The Center offers a fellowship to senior scholars through a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities. The award supports original research at the Center in the humanities, including but not limited to Jewish studies, Russian and East European studies, American studies and Germanic studies, as well as musicology, linguistics, anthropology, sociology and history. Applications are welcome from college and university faculty in any field who have completed a PhD more than six years prior to the start of the fellowship and whose research will benefit considerably from consultation with materials in the collections of the Center’s partners – American Jewish Historical Society, American Sephardi Federation, Leo Baeck Institute, Yeshiva University Museum, and YIVO Institute for Jewish Research. Fellowships carry a stipend of up to $50,400 for a period of one year. Fellows are expected to conduct original research at the Center, deliver at least one lecture based on the research conducted, actively participate in the scholarly community at the Center, acknowledge the Center and NEH in all publications resulting from research completed during the fellowship, and submit a report upon completion of the fellowship describing the experience.

 

Responsibilities of NEH Senior Scholar:

• Conduct original research at the Center for Jewish History on a full-time basis. Please note that in accordance with NEH regulation, recipients of NEH grants may not accept teaching assignments or undertake any other major activities during the tenure of the award.
• Deliver at least one public lecture at the Center based on the research conducted.
• Actively participate in the scholarly community at the Center. Each year the Center welcomes numerous fellows to work in Center partner collections including graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. The NEH Senior Scholar is expected to take part in the fellowship program’s bi-weekly meetings at the Center.
• Acknowledge the Center for Jewish History and the National Endowment for the Humanities in all publications resulting from the fellowship.
• Submit a detailed report upon completion of the Fellowship describing the experience as a Center Fellow.

Eligibility:

• Open to all college and university faculty who received a PhD more than six years prior to the start of the fellowship.
• Open to all U.S. citizens as well as foreigners who have lived in the U.S. for at least 3 years prior to the application deadline. It is the responsibility of the applicant to have the appropriate visa for acceptance of the stipend for the duration of the award.

Requirements for application:

1. Cover letter stating area of interest, knowledge of relevant languages, and how the project relates to the mission of the Center for Jewish History

2. Curriculum Vitae, including:

• Places of employment and rank
• Education
• Major grants, awards, and prizes
• Major publications, which include monographs, edited volumes, book chapters, translations, and peer-reviewed articles
• A short list of recent conference papers
• Names of three references

3. Research proposal of no more than five pages double-spaced, including specific reference to the collections at the Center<http://catalog.cjh.org/> and clearly stated goals for research during the period of the fellowship

4. A one-page bibliography of important secondary sources for the project

5. Three letters of recommendation, which address the significance of the candidate’s work for his or her field as well as the candidate’s ability to fulfill the proposed research project. Letters of recommendation should be submitted under separate cover – preferably by email or dossier service – to the address below. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that letters of recommendation are submitted by the deadline.

Please submit application materials 1-4 by email as one continuous PDF file.

Application schedule:

• Applications for the 2015-16 academic year are due December 1, 2014. All application material, including letters of recommendation, must be received by this date for consideration.
• Announcement of grant recipients: February 15, 2015
• Commencement of grant period: September 1, 2015
• Conclusion of grant period: August 28, 2016

Applications are to be submitted to:

Christopher Barthel, PhD
Senior Manager for Academic and Public Programs Center for Jewish History
15 West 16th Street
New York, NY 10011
United States of America
Email: fellowships@cjh.org<mailto:fellowships@cjh.org?subject=NEH%20Senior%20Scholar>

 

To download the application requirements and view the full range of fellowships available at the Center for Jewish History, visit fellowships.cjh.org.