SMU Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center 2023 Call for Proposals

SMU Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center 2023 Call for Proposals

The SMU Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center is now accepting proposals for projects including:

• Research grants
• Policy papers
• Evidence-based policy demonstration projects

The Texas-Mexico Center is dedicated to improving relations between Texas and Mexico through research and dialogue. The Center works to encourage cross-border integration and collaboration in academia, government, NGOs, and business.

Through supporting key projects, the Texas-Mexico Center seeks to encourage research (both basic and applied) that will address key issues in the Texas-Mexico relationship, and by extension the U.S.-Mexico relationship, leading to policy recommendations that will help shape future integration. The research should prompt action and discussion amongst key stakeholders in the public and private sectors.

Focus areas:

While the Center is open to considering research in any area that affects the Texas-Mexico relationship, this year it will prioritize proposals that focus on one of two main research areas listed below. We will consider proposals that explore the focus for one of these areas:

• Trade and Investment

How does insecurity affect the Texas-Mexico business relationship?

• Migration

How can border cities and state governments cooperate to address the humanitarian crisis resulting from forced migration and a surge of asylum seekers at the border?  How do state and local governments coordinate with federal authorities to address the crisis?

We are not seeking proposals with this unique title or exclusive focus. We are asking for proposals to include these topics or for these questions to be considered as part of the research proposal.

Special consideration will be given to team projects that include scholars from institutions in the U.S. and Mexico.

Deliverables:

• A working paper, research report, or other publication to include principal arguments, literature review, data and findings.
• A one-page policy brief spelling out the policy implications of the work.

Funding:

Fifty percent of the funds will be paid upon approval of the research project and fifty percent upon receipt of the completed working paper/report and policy brief.

This academic year the maximum award available is $15,000 per grant.

Duration and Presentation:

All projects should be completed within twelve months of the disbursement of initial funds. The Center will request a six-month update from the research team. At the conclusion of the project, teams will present their work in a formal setting, as well as delivering the final piece (working paper/report and policy brief). A presentation will also be given at the Center’s Annual Integration Symposium (these expenses will be covered by the Center and are independent from the grant).

Publication:

Authors retain the rights to publish or promote their work elsewhere, but the Center reserves the right to publish the working paper and policy brief in its Texas-Mexico series. All publications must acknowledge the financial support of the SMU Mission Foods Texas-Mexico Center.

Deadline and Application:

The deadline for submitting proposals is Friday, October 27, 2023, and applicants should fill out our application form, please see link below. The form will ask for the following information:

1. CV (only for the principal investigator) .doc, .docx or .pdf format.
2. Itemized budget of the research costs (please use and attach this file) TexasMexico 2023 Research Budget Format)
3. Research proposal (min. 2 pages; max. 4 pages).

The research proposal should include:

• Research question and related literature
• Motivation
• Data and methodology
• Timetable
• Deliverables expected (aside from the six-month summary update and final policy brief)

Please fill out the following application form.

Inquiries should be addressed to texasmexico@smu.edu or to Astrid Galvan astridgalvan@smu.edu