The Society For Latin American Studies

Quick Stats

• Annual Giving: £53,600+
• Success Rate: Not publicly available
• Decision Time: 6 weeks
• Grant Range: £500 - £3,000
• Geographic Focus: UK and Latin America

Contact Details

Website: https://www.slasuk.org/

Email: s.bowskill@qub.ac.uk

Phone: +44 28 9097 1141

Secretary (2024-2026): Rebecca Ogden

Overview

The Society for Latin American Studies (SLAS), founded in 1964, is one of Europe's leading Latin American studies organizations with approximately 400 members. As a UK registered charity (278817) with annual expenditure of around £93,000, SLAS dedicates over £53,000 annually to grant-making activities supporting research, conference attendance, and academic events. The Society operates multiple grant programs targeting postgraduate students, postdoctoral researchers, UK-based scholars, and Latin America-based academics. SLAS has recently integrated a Climate Action Plan into its funding priorities, actively encouraging sustainable research practices and environmental considerations in all applications.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

PG & PD Research Support Grant: £1,000 (up to 15 grants annually - March deadline)

• For postgraduate and postdoctoral members
• Covers fieldwork, archives, translation, image rights

UK Scholar Research Support Award: £3,000 (up to 3 grants annually - March deadline)

• For SLAS members with no other funding source
• May fund Latin America-based researchers on UK scholar's behalf

Latin American Scholars Grant: £1,750 (10 grants annually - November deadline)

• Conference attendance for LA-based scholars
• 2 awards reserved for early career researchers

PG & PD SLAS Conference Grant: £500 (up to 15 bursaries annually)

• Conference registration and attendance costs

Event Grants: £4,000 total pool (October deadline)

• Seminars, conferences, academic events

Priority Areas

• Interdisciplinary Latin American research across arts, humanities, and social sciences
• Climate action and environmental sustainability projects
• Research promoting UK-Latin America collaboration
• Projects advancing diversity and inclusion
• Digital Humanities initiatives

What They Don't Fund

• Conference attendance as sole purpose (for research grants)
• Trips commencing within one month of application deadline
• Applications without required referee statements
• Late applications (strictly enforced)

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Governance and Leadership

Officers 2024-2025:

• Vice-President: Sarah Bowskill
• Secretary: Rebecca Ogden (2024-2026)
• Treasurer: Catriona McAllister (co-opted 2024-25)

The Society is governed by a Committee of Officers and six ordinary members, with day-to-day operations managed by the executive team. SLAS has made a strong public commitment to equality and diversity, particularly welcoming applications from underrepresented groups.

Application Process and Timeline

How to Apply

Applications are submitted via forms available on the SLAS website. Most grants require referee statements that must be submitted directly by the referee to the SLAS Secretary by the deadline. Applicants receive confirmation within 3 working days.

Decision Timeline

• Standard decision time: 6 weeks from deadline
• Latin American Scholars Grant: December (may extend to end of January)
• Event Grants: Within 1 month of October deadline

Success Rates

Specific success rates not publicly available. Competition likely moderate to high given limited funding pools.

Reapplication Policy

No specific reapplication policy publicly documented. Contact SLAS Secretary for clarification.

Application Success Factors

Essential Requirements:

• SLAS membership (mandatory for all applicants)
• Clear justification of costs and trip purpose
• Evidence that other funding sources have been exhausted
• Referee statement submitted on time (not just signed)
• Applications submitted at least one month before trip/event start

What Makes Applications Stand Out:

• Integration of sustainability considerations (even if more costly)
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion
• Interdisciplinary approaches addressing pressing regional issues
• Collaboration with Latin American scholars or institutions
• Clear post-award dissemination plans (blog posts, presentations)

Common Pitfalls:

• Applying for trips starting within one month (automatic rejection)
• Framing research grants primarily for conference attendance
• Missing referee submission deadline
• Inadequate budget justification

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

• Join SLAS early - Membership is mandatory and should be secured well before application deadlines
• Sustainability matters - Include environmentally conscious options in budgets even if more expensive; SLAS encourages this explicitly
• Plan referee submission carefully - Referees must submit forms directly; allow minimum 2 weeks
• Frame research separately from conferences - Research grants specifically exclude conference attendance as primary purpose
• Embrace diversity priorities - SLAS strongly values applications from underrepresented groups and projects advancing inclusion
• Budget for blog posts - All grants require post-award blog posts within specific timeframes (1-3 months)
• Apply early in academic year - March deadlines for main research grants; plan fieldwork accordingly

Similar Funders

These funders have a similar focus and geographic reach:

• The British-Spanish Society
• The British Academy for the Promotion of Historical Philosophical and Philological Studies
• The Society of Legal Scholars in the United Kingdom and Ireland
• The Leverhulme Trust
• Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour Limited
• The Nuffield Foundation
• Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness
• The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain
• British Society for Geomorphology
• Gilchrist Educational Trust

References

• SLAS Official Website: https://www.slasuk.org/
• SLAS Funding Page: https://www.slasuk.org/funding
• PG & PD Research Support Awards: https://www.slasuk.org/pbpdresearchsupportawards
• UK Scholar Research Support Award: https://www.slasuk.org/ukscholarresearchsupportaward
• Latin American Scholars Grants: https://www.slasuk.org/latinamericanscholarsgrants
• Event Grants: https://www.slasuk.org/eventgrants
• Charity Commission Register: https://register-of-charities.charitycommission.gov.uk/