Postdoctoral Fellowship (Academic Jewish Studies)

Postdoctoral Fellowship (Academic Jewish Studies) is sponsored by Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe. This fellowship supports institutions to employ a post-doctoral fellow in Jewish Studies.

Postdoctoral Fellowships for Academic Jewish Studies - Rothschild Postdoctoral Fellowships for Academic Jewish Studies This grant will re-open in Autumn 2026 Please add the following emails to your contacts/safe senders list to ensure you receive all our communications regarding your grant application: noreply@yourcause. com ; noreply@blackbaud. com; adobesign@adobesign.

com ; message@adobe. com . Support is available for institutions who wish to employ a Postdoctoral Fellow in Jewish Studies.

Institutions should be able to make a case that the Postdoctoral Fellow will make a significant contribution to their department and conduct ground-breaking research during their fellowship. Our Fellowship Programme includes a series of online seminars and workshops designed to foster networking and collaboration. These include skills-based workshops and opportunities to present your research.

Recipients are expected to participate in these events throughout their fellowship. Grants of up to £40,000 per annum are available for European institutions to employ a Postdoctoral Fellow for a two-year period. If this is not enough to fund a postdoctoral fellowship at the applying university , then the university must contribute to the cost of the fellowship.

Institutions must ensure all of the costs of the position (including social security, benefits, taxes, etc.) are considered before applying for the fellowship, and there must be a plan in place to cover all of these costs. Award amounts will vary according to the local salary scales, costs of living and individual needs.

Applic ants must demonstrate the proposed salary is comparable to other postdoctoral salaries at the applying institution. The Foundation does not provide additional funding, on top of the original amount awarded, for research, travel, etc. These expenses must be included in your original application budget if you wish them to be covered.

Candidates researching and/or teaching any topic within the field of Jewish Studies will be considered eligible for funding. Successful applications will demonstrate the synergy between the hosting department and the proposed candidate. Postdoctoral Fellows are encouraged to present their research to their local Jewish community as well as to the wider public.

A department, centre, etc., may only put forward one postdoctoral application per round. Likewise, only one postdoctoral grant will be awarded per round to any given university. Therefore, if different university departments, centres, etc., submit postdoctoral applications at the same time, we will decide which one, if any, to select for a grant.

Please add the following emails to your contacts/safe senders list to ensure you receive all our communications regarding your grant application: noreply@yourcause. com ; noreply@blackbaud. com; adobesign@adobesign.

com ; message@adobe. com . To be eligible to receive a Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Foundation, the postdoctoral applicant must be based in Europe (either a European citizen or holder of a valid European residency permit) and the host institution must be based in Europe (both EU and non-EU states).

We are not currently accepting applications from institutions in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Institutions must be able to demonstrate how the presence of a Postdoctoral Fellow will strengthen Jewish Studies at their institution. Postdoctoral candidates must either have received their doctoral degree no more than 7 years before the application deadline or intend to submit their doctoral dissertation by June 2026.

Individuals who have already received a postdoctoral fellowship from the Foundation may not apply for another one, even at a different host institution. These fellowships are awarded based on the candidate’s academic merit, though some consideration will also be given to the degree of geographic mobility demonstrated by the candidate, both in his/her current choice of institution and in his/her previous academic career.

All topics within the broad field of Jewish Studies are considered eligible for the Foundation’s Jewish Studies grants. The Foundation particularly welcomes applications from those engaged in the study of contemporary Jewish life in Europe from a social science perspective and those whose proposals involve digital humanities research techniques.

In principle, projects only tangentially related to Jewish Studies are unlikely to be successful, nor will projects devoted to an individual or individuals who happen to be Jewish, but whose historical importance is not significantly contingent on that biographical fact. Secondary school education, informal education and documentary films will not be funded within the context of the Academic Jewish Studies grant programme.

For more information on Jewish Studies please read our AJS FAQs . In general, the full salary cost of employing a Postdoctoral Fellow as well as additional travel and research costs may be applied for within this grant category; however, institutional overheads will not be funded.

Institutional overheads include the costs of grant administration, maintaining, heating, and insuring the building in which your department is housed, as well as the taxes your university pays for that building. If you are uncertain about the eligibility of your proposed project or project costs, please contact Dr Ruchama Johnston-Bloom .

A fundamental component of the Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe’s mission is to increase access to European Jewish heritage and culture. We encourage grantees to publish their Foundation-funded research in peer-reviewed journals with an open access option, and to make their articles freely accessible whenever possible.

Should an article based on Foundation-funded research be accepted for publication, grantees may apply to the Foundation for funding to cover costs associated with open access publication, such as article processing charges. Your application form and supporting documents must be submitted by Wednesday 13 January 2027 .

References will be due by Wednesday 20 January 2027 – please ensure you provide a copy of your application form and the reference form to your referees to complete. You should expect notification via email by mid-May 2025 letting you know whether your application has been successful or unsuccessful.

If your application is approved, you will receive an official award letter and agreement which you will need to e-sign and return with the necessary supporting documentation. Required supporting documentation Translations: For documents not originally written in English (aside from your proposal) please include an English translation. This does not need to be an official or notarised translation, but it must be clear and accurate .

Documents in a language other than English that are not accompanied by an English translation will not be processed. If your application is approved, you will need to submit further supporting documentation once you receive your Grant Letter and Agreement. Proof of not-for-profit or charitable status: This will vary from country to country and according to the type of organisation making the application.

For UK applicants this may be a UK charity number where applicable. Please refer to the Charity Commission website and its list of Charitable Purposes.

International applicants should provide original documentation or evidence demonstrating their non-profit status under their local regulations (e.g. a copy of the relevant portion of the organisation’s statutes, a certificate from the tax authorities demonstrating not-for-profit status) Budget table and budget explanation for the proposed project: P lease download and complete the budget form at the bottom of this page.

An example of a completed budget form is also available. Do not use your own format. Evidence of standard postdoctoral salary: Please upload a document with information about postdoctoral salar ies at the applying university .

This may be available on the university website or through the Human Resources department. Proof of European citizenship or residence permit: Please submit a copy of your passport or residence permit CV of postdoctoral candidate in English (maximum 5 pages) : Please include all relevant academic experience, publications, and prizes.

Please note only the first 5 pages of CVs which exceed the 5-page limit will be forwarded to the Academic Advisory Committee for assessment. Final transcripts for postdoctoral candidate of grades/credits received for all previous degrees: This will be an official document from your university that lists all the classes you took as a part of your degree(s), the credits you received for them, and the marks you were awarded.

Please combine all transcripts into one document and upload via in the a ttachments section. A letter confirming submission of your doctoral dissertation and indicating the date of your defence, or a letter confirming when the dissertation will be submitted and when your defence will be held: Only required if you have not yet received your PhD .

CVs of key staff working on the project (maximum 5 pages for each staff member in English) : In most cases, this will be the CV of the proposed postdoctoral supervisor only. Only the first 5 pages of any CVs totaling more than the 5-page limit will be forwarded to the Academic Advisory Committee for assessment. Please combine all CVs into one document before uploading.

Full research proposal in English, German or French: A full description of no more than 3,000 words outlining the main objective of your project, any necessary background or context, your precise research question, methodology and a timetable for how you intend to implement your proposal. This may repeat elements of the project summary or description included in your application form.

A short bibliography of key sources should be included in the proposal. Project Update/Final Report: Only required if you currently receive funding from the Foundation . Please submit a one-page Project Update of your existing grant.

If you have recently finished a grant funded by the Foundation, please ensure the Final Report has been submitted before the closing date for the current grant round as this will be assessed alongside your new application. Translated documents: Please upload translated versions of any of the above documents. Make sure titles are in English and accurately describe the contents.

Original documents must be uploaded under the relevant attachment listed above. Applicants must supply details for two, external referees able to evaluate their proposal. Referees must not be affiliated with the institution applying for the fellowship.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to send their referees the correct reference form and to ensure references are submitted by the referee deadline. Forms are available to download at the bottom of this page. The Foundation will confirm receipt of your references to you via email no later than 5 working days after the referee deadline.

If the Foundation has not received your reference(s) you will be contacted no later than 3 working days after the referee deadline. Please do not contact the Foundation during this period regarding your references as there will be a delay in responding to your query. You can find the most frequently asked questions relating to Academic Jewish Studies here .

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you require any further information or advice as you prepare your application. For queries relating to this grant category please contact: Dr Ruchama Johnston-Bloom . For any other information including technical support please contact info@rothschildfoundation.

eu . Support for your application Postdoctoral Fellowship Referee Form Download a form for your referee to complete by the deadline above. Download a copy of the Application Guidance for this category.

Download the budget form and upload it with your application View a copy of the Postdoctoral Fellowship application form View a copy of the budget form to help you plan Help on using our new application portal Collaborative Fellowships in Jewish Heritage Departmental Initiative Grants Research Fellowship for Mid-Career Scholars Online resources and other initiatives We plan and implement projects to create, curate and promote freely accessible online resources on Jewish heritage.