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Student Awards

Department of Jewish Studies Student Awards

Are you a Rutgers undergraduate or graduate student who is interested in topics related to Jews, Judaism, and Israel?

Consider applying for a financial award through the department of Jewish Studies for academic achievement and to support study and research related to the historical, social, cultural, religious, linguistic, and political life of Jews from antiquity to the present!

APPLICATIONS FOR FALL 2026 Student AWARDS WILL BE GOING LIVE ON MONDAY, OCTOBER 19th

Please check back here for more details after the 19th

Department of Jewish Studies Award Types

Research in Jewish Studies Awards are available to students (both undergraduate and graduate) who plan to conduct research related to the field of Jewish Studies in fulfillment of an honors project, senior thesis, capstone project, summer research project, graduate thesis, doctoral dissertation, etc.

Note: Students who wish to enroll at a university abroad as part of their plans should apply for Study in Israel/Abroad award.

Study in Israel/Abroad Awards provide financial support to full-time Rutgers students (both undergraduate and graduate) to study at any of the six accredited Israeli universities: Hebrew University, Tel-Aviv University, Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University, University of Haifa, and the Technion, or to enroll in a program of Jewish Studies at universities in other countries. Awards will only fund programs that are open to all students. Proof of acceptance to the program is required at time of application.

Excellence in Jewish Studies Awards (SPRING ONLY) recognize achievements by Rutgers students in the field of Jewish Studies. To be eligible for an award, students must have taken at least two courses in Jewish Studies. Selection is based upon a sustained record of achievement in Jewish Studies. Prior recipients may reapply.

Graduate students at Rutgers enrolled in M.A. or Ph.D. programs with a Jewish Studies focus are also eligible for consideration.

*Please note: Two letters of recommendation are required for all award applications. Plan ahead to give your letter writers sufficient time*

Questions about applying? This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Student Award Application Information

APPLICATIONS WILL BE COMPLETED ON GOOGLE FORMS.
THE LINK TO THE APPLICATION WILL BE PROVIDED WHEN THE APPLICATIONS GO LIVE.

*In order to complete this application you will need to upload the following application materials*:

  1. Rutgers transcript (unofficial is fine)
  2. Detailed budget necessary for research (Research Award Only)
  3. Schedule for your time abroad  (Study Abroad Award Only)
  4. Detailed budget for study abroad semester/year (Study Abroad Award Only)
  5. Documentation of acceptance from an accredited university, if available at the time of application (Study Abroad Award Only)

You will also need two letters of recommendation. Your recommenders will be sending their letters of recommendation directly to Stephanie Ulm, the Program Coordinator for the Department of Jewish Studies, at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it., so please plan ahead to give your letter writers sufficient time to craft a letter and send it in ahead of the deadline.

In the general application and award specific application questions sections, you will be asked a series of long-form questions. Those questions are listed below, so you can craft your responses ahead of time, if necessary:

ALL APPLICATIONS

  1. Describe your interest in Jewish Studies to date.
  2. Describe any research in Jewish Studies that you have participated in while at Rutgers (e.g. honors thesis, independent study, etc.)
  3. Describe your career goals after graduation.
  4. Indicate any additional information you would like to have considered.

RESEARCH IN JEWISH STUDIES AWARD ONLY

  1. Write a detailed statement about your research project, how it related to your academic curriculum (major, minor, senior thesis, honors project, graduate work, etc.), whether someone will be advising you on location (if research is not at Rutgers), and how you would spend the period of time funded by an award

STUDY IN ISRAEL/STUDY ABROAD AWARD ONLY

  1. At which university do you plan to study?
  2. Which semesters do you plan to attend?
  3. Which courses do you plan to take?

 

Past Student Award Recipients

2019 Awards GroupPhoto Gallery

Student Experiences

Read these students' accounts of their experiences studying abroad supported by awards from the Department of Jewish Studies and the Bildner Center.