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UC MEXUS Postdoc Small Grant 2027 - Archive Guide
UC MEXUS Small Grants for UC Postdocs and graduate students were seed awards of up to $1,500 for short research training trips, often linking a UC campus with collaborators in Mexico or studying Latino populations in the United States. The University of California Institute for Mexico and the United States ran the competition twice yearly until Alianza MX integrated the institute and the joint CONACYT funding agreement ended in 2020. Alianza MX now states it will no longer announce applications for UC MEXUS grants or fellowships. Use this 2027 guide to understand who qualified, what documents reviewers expected, and how to email [email protected] for any replacement collaboration opportunities rather than waiting on a reopened monthly deadline.
What is the UC MEXUS Small Grant for Postdocs?
For forty years UC MEXUS linked University of California researchers with partners in Mexico. The small grant line was the lightweight option: up to $1,500, a few weeks or months of travel, and a faculty sponsor who vouched that the trip would sharpen your training rather than replace your dissertation fund.
Postdocs and graduate students across the UC system used these awards to scout field sites, attend binational workshops, or pilot data collection on Latino communities and cross-border policy questions. The paperwork was lighter than a full fellowship but still formal. You needed a budget, a CV, department certification, and often a letter from a Mexican collaborator if you were crossing the border.
That pipeline changed when Alianza MX absorbed UC MEXUS and the CONACYT co-funding agreement expired in 2020. The institute now tells visitors plainly that it will no longer announce UC MEXUS grant applications. Searching for a January 2027 deadline on an old calendar will not reopen the portal.
Researchers still studying the program should treat this page as a reference map. Read the archived program descriptions, mirror the document checklist if Alianza MX launches a successor fund, and email [email protected] before you book flights. The name on the award shifted, but the underlying need for binational scholarship has not.
Eligibility
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✓UC graduate student or postdoctoral appointmentHistorical calls funded University of California graduate students in master's or doctoral programs and postdoctoral researchers across disciplines, with department certification of standing.
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✓Short non-dissertation projectProposals covered small projects lasting one week to six months that advanced research training or field understanding rather than full dissertation fieldwork.
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✓Faculty sponsor at a UC campusEvery application required a UC faculty sponsor signature confirming oversight. Projects without faculty backing were not eligible.
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✓Mexico or Latino-focused relevanceUC MEXUS prioritized academic exchange, binational research, Latino experience topics, and policy issues shared by the United States and Mexico.
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✓All disciplines with sponsor supportPast competitions welcomed proposals from sciences through social sciences and humanities, except where partner mandates excluded specific fields such as certain arts programs in CONACYT-era fellowships.
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✓Active affiliation at application timeApplicants had to hold an active graduate or postdoc appointment on a UC campus when submitting. Alumni or external scholars were outside scope.
Benefits
- Maximum award Up to $1,500
- Project length One week to six months
- Eligible costs Travel, research training, field work
- Competition frequency Twice yearly (historical)
- Salary support Not a postdoc stipend replacement
- 2027 application window Not open under UC MEXUS branding
Document checklist
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✓UC MEXUS application formComplete the institute application with project title, abstract, timeline, and sponsor details. Forms were hosted on UC MEXUS funding pages before the archive transition.
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✓Project planDescribe objectives, methods, and expected training outcomes for the one-week to six-month window.
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✓Detailed budgetItemize travel, lodging, materials, and other expenses up to the $1,500 cap. Reviewers expected realistic binational cost estimates.
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✓Curriculum vitaeInclude academic history, publications, and prior Mexico or Latino-focused work that supports the proposal.
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✓Mexican host letter when travel requiredProjects executing in Mexico needed a letter of invitation from a Mexican faculty member or researcher.
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✓Department certificationThe department chair certified graduate or postdoctoral standing as part of the signed application packet.
How to apply
Deadline and timeline
FAQ
Are UC MEXUS small grants for postdocs still available?
Alianza MX reports that it will no longer announce applications for UC MEXUS grants or fellowships. The small grant competition is archived, not open for 2027 submissions under the old UC MEXUS name.
How much were UC MEXUS small grants worth?
Historical UC MEXUS small grants provided up to $1,500 for short projects, usually travel and training related to Mexico or Latino studies, lasting one week to six months.
Who was eligible for UC MEXUS postdoc small grants?
University of California postdoctoral researchers and graduate students with faculty sponsorship and department certification could apply when the program was active. Projects had to fit UC MEXUS binational or Latino research priorities.
What documents did UC MEXUS require?
Typical packets included the application form, project plan, budget, CV, faculty sponsor signature, department chair certification, and Mexican host letters when travel occurred in Mexico.
Where do I apply for UC MEXUS funding now?
There is no live UC MEXUS small grant portal for 2027. Contact [email protected] through University of California Alianza MX for information on current collaboration opportunities.
How often did UC MEXUS run small grant competitions?
Campus announcements described twice-yearly competitions, and some directories listed monthly deadline dates. Those schedules applied before the program ended.
What is the difference between UC MEXUS small grants and postdoctoral fellowships?
Small grants funded brief training projects up to $1,500. The separate UC MEXUS-CONACYT Postdoctoral Fellowship program provided one to two years of binational research support until 2020.
Who should I email about UC MEXUS history?
Alianza MX lists [email protected] for general contact and [email protected] for questions about active research collaboration after the UC MEXUS transition.
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