Thanks to a grant from the Institute for Mexicans Abroad and the Consulate of Mexico, up to eight Michigan State University students of Mexican descent, who engage in research, will receive scholarships for the remainder of the 2010-11 academic year.

MSU's Chicano/Latino Studies Program and Center for Caribbean and Latin American Studies has received $20,000, and will oversee the application process. Awards of up to $2,500 will be granted, and funds may be used to help students pay for tuition, books and housing costs related to their research projects.

MSU is among 37 institutions in the country and one of two in Michigan to receive the IME grant. "Chicano and Mexican students at MSU are rigorous scholars," said Sheila Contreras, director of MSU's Chicano/Latino Studies Program. "The IME Becas grant program is an important investment in the future of Latina/o scholarship in the United States."

Vicente Sanchez-Ventura, consulate general of Mexico in Detroit, will present MSU President Lou Anna K. Simon with the IME Becas funds Jan. 21.

Robert Blake, director of CLACS, said Sanchez-Ventura plays a key role in supporting MSU's activities and programs related to Mexico.

"We collaborate with the consulate general of Mexico on a number of campus-based educational initiatives every year," he said. "From art exhibits to our annual research symposium, the consulate has helped to facilitate and strengthen MSU's connections with experts and institutions in Mexico.

"This benefits our students and faculty by creating new opportunities not only for funding but especially for our academic and research interests." To be considered for a scholarship, applicants must demonstrate significant financial need; be of Mexican descent; and have a well-conceived and feasible research project.

Application packets are available through Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies website and Chicano/Latino Studies Program website. Applications must be submitted electronically and are due Jan. 15.

The IME scholarship program was established in 2005 as a result of a bilateral agreement between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, through the Institute of Mexicans Abroad and the University of California. Financially supported by the Mexican government, the program has awarded more than $4 million to adult education programs and universities in the United States.