Frequently Asked Questions
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I am an entering graduate student. Am I eligible to apply for the IAC Graduate/Predoctoral Fellowship or Research Grant?
No, you are not eligible to apply at this stage since you are not a registered student. You must be an enrolled graduate student to be granted an IAC award.
However, please check other funding opportunities available to entering graduate students on the Graduate Division website at www.gdnet.ucla.edu/asis/entsup/finsup.htm.
I currently receive other fellowship funds. Can I still apply and hold two awards concurrently?
Please contact IAC Coordinator to discuss the specifics of your situation. Also it is important that on your application you list any funding that you are receiving or have applied for. In some cases, award amounts can be adjusted or fellowships may be deferred to accommodate your funding needs.
Who do I contact for more information?
General questions about the IAC awards, applications, and process, can be directed to iaccoordinator@grad.ucla.edu.
Questions specific to your project, such as choosing a faculty mentor or research topics, should be directed to the Ethnic Studies Research Center that you are applying to.
When will I be notified of the decision?
Applicants for the Visiting Scholar/Researcher Program and the Graduate and Predoctoral Fellowship are notified by mid-April. Research Grant applicants will be notified by third week of June.
As a graduate student, can I apply for both the research grant and graduate/predoctoral fellowship?
Yes.
Visiting Scholar/Researcher Program
What is the appointment period for the Visiting Scholar/Researcher Program?
Stipend amounts reflect a nine-month appointment period, which begins on October 1 and ends June 30.
Can I apply for the postdoctoral fellowship if I am currently finishing my doctoral degree?
Yes, doctoral candidates are encouraged to apply, however, you must provide documentation of your degree completion (e.g., transcript, certificate of completion, copy of diploma) by the October 1 start date of the fellowship.
My research involves work in multiple ethnic communities. Do I have to choose one Ethnic Studies Research Center to apply to?
Yes, for postdoctoral fellows, visiting scholars, graduate and doctoral fellows, you can submit your application to only ONE center for consideration. (The IAC Research Grant Program is the only exception; applicants can choose to be considered under the “interethnic” category).
If you are having difficulty choosing the Center to apply to, some factors that may help you choose are: identifying the faculty mentor you wish to work with and considering which Center you wish to be affiliated with and supported by during your award period. Also, you can contact the applicable Centers to discuss your research topic and how it fits and furthers the current research interests of the particular Center.
I am currently a UCLA graduate student, and I plan on completing my degree this spring. May I apply for the IAC Visiting Scholar/Researcher Program?
Sorry, no. Current UCLA graduate students are not eligible to apply.
I received my graduate degree from UCLA and now I am a faculty member at another institution. May I apply for the IAC Visiting Scholar/Researcher Program?
Yes.
What is the process and criteria of evaluation that the Research Grant application goes through with the IAC and then with the Ethnic Studies Research Center?
First, each Ethnic Studies Research Center’s faculty committee reviews the applications. The strength of the project, the skills and experiences that a researcher brings to the project, and the likelihood of the project to be completed and lead to an original contribution in the field of Ethnic Studies, etc., are all used to evaluate the applications. The Center’s faculty committee nominates applicants to be decided by the IAC Executive Committee, which includes the directors of the Ethnic Studies Research Centers and two faculty representatives. M. Belinda Tucker, Associate Dean of Graduate Division, chairs the IAC Executive Committee. It is a similar process for the fellows/scholars program.
The Research Grant application states that graduate students "may not hire others to assist with their project or receive a stipend themselves." What does this mean? Why?
IAC Research Grant awards cannot be used by graduate students to pay themselves or to hire others to conduct their research. Research is viewed as part of the graduate training and professional preparation toward completion of the degree. IAC grants are awarded to graduate students to offset their research expenses in undertaking their M.A. thesis or Ph.D. dissertations.
Can graduate students request IAC research funds to hire transcribers?
The IAC does not allow graduate students to hire transcribers as this is an important part of the research/learning process. An exception has been made in the past when it involved paying for a transcriber for interviews in a foreign language.
Applicants must provide as much information as possible in order to be considered. In the case of numerous interviews, hiring a transcriber may be necessary to complete the project in a timely manner, but it is important to know if the student will take part in some of the transcription work as well. This does not guarantee that it will be approved. The committee can also choose to approve other things on their budget and not the transcription costs.
Can I purchase a laptop or digital camera with research grant funds?
In general, requests for equipment purchases are rarely approved. The purchase of flash drives has been considered as a research cost. Awardees are encouraged to contact the Center or other campus departments to see about borrowing equipment.
Will IAC fund research travel?
Yes, if it is determined that travel is an essential part of the research project, the IAC will fund airfare, hotel costs, meals, local transportation, and rental cars. The UCLA-approved domestic per diem rate is $64 per day.
For purposes of creating your budget or booking your travel, please do not use Internet package deals, such as Expedia, Orbitz, etc., that book airfare, hotel, and car together. Although often these packages provide significant cost savings, UCLA Travel Policy requires a separate itemized receipt for EACH in order to be reimbursed. Usually Internet package deals do not provide itemized receipts.
Please note: UCLA Travel Policy states that only economy or compact rental cars are eligible for reimbursement. In the case of rental cars, the purchase of gas is reimbursable. If driving your own vehicle (need proof of minimum liability coverage prescribed by CA law), mileage at 50¢ a mile is reimbursable. Similarly, for airfare, only the equivalent of coach fares will be reimbursed.
IAC Research Grants do not usually fund conference travel.
My research involves Human Subjects and I have not yet started the review process, can I still apply?
Yes and no. One of the criteria for granting an IAC award is the feasibility of the project. For research that falls under the jurisdiction of the Human Subjects Protection Committee (HSPC), both claims for exemption and applications of approval require a review process that can take many months. Either exemption or approval from the HSPC’s Institutional Review Board is required prior to conducting any research. Therefore, the feasibility and timeframe of your project will be questioned. If your project involves Human Subjects research, please discuss in your application where you are in the review process and your ability to complete the research within the 12-month time allowed.
Note: All research related to Human Subjects must be submitted for Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval. Research using oral history for thesis or dissertation work is subject to Human Subjects approval; some projects may be eligible for exemption. Please view the current policy of Human Subjects and Oral History: www.oprs.ucla.edu/human/documents/pdf/oral-history-031209.pdf.
Both claims of exemption and applications of approval must be reviewed by the Human Subjects Protection Committee operated by the Office for the Protection of Research Subjects. For more information, please see www.oprs.ucla.edu.