Call for Travel Grant Award Applications
For the 50th Annual Conference of the Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) in Kingston, Jamaica from June 1-5, 2026, the CSA is offering a limited number of travel awards, aimed at assisting applicants in the following categories:
- Category A: Graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. degree. Priority will be given to those residing and working in the Greater Caribbean (insular and continental), but applications are also welcome from candidates from the rest of the world.
- Category B: Full-time scholars with institutional affiliation who do not have access to any institutional or government funding. Priority is given to those residing and working in the Greater Caribbean (insular and continental), in particular under-resourced Caribbean nations. This category also includes artists and creative writers from under-resourced Greater Caribbean nations, with a relevant proposal to the conference program.
- Category C: Retired and independent outstanding applicants with no institutional affiliation and from under-resourced Greater Caribbean nations.
The aim of this grant is to assist current and potential members who do not have access to adequate funding from their institutions or countries, and who will not be able to attend the conference without some external funding.
The CSA travel grant will cover some of the conference costs. The number of awarded grants will depend on the limited budget available and are made possible by donations from CSA members and supporting institutions.
All travel grant awardees will be expected to attend the conference in person, and to volunteer a few hours of their time to assist the organizing committee onsite during the conference. The secretariat will coordinate the volunteer times as needed throughout the conference.
The grant application must include the following items:
- Title and abstract of the paper or other proposal, already sent to the Program Committee. If the applicant is part of a pre-organized panel, the general details on the panel (title, names of other presenters and titles of their papers) should also be indicated.
- Acknowledgement from the Program Committee of receipt and/or acceptance of your abstract submission.
- 2-page Curriculum Vitae with emphasis on current teaching, research, or artistic activities, as well as publications or exhibitions.
- Personal statement summarizing the applicant’s contribution to the 2026 conference; what CSA means for them professionally; where the applicant’s particular presentation fits into their research/teaching/artistic experience and future projects. Applicants must also indicate, in this statement, whether they have previously received a grant from CSA, and for which conference. Limit 400 words.
- Signed declaration clearly indicating applicant’s employment status (title, position, responsibilities, part-time or full-time position).
Applications should be submitted online: CLICK HERE
Deadline: February 28, 2026
Contact Information:
- E-mail Travel Grants Chair, Dr. Janelle Rodriques at travel.grants@caribbeanstudiesassociation.org
Selection Criteria
Decisions will be made by a selection committee consisting of two or more CSA members in full standing. Preference will be given to candidates whose abstracts or proposals demonstrate at least one of these qualities:
- Relevance to Conference theme (See 2026 Call form Papers: https://tinyurl.com/CSAcallforpapers);
- Potential of topic/research to shape policy, development and social practices in the region;
- Interdisciplinarity, multilingualism, and/or a collaborative approach to enquiry and methodology;
- Significance and originality of topic in terms of advancing scholarship throughout the region.
Economic need will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by the CSA Travel Grant Committee.
We thank you for your interest and commitment to the CSA.