate student leadership and the tangible impact of connecting academic learning with community engagement. 

Eligible projects may be ongoing or recently completed and can take many forms, including campus or local events, collaborations with community organizations, public-facing arts, media, or outreach initiatives, as well as educational programs, workshops, or advocacy efforts. Students from all majors and disciplines are encouraged to apply. 

The award includes the following recognitions: 

• First Place: $500 and a CLACLS Certificate of Recognition 
• Second Place: $300 and a CLACLS Certificate of Recognition 

Next Call for Applications: Fall 2026 [Application form link coming soon!]

Award Recipients – Fall 2025 

First Place – Ben Schaffer 
Mechanical Engineering, Riccio College of Engineering 
Project: Biogas Heating System to Sustainably Warm One of the Nuestras Raíces Organization’s Greenhouses 
This project developed a sustainable biogas-based heating system to support greenhouse operations at Nuestras Raíces, contributing to environmentally responsible food production and community-based sustainability efforts. 

Second Place – Marco Figueroa 
Communications, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences 
Project: Experimental Narrative – “El No Vidente de la Salsa” 
This creative media project explores narrative experimentation through storytelling and cultural expression, highlighting Latino identity and artistic production. 

Third Place – Autumn Liguori-Bills 
Public Health Sciences and Spanish, School of Public Health & Health Sciences 
Project: Infant Co-Sleeping Practices among Puerto Rican Caregivers 
This project examines infant co-sleeping practices within Puerto Rican caregiving communities, contributing to culturally informed understandings of family health practices.  

Next Call for Applications: Fall 2026 [Application form link coming soon!]

CLACLS Undergraduate Research Award 

The CLACLS Undergraduate Research Award supports undergraduate students interested in exploring questions related to Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latino communities through original, faculty-mentored research. Open to students from all academic disciplines and majors, the award welcomes a wide range of research topics, perspectives, and approaches.

This award encourages students—whether they are new to research or already developing a project—to engage in scholarly inquiry in collaboration with a faculty mentor and within a supportive and interdisciplinary environment. Projects may draw on a wide range of disciplinary and methodological approaches, including qualitative, quantitative, creative, or mixed methods, and must be presented in poster format, similar to what students would share at an academic or research conference.

Through this award, students have the opportunity to build research and communication skills, work closely with faculty mentors, and share their work with a broader audience interested in Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies.

The award includes the following recognitions:

• First Place: $500 and a CLACLS Certificate of Recognition
• Second Place: $300 and a CLACLS Certificate of Recognition

How to Apply:

Now Accepting Applications: Spring 2026 

• Call for Applications – Full Guidelines and Timeline
• Apply Here – Submission Form  

CLACLS Visioning Grants for Faculty Research Initiatives

The CLACLS Visioning Grants for Faculty Research Initiatives support innovative faculty–graduate projects that foster interdisciplinary collaboration and advance new or continuing initiatives related to Latin America, the Caribbean, and Latino communities in the United States. Funded by the Office of the Provost, the program provides up to $15,000 in seed funding to support forward-looking research, teaching, and outreach initiatives. 

Visioning Grants are designed to stimulate existing collaborations among faculty and inspire new ones across disciplines, departments, and colleges. Supported projects often take the form of seminars, workshops, lecture series, conferences, or other collaborative research activities. 

Proposals that involve collaboration among faculty from different disciplines or colleges, and that meaningfully incorporate graduate student participation, are strongly encouraged. While proposals may be submitted by individuals, preference is given to collaborative initiatives with the potential to inform future externally funded research, recognizing that not all areas of inquiry have equal access to external funding opportunities. 

CLACLS particularly welcomes initiatives that bridge or rethink conventional boundaries within Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies. 

New! Call for Proposals: Spring 2026 Guidelines and Template (.docx) 
Download a copy of the template to create your version with your edits. Please submit proposals to [email protected] no later than Tuesday, March 31, 2026. 
 

Selected Visioning Grant Recipients (Recent Years) 

2025 

María Luisa Di Stefano 
College of Education 
Project: International Symposium and Workshop: Unlocking the Opportunities of Bilingual Education in the Americas 
This initiative convened scholars, practitioners, and students to advance multilingual learning, biliteracy, and educational equity. The symposium strengthened the bilingual education research network at UMass and generated meaningful engagement with the broader community.  

Carolina Banks 
Department of Sociology, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences 
Project: Research on Students’ Immigration Status 
This ongoing project examines students’ immigration status and has fostered cross-disciplinary dialogue around education, policy, and social inclusion. 

2024 

María Galano 
Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, College of Natural Sciences 

Kiran Asher 
Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies, College of Humanities & Fine Arts 

Project: Transnational Approaches to Policing and Its Impact on Latinx Families in Western Massachusetts 
This collaborative initiative examines how policing affects Latinx families in the region. Support from CLACLS contributed to a partnership with Alianza DV Services in Holyoke, creating an opportunity to conduct a community needs assessment as part of a broader, DPH-funded violence prevention initiative. 

Next Call for Proposals: Spring 2026 
[Application form link coming soon]