COSTA RICA: CURRENT PROGRAMS

Fulbright Faculty Development Program
Sponsor: Fulbright Program; U.S., Latin American, and Caribbean universities, foundations, and corporations
Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela
Program focus: Faculty development
Timeframe: 1975–present
Description: The Fulbright Faculty Development Program brings up to 150 educators each year from Latin America and the Caribbean to the United States for advanced studies in a wide variety of disciplines. The program began in 1975 in Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, and Ecuador and additional countries were added over time. Cost-share partners supplement the basic grant by providing tuition assistance and other forms of complementary funding. To date, over 3,000 faculty members from higher education institutions throughout the region have obtained advanced degrees or conducted research in the United States through the Fulbright Faculty Development Program. Please see the individual country listings for information on specific cost-share initiatives. More information

Leadership Fellowship Program for Latin America and the Caribbean
Sponsor: W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF)
Countries: Bolivia, Brazil (Northeast only), Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico (Yucatan peninsula only), Nicaragua, Panama, and Peru
Program focus: Social leadership
Timeframe: 2001–present
Description: WKKF gave LASPAU a $3.6 million grant to administer this initiative. The five-year grant is designed to train up to 50 fellows through short-term, master’s, and doctoral degree programs in thematic areas critical to WKKF’s goal of implementing and disseminating models to break the cycle of poverty in Latin America and the Caribbean. Current fellows and recent alumni were also invited to participate in leadership strengthening workshops in 2003 and 2004. To date, 35 fellows have participated in the program. More information

Lewis A. Tyler Trustees’ Fund
Sponsor: LASPAU Board of Trustees
Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
Program focus: Research grants
Timeframe: 1989–present
Description: The fund provides research support to current LASPAU-administered grantees whose work encourages the exchange of ideas, staff, or resources between institutions in Europe, the United States, or Canada and those in Latin America and the Caribbean. The award enables students to advance their research while strengthening international ties between institutions, two endeavors that embody LASPAU’s vision. The fund, named after former LASPAU executive director Lewis A. Tyler, is sponsored by current and former members of the LASPAU Board of Trustees and by others who support LASPAU’s efforts. More information

Maestría de Desarrollo Comunitario Sustentable (MDCS)
Sponsor: W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF)
Countries: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru
Program focus: Sustainable community development
Timeframe: 2004–2007
Description: This distance-learning master’s degree program in sustainable community development is training a cadre of Latin American and Caribbean community leaders working in rural development and food security. Supported by a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the program is administered by LASPAU in conjunction with the Universidad Nacional of Costa Rica (UNA) and Red Latinoamericana y del Caribe de Seguridad Alimentaria y Desarrollo Sustentable (RedLayc). MDCS began in 2005 with 28 students from 11 countries. The grantees were drawn from the Redlayc network of NGOs supported by WKKF and occupy leadership positions in these organizations. In addition to an introductory workshop and distance-learning courses taught by UNA, the students will participate in two extended field trips organized by RedLayc.

OAS-Placed Graduate Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Organization of American States (OAS)
Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
Program focus: Economic diversification and integration, trade liberalization, and market access; education; social development and the creation of productive employment; scientific development and exchange and transfer of technology; strengthening of democratic institutions
Timeframe: 2002–present
Description: This program supports graduate studies for outstanding individuals throughout the Americas who are placed by LASPAU in degree programs at universities in OAS member countries. To ensure that available funds support the maximum number of grants, LASPAU negotiates with admitting universities to secure tuition assistance in the form of scholarships and assistantships. The goal of the program is to fortify the disciplines and institutions most important to building a strong future in the region. To this end, grantees pursue studies in fields critical to addressing issues such as the struggle against poverty and inequality; consolidating democracy; and achieving integral, just, and sustainable social and economic development. To date, over 280 individuals have participated in the program. More information

OAS Self-Placed Graduate Scholarship Program
Sponsor: Organization of American States (OAS)
Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
Program focus: Culture; economic diversification and integration, trade liberalization, and market access; education; social development and the creation of productive employment; scientific development and exchange and transfer of technology; strengthening of democratic institutions; sustainable development and the environment; sustainable development of tourism
Timeframe: 2002–present
Description: This effort supports graduate degree programs for outstanding individuals throughout the Americas who have obtained their own university admission. It is designed to fortify the disciplines and institutions most important to building a strong future in the region. To this end, grantees pursue studies in fields critical to addressing issues such as the struggle against poverty and inequality; consolidating democracy; and achieving integral, just, and sustainable social and economic development. To date, approximately 440 individuals have participated in the program. More information in English | Español

COSTA RICA: PAST PROGRAMS

Caribbean and Central American Ecology Program
Sponsor: Fulbright Program
Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Panama, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad and Tobago
Program focus: Environment
Timeframe: 1993–2001
Description: The success of the Amazon Basin Scholarship Program led the Fulbright Program to collaborate with LASPAU in the establishment of the Caribbean and Central American Ecology Program. The program provided grants to a total of 54 environmental scientists, researchers, and policymakers from the countries of the Caribbean and Central America for master’s-level study and one-year certificate programs in the United States. More information

Caribbean Basin Scholarship Fund (CBSF)
Sponsor: U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Countries: Barbados, Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Panama
Program focus: Faculty development, public sector training
Timeframe: 1983–1987
Description: One of six components of the U.S. government’s Caribbean Basin Initiative, CBSF aimed to increase the number of graduate-level training opportunities available to public-sector employees and university faculty members from Caribbean Basin countries. A total of 34 grantees pursued master’s degrees in fields ranging from farm systems management to mariculture to education.

Central American Program of Undergraduate Scholarships (CAMPUS)
Sponsor: Fulbright Program
Countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Program focus: Undergraduate scholarships
Timeframe: 1984–1999
Description: The Fulbright Program initiated CAMPUS to enable academically gifted students to obtain bachelor’s degrees at U.S. colleges and universities. CAMPUS provided scholarships for students to complete 30 months of academic course work, including intensive English language training, general education courses, and specialization in disciplines including business administration, communications, computer science, education, natural sciences, and social sciences. Over the course of the program, 795 young people from Central America studied at 28 institutions and returned home to pursue professional careers. More information

Central American University Partnerships
Sponsor: Fulbright Program
Countries: Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama
Program focus: Faculty development
Timeframe: 1985–2000
Description: This program linked Central American and U.S. universities with the goal of assisting in the development of academic departments and disciplines at institutions of higher education. The majority of the 632 grantees were faculty members of participating Central American institutions who engaged in graduate programs and non-degree academic and professional development activities at U.S. partner institutions. Faculty members from the U.S. institutions traveled to Central America to participate in workshops and research projects.

CONICIT/USAID Faculty Development Program
Sponsors: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas (CONICIT); United States Agency for International Development (USAID)
Country: Costa Rica
Program focus: Faculty development (science, technology)
Timeframe: 1981–1986
Description: Nineteen professors from the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, the Universidad de Costa Rica, the Universidad Nacional de Costa Rica, and the Universidad Autónoma de Centroamérica were trained at the master’s and doctoral levels in fields such as solar technology, food technology, engineering, forestry, and toxicology.

Higher Education in Latin America: Helping Institutions Respond to the Challenges of Reform
Sponsor: Ford Foundation
Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
Program focus: Higher education reform
Timeframe: 1996–1997
Description: A far-reaching grant from the Ford Foundation to LASPAU continued the work of the Latin American Fellows Program on Higher Education. The additional funding supported in-country roundtables on higher education reform; case studies to inform practitioners about reform efforts and form the curriculum for a professional development program; a Harvard symposium on higher education reform; and wide dissemination of the published outcomes of the roundtables, case studies, and symposium.

IBM Network Project
Sponsor: IBM Latin America
Countries: Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela
Program focus: Electronic communications
Timeframe: 1990–1992
Description: IBM provided a $50,000 grant to enable LASPAU to establish its Network Project in 1990. The project was designed to encourage computer communications for academic purposes throughout the Americas with the intention of stimulating greater communications among former grantees, their colleagues, and faculty in the United States. As a result of this early program, a number of electronic mailing lists were established, some of which are still in active use. More information

International Study Grants Program for Latin America and the Caribbean
Sponsor: W.K. Kellogg Foundation (WKKF)
Countries: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru
Program focus: Social leadership
Timeframe: 1999–2003
Description: Fellowships for long- or short-term study abroad were granted to professionals at institutions—including universities, nongovernmental organizations, and government agencies and ministries—actively engaged in projects funded by WFFK, with the goal of contributing to the success of those projects. To achieve the greatest impact, WKKF targeted grants toward specific areas of community need such as health; food systems and rural development; youth and education; higher education; and philanthropy and volunteerism. Half of the 61 fellows administered by LASPAU studied in the United States, and the other half studied in Latin America or Europe. More information

LASPAU Faculty Development Program
Sponsor: North and South American institutions; U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)
Countries: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Venezuela
Program focus: Faculty development
Timeframe: 1965–1975
Description: A collaboration between USAID, U.S. universities, and Latin American universities, this program was LASPAU’s first effort devoted exclusively to faculty development. 1,600 young people from across Latin America obtained U.S. graduate degrees in preparation for careers in academia and returned home to contribute to the teaching and research missions of their home institutions. More information

Latin American Scholarship Program of American Universities
Sponsor: Ford Foundation; U.S. Agency for International Development, U.S. universities
Countries: Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru
Program focus: Undergraduate and graduate scholarships
Timeframe: 1964–1968
Description: The original program from which LASPAU’s name is derived, this cooperative venture initiated by Harvard University in 1964 provided full scholarships to colleges across the United States for outstanding Latin American youths of limited economic means. More information

Mellon Foundation Programs in Electronic Communications
Sponsor: The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation
Countries: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Colombia, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Venezuela
Program focus: Electronic communications
Timeframe: 1991–1998
Description: The Mellon Foundation provided grants to LASPAU to support the development of electronic communications systems at universities and research institutions in Latin America and to fund in-country training programs in telecommunications technology and research techniques for Latin American scholars. In all, 4,000 individuals and over 80 institutions in 14 countries benefited from these efforts. More information