Overview of the RESI-Cantú Graduate Research Fellowships

The Race & Ethnic Studies Institute (RESI) and the Carlos H. Cantú Endowment & Scholarship Fund are partnering to offer this fellowship opportunity for current Texas A&M University doctoral students. This is, essentially, a dissertation research fellowship to support the research enterprise leading to successful completion of the dissertation or some significant component thereof. In general, applicants should be doctoral candidates (completed all requirements for the degree except for the dissertation); but RESI will consider applicants who have a scheduled defense date within 30 days of the RESI-Cantú application deadline (and whose advisor will attest to a high likelihood of successful defense at the scheduled meeting). As this award is also intended to provide students with grant-writing experience, students are expected to work closely with their advisors on a project description, the rationale for the grant, and budget. Advisors are expected to provide feedback on a draft proposal and write a confidential letter directly to RESI.

ELIGIBILITY: To be eligible, applicants must be full-time doctoral students in good standing at Texas A&M University. Students may apply for both the RESI-Cantú Graduate Research Fellowships and Graduate Small Research Grants; but if a student is offered both, the student may only accept one or the other. If a student applying for the RESI-Cantú Graduate Research Fellowships has previously had a project funded through another RESI program, they must have completed all requirements of that program, including reporting. Students must have the approval of both their Director of Graduate Studies and their Department Head. Note: each department may only recommend 3 candidates for this award

STIPENDS AND FINANCIAL AID: The Race & Ethnic Studies Institute annually funds a number of RESI-Cantú Graduate Research Fellowships up to $5,000 each. There will be two competitions – one in the Fall and one in the Spring. Please check with the financial aid office to confirm that your financial aid will not be affected by receipt of this or other awards.

FUND DISBURSEMENT: By default, the awards run for roughly one calendar year. We expect Fall awards to be announced in October and Spring awards to be announced in May. Funds will be set to expire and be returned to RESI one year after the funds have been awarded. Exceptions can be made; we just ask that any such requests are communicated to us in a timely manner (ideally as part of the application process). Funds will be given as a bursary to be managed by the student’s home department.

BUDGET CRITERIA: The budget might include (but not be limited to) fieldwork, travel to archives, research materials, data sets, survey instruments, and participant incentives. The fellowship is not intended solely as a small grant to attend a conference, although proposals that include (or will lead to) presentations at conferences and workshops are strongly encouraged. The budget may not include stipend/salary, publication support (for which there are separate programs at places like the Glasscock Center), or tuition of any sort. For any questions about how the funds may be used, please contact RESI well before the deadline.

FELLOWSHIP EXPECTATIONS: The primary outcome should be a dissertation (or a significant portion thereof) or a major publication. Awardees should acknowledge the Race & Ethnic Studies Institute in any resulting publications, presentations, or other work products funded; and will be asked to submit updates on their progress and products.

FUNDING PRIORITIES: The Race & Ethnic Studies Institute is dedicated to fostering, celebrating, and producing cutting edge research related to race and ethnic studies. A wide range of research projects that examine the salience of race and ethnicity are of interest to RESI, however, proposals connecting to the RESI HSI Research Initiative portfolio are particularly encouraged. Texas A&M University is amongst the largest and most well resourced (in terms of total annual research expenditures) Hispanic-Serving Institutions in the country. RESI is strongly committed to building our university’s profile in HSI-related research. To best focus our research investment, we expect that somewhere between half and two-thirds of grants made will be channeled into the HSI Research Initiative portfolio.