In 2011 while a doctoral student at the University of California, Irvine, she received a Dissertation Fieldwork Grant to aid research on "Politics of Absence: Women Searching for the Disappeared in Kashmir," supervised by Dr. Victoria Bernal. In 2016 Dr. Zia received an Engaged Anthropology Grant to aid engaged activities on "Exploring Strategies for a Stronger Association of Parents of Disappeared Persons in Kashmir". Read the full blog post here.