I TREES – EGAP Small Grants: Request for Letter of Inquiry 

I TREES – EGAP Small Grants

TREES (Teaching and Researching Equitable Economics from the South), an initiative of the Center for Studies on Economic Development (CEDE) at the Universidad de los Andes, funded by the Ford Foundation, and the EGAP (Evidence in Governance & Politics) Latin American Hub, are seeking advanced-stage research projects aiming to understand the causes and consequences of inequality, broadly defined. 

This call is open to researchers based in Latin America with advanced-stage research projects seeking peer feedback and support to finalize their work. The selected projects will receive up to USD 5.000 each.   

We are open to research contemplating non-economic aspects of inequality. We welcome empirical studies and contributions to the measurement, conceptualization, and historicization of inequality.  

Some non-comprehensive topics of reference may be:  

  • Social segregation along income lines. 
  • The economic and cultural implications of segregation.  
  • Women in the economy of the global south. 
  • Cultural, racial, and gender diversity. 
  • Environmental justice.  
  • Social interactions: Migration. 
  • Stereotypes and discrimination. 
  • Inequality and segregation in the labor market. 
  • Teaching inequality from different areas of knowledge.  
  • Fiscal issues and inequality. 
  • Formal and informal rules, norms, and inequality. 
  • Citizens and the State. 
  • Teaching students with diverse characteristics. 

We encourage rigorous and intellectually ambitious research and welcome proposals from multiple disciplinary and methodological perspectives, both domestically and internationally. 

Eligibility and Selection process

To be eligible for the grant, the lead applicant must be a Principal Investigator (PI) linked to a non-profit organization or institution legally established in any State of Latin America or the Caribbean (host institution). The host institution is willing to serve as the administering organization if the grant is awarded.  

If awarded the grant contract, the PI will become the coordinator. The coordinator is the sole interlocutor between the host institution and TREES.  

The lead PI may submit more than one Letter of Inquiry but may not be awarded more than one grant. 

The selection process consists of two stages

  1. In the first stage, submitted applications will be reviewed and selected to participate in a peer-review workshop. 
  2. In the second stage, selected participants will present their work during the peer-review workshop, where a selection committee will identify the best paper(s) based on the following criteria: academic rigor; feasibility, understood as the project’s capacity to be realistically completed within the proposed timeframe and with the available financial support; and the contribution of the research to a broader understanding of the causes and consequences of inequality. 

Application Details 

Fill out the Letter of Inquiry form to express interest in the TREES Research Grant Fund. No later than June 24, 2026, at 11:59 PM Bogotá Time (UTC -5) 

Questions may be sent by e-mail no later than May 24, 2026, to the address below: 

[email protected] 

Notes

  • Due to the high volume of submissions, we regretfully cannot guarantee feedback on all the proposals received at any stage of the selection process. 
  • To include all Latin America and the Caribbean, this call, the documents to be delivered, the deliverables, and the associated events will be in English. 
  • Grants are awarded to the Host Institution with the explicit commitment that this institution offers appropriate conditions for the Principal Investigator and their team to direct the research and manage its funding for the project’s duration. When the host institution commits to providing the appropriate conditions for the development of research and management of funds, it is expected that the administrative tasks or indirect costs will be a cost-share of the host institution. 
  • The grant cannot be awarded directly to individuals.  
  • Intellectual property shall remain with the PIs, but they grant dissemination rights to Uniandes and the Ford Foundation. 
  • Any relevant changes to the proposal or team shall be submitted to [email protected] and will be subject to approval. 

Evaluation Criteria and process

The selection committee comprises the three principal investigators of TREES. If the submitted topics warrant, external evaluators may be invited. At each stage of the selection process, proposals undergo independent evaluations by a minimum of two principal investigators. Following this initial assessment by at least two principal investigators, proposals are discussed by the selection committee at large, and those that garner greater consensus are funded (fully or partially). 

Evaluation Criteria for the Research Proposal:

  • Clarity and Relevance of the Research Problem.  
  • Problem Statement: The proposal must clearly articulate the research problem, ensuring it is directly connected to issues of inequality. 
  • Question, Objectives, and Justification: The proposal should specify the research question, outline the objectives, and justify the significance of the research clearly and concisely. 
  • Contribution’s Relevance and Novelty: The proposal must highlight how the research contributes new insights or approaches to the field, emphasizing both relevance and innovation. 
  • Methodological Design. 
  • Appropriateness of Methodology: The proposal should demonstrate that the chosen methodology is suitable and robust enough to address the research problem effectively. 
  • Feasibility and Resources. 
  • Realistic Proposal: The proposal must assess its feasibility, considering the resources available and the time frame. 
  • Availability of Data and Resources: It should confirm that data and essential resources can be acquired within the proposed budget and time constraints. 
  • Clarity in Writing. 
  • Writing Quality: The proposal must be written with clarity, making it accessible and understandable to reviewers, without sacrificing depth or complexity. 

Application Deadlines 

Deliverable Date 
Letter of Inquiry open date May 11, 2026 
Letter of Inquiry close date June 24 2026 
Workshop acceptance notification July 30, 2026 
Workshop September, 2026 
 Grant Award and notifying successful applicants September 20, 2026 
Formalization of grant award, delivery of the invoice for the first transfer of the approved budget.  November 15, 2026 
Final document Submission and a financial accounting report, in COP, which includes a statement by the responsible financial officer of host organization certifying the accuracy of the report. This report must cover the expenses of 100% of the budget. If at the end of the period the entire budget has not been executed, the balance shall be returned in accordance with the provisions of the contract. May 30, 2027 
Letter of Inquiry form