Perceived Barriers for Accessing International Research Funding among Latin American Researchers

Access to international funding is essential for sustaining research, yet researchers in Latin America face persistent inequities that constrain their competitiveness. This study aimed to identify perceived barriers and strategies to improve equitable access to international research funding. We employed a sequential mixed-methods design. In the qualitative phase, a virtual focus group with five researchers from Mexico, Colombia, Argentina, and Guatemala explored experiences with international grant applications. Thematic analysis revealed three overarching themes: (1) strategies and good practices; (2) barriers and structural constraints; and (3) recommendations for equity. Barriers included language and cultural differences, perceived bias from Global North funders, unrealistic infrastructural expectations, and limited opportunities for networking. These insights informed the design of a quantitative survey, which was completed by 253 researchers from 16 countries; 60.4% had applied to international calls and 43.6% reported receiving at least one grant. Across 668 reported applications, success rate was 40.6%. The most frequently endorsed barriers were economic costs of networking (92.3%), misalignment between eligibility criteria and local trajectories (80.8%), rhetorical differences in grant writing (75.3%), and self-perceptions of lower competitiveness (69.2%). Results highlight persistent structural, linguistic, and cultural barriers limiting equitable access. Suggested actions include context-sensitive training in grant writing, mentorship schemes, and the design of funding calls that explicitly account for the realities of low- and middle-income countries.