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Burkle Center Grants for Faculty Research Projects


The Burkle Center awards proposals for faculty research working groups and faculty research-related projects. Proposed themes must address a topic or topics related to globalization, international relations, U.S. foreign policy, or issues of international cooperation and conflict, including climate change, trade, arms control, and human rights.

Click here to view a list of past funded projects

 

Submission deadline is Friday, February 21, 2025 at 5 PM (PT). Funds will be disbursed to successful applicants by October 1, 2025.


The Burkle Center awards 3 types of grants:

1) Funding for faculty research working group projects 

2) Small project grants to support short-term projects or ongoing faculty research projects

3) Seed funding for new faculty research projects



Faculty Research Working Groups:

Purpose: Encourage faculty to work in teams to define and develop research related to international affairs and global issues; foster collaborative scholarly exchange; promote interdisciplinary scholarship; and encourage intellectual discourse among faculty and graduate students.

Format: May include roundtables, speaker symposia or workshops centered on a theme related to globalization, foreign policy, or international affairs, broadly construed.

Recent awards include projects on the intersection of international law and politics, on migration and transnational justice; an examination of the economic role that prisoners of war play in their countries of detention; and a workshop on the application of computational methodologies to international relations to further understanding of issues such as radicalization, decision making in war, economic competition or communication and conflict. 

We especially welcome interdisciplinary proposals that draw members from more than one unit on campus.

Award: Maximum one-time award is $10,000.

Project Grants:

Purpose: The Burkle Center awards small project grants in support of short-term faculty projects or ongoing faculty research projects in the realm of international relations, foreign policy, and issues of global/regional cooperation and conflict. 

Award: One-time award of up to $5,000.

Funding may be allotted, subject to UCLA policies, to cover assistance with research activities (payments to research assistants must not trigger tuition remission), modest honoraria, and photocopying for reading materials. This list is suggestive not exhaustive. Equipment and faculty salaries will not be funded by this program.

 

Seed Funding Grants:

Purpose: The Burkle Center provides seed funding to foster the development of major grant proposals in the realm of globalization, international relations, U.S. foreign policy, and issues of global/regional cooperation and conflict, as well as the range of topics mentioned above.

Award: First year award: up to $5,000, second year follow-up award (if applicable) up to $10,000.

The award may be renewed for a second year, depending on demonstrated progress toward completion of the grant proposal. Grantee will submit a progress report to an evaluation committee by June 19, 2026.

Funding may be allotted, subject to UCLA policies, to cover assistance with research activities (payments to research assistants must not trigger tuition remission), modest honoraria, and photocopying for reading materials. This list is suggestive not exhaustive. Equipment and faculty salaries will not be funded by this program.

 

Eligibility:

In the case of faculty research working groups, applications for projects involving participants from more than one campus unit are favored. The Principal Investigators on each project must be UCLA ladder faculty.

Award Amounts for the different grants: See above. Funds will be disbursed to successful applicants by October 1, 2025.

Application Process: Applications are to be submitted to the UCLA Burkle Center for International Relations via email: burkle@international.ucla.edu. Applications are due on Friday, February 21, 2025 at 5 PM (PT).

The application should be no more than 5 pages and should include the following:

Proposal Description:

  • Clearly identifies the substantive research theme of the group or project.
  • The process for exploring that theme and the goals and outcomes.
  • Schedule of planned activities.
  • If applicable, identify Chair or Co-chairs of the Working Group or research project and submit bio(s).

Budget Proposal detailing amount requested and itemized budget and justification for how amount will be spent. Identify sources (confirmed and proposed) of outside funding.


Grant Requirements:

Successfully funded proposals are subject to the following requirements:

Projects that were awarded grants must acknowledge the Burkle Center as a co-sponsor in all programs, public information materials, and publications resulting from the grant.

All Principal Investigators are required to submit:

Faculty Research Working Groups: A final report describing the outcomes of the project and final financial expenditures by June 19, 2026. All outstanding funds will be remitted to the Burkle Center by June 19, 2026.

Project Grants: A final report describing the work accomplished and final accounting of expenditures by June 19, 2026. All outstanding funds will be remitted to the Burkle Center by June 19, 2026.

Seed Funding Grants: A final report describing the work accomplished and final accounting of expenditures by June 19, 2026. All outstanding funds will be remitted to the Burkle Center by June 19, 2026.

  • In the case of a follow-up award application: An interim report describing progress made and proposed steps and deadlines for the second year by June 19, 2026, with a final financial and grant proposal reporting deadline of June 19, 2026. All outstanding funds will be remitted to the Burkle Center by June 18, 2027.

Please direct all inquiries to the Burkle Center for International Relations at UCLA at burkle@international.ucla.edu.