TINKER FIELD RESEARCH
COLLABORATIVE
Since 1979, the Tinker Foundation has provided support to graduate students conducting pre-dissertation, exploratory research in Latin America. The funding, awarded to U.S. universities and typically administered by Centers for Latin American Studies, has supported nearly 10,000 student recipients over its history.
Following a comprehensive external evaluation in 2019, we launched the Tinker Field Research Collaborative, which seeks to deepen the impact of the field research experience for students and create a learning community among the participating Centers.
The TFRC provides five years of support to selected Centers. Through the Collaborative, Tinker not only funds student field research but also promotes opportunities for joint experimentation, tool-building, and knowledge exchange at the institutional level. This can include pre-departure support to students, resources to encourage responsible practices in field research, networking of current and former FRG recipients, and approaches for monitoring, evaluation, and program improvement.
In addition, members of the Collaborative commit to supporting graduate students for whom field research would not otherwise be possible. Together, we work to ensure that students can readily access the significant professional and personal benefits of early-career research opportunities.
The initial five-year cycle has yielded promising results. As such, we will not issue an open call for new applicants for the 2026-2030 cycle. This decision ensures that we can continue to support and build upon the valuable work of current partners. We will provide further updates in the coming months to mark the conclusion of the 2020-2025 cycle.
COLLABORATIVE MEMBERS FOR 2020-2025
Tinker acknowledges the commitment of each Collaborative member to match Foundation funds with university resources.
| University | Center |
|---|---|
| Columbia University* | Institute of Latin American Studies |
| Florida International University | Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center |
| New York University | Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies |
| San Diego State University | Center for Latin American Studies |
| Stanford University* | Center for Latin American Studies |
| Tulane University | Stone Center for Latin American Studies |
| University of Arizona | Center for Latin American Studies |
| University of California, Berkeley | Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies |
| University of Chicago* | Center for Latin American Studies |
| University of Florida | UF Center for Latin American Studies |
| University of Illinois | Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies |
| University of Kansas | Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies |
| University of Michigan | Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies |
| University of Texas at Austin | Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies |
| University of Wisconsin-Madison* | Latin American, Caribbean and Iberian Studies Program |
*Affiliate member using existing Tinker endowment and other Center resources