Scholarships and Funding
Below is a sampling of local and national scholarship and funding opportunities related to KU and/or Jewish studies experiences.
University of Kansas
- For a limited time, scholarships are available to students studying Jewish Studies abroad. Students wishing to apply for general scholarships should submit a resume and personal statement (500 words or less) to JewishStudies@KU.edu.
- Some scholarships to study Jewish Studies abroad were donated by KU alum, Mr. Harvey Bodker in honor of the memory of Rabbi Morris Margolies, senior rabbi at Congregation Beth Shalom and longtime professor of Jewish Studies at KU. To apply for one of these scholarships, students need to submit the following to the KU Jewish Studies Program: a resume or CV, a plan of study in Israel or other location abroad, and a short essay (500-750 words) describing how study abroad incorporates the values of Rabbi Margolies. For your reference, the obituary of Rabbi Margolies can be viewed here.
- Please contact the Jewish Studies Program for more information: JewishStudies@KU.edu
- Other University scholarships
- Private scholarships
- Study Abroad scholarships
Other resources on scholarships and funding:
| Source | Focus Level | Additional Information |
|---|---|---|
| National Endowment for the Humanities | Post-grad | |
| National Endowment for the Arts | Post-grad | |
| Social Science Research Council | Grad, Post-grad | |
| National Humanities Center | Post-grad | |
| AJC Goldman Fellowship | Undergrad, Grad | Designed to develop future leaders in the areas of international and domestic politics, diplomacy, public relations, and management. |
| American Jewish Archives | Post-grad | Month-long research and writing fellowships in Cincinnati. Research must be on North American Jewry. |
| American Jewish Historical Society | Undergrad, Grad, Post-grad | Various funding opportunities for work in the field of American Jewish history. |
| American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee | Grad, Post-grad | Fellowships to conduct research in the JDC Archives, either in New York or Jerusalem. Research topics in the fields of twentieth century Jewish history, general history, and humanitarian assistance will be considered, as well as other areas of academic research covered in the JDC archival collections. |
| American Jewish League for Israel | Undergrad, Grad | Scholarship program meant to foster Jewish spiritual and cultural values through the experience of living and studying in Israel and, at the same time, strengthen the ties that bind Jews in the United States to Jews in Israel so that upon returning to the United States, scholarship winners will be better able to communicate those ties to American Jewry. |
| Association for Jewish Studies | Grad, Post-grad | Grants for dissertation research, travel grants, book awards and Jewish Studies project funding. |
| Association of Jewish Libraries Student Scholarship | Grad | Scholarship for student attending or planning to attend a graduate school of library and information science. Prospective candidates should have knowledge of and interest in Jewish Studies, and demonstrate the potential, ability, and intention of pursuing a career in Judaica librarianship. |
| Blaustein Philanthropic Group |
Undergrad, Grad, Post-grad |
Group of foundations with various grants in diverse areas. |
| Brandeis-Genesis Institute for Russian Jewry | Grad, Post-grad | Grants to support research projects in multiple disciplines on Russian Jewish experience. These research projects may come from various disciplines, including but not limited to sociology, linguistics, history, arts, psychology, education and religion. Eligible research projects may cover various time periods - from Imperial Russia and Soviet era to Post-soviet contemporary period. The geographic regions researched may range from the Former Soviet Union to United States and Canada, Israel, Germany, Australia and other regions. |
| Broome and Allen Scholarship - American Sephardi Federation | Undergrad, Grad | Grants for undergraduate and graduate students of Sephardic heritage and students concentrating in Sephardic studies. |
| Center for Jewish History | Undergrad, Grad, Post-grad | Various fellowships for undergrads, graduate students and scholars. |
| European Association for Jewish Culture | Open | Grants for artistic projects in various areas, including the visual arts, performing arts, media, etc. Must be European nationals or long-term residents. |
| Fishman Family Foundation | Open | Grants and scholarships related to Jewish services, education and community activities. |
| HIAS | Open | Assistance for refugees and those facing persecution and discrimination. |
| Lady Davis Fellowship Trust | Grad, Post-grad | Doctoral and post-doctoral fellowships at Hebrew University of Jerusalem and Technion-Israel Institute of Technology. |
| Leo Baeck Institute | Grad, Post-grad | Supports new research on German-Jewish culture and history through the following fellowships. Ph.D. candidates and academics working on topics related to the German-Jewish community in a variety of disciplines are encouraged to apply. |
| Masa Israel Journey | Open | Various funding opportunities for study in Israel. |
| Max and Anna Levinson Foundation | Open | Grants for various areas, including focus on Jewish culture, religion, Yiddish, Jewish community, etc. |
| Memorial Foundation for Jewish Culture | Grad, Post-grad | Doctoral scholarship and fellowship program in Jewish Studies and Jewish culture. |
| Orion Center | Grad, Post-grad | Scholarships and fellowships for research on the Dead Sea Scrolls and associated literature in all relevant disciplines. |
| Posen Foundation | Post-grad | Eligible scholars should be completing a doctoral dissertation on a topic related to modern Jewish history or culture. Eligible fiction writers should be working on a Jewish-themed novel or short story collection, and should not yet have published their first book. |
| Religious Research Association | Grad, Post-grad | Small research grant awards. |
| Southern Jewish Historical Society | Grad, Post-grad | Several grants focused on Southern Jewish history, including for completion of relevant projects, research/travel grants and funds for preservation of archival records. |
| Temple University Feinstein Center | Grad, Post-grad | Summer fellowship to support research in the American Jewish experience. |
| The Wexner Foundation | Undergrad, Grad, Post-grad | The Wexner Foundation focuses on the development of Jewish professional and volunteer leaders in North America, and public leaders in Israel. |
| United States Holocaust Memorial Museum | Grad, Post-grad | Funds to support significant research and writing about the Holocaust. Proposals welcomed from scholars in all relevant academic disciplines, including history, political science, literature, Jewish studies, philosophy, religion, sociology, anthropology, comparative genocide studies, law, and others. |
| YIVO Institute for Jewish Research | Grad, Post-grad | Research fellowships in various areas, including East European Jewish Studies, Baltic Jewish Studies, Polish Jewish Studies, Jewish Literature and Arts and American Jewish Studies. |
Check your local Jewish Vocational Services, Jewish Foundations, Jewish Community Centers and other similar organizations for other funding options. Many offer awards for individuals from or studying in their covered area.
