Finish Line Fellowship

A stick figure running through a finish line tape

The Finish Line Fellowship offers a stipend of $24,000, plus benefits, to a current University of Washington Ph.D. candidate who is completing a dissertation in a field or fields related to Jewish studies.

About the fellowship

The Stroum Center for Jewish Studies’ Finish Line Fellowship was established in 2021 by a member of Seattle’s Jewish community in honor of her late grandfather, who was a former track and field hurdler who valued education above all. The goal of this funding is to recognize outstanding UW Ph.D. candidates who demonstrate academic excellence and the potential to positively impact the field of Jewish studies upon graduation.

The Finish Line Fellowship — the first fellowship of its kind at the Stroum Center — recognizes that there are scant sources of support for late-stage doctoral students in the humanities. With this new initiative to help Ph.D. candidates towards dissertation completion, the Stroum Center affirms its commitment to supporting graduate students at all stages.

The fellowship offers a stipend of $24,000, paid over three quarters, and includes benefits. The fellowship will be granted to one current UW Ph.D. candidate annually. Ph.D. candidates may receive the fellowship one time only. Students who have previously received the UW Jewish Studies graduate fellowship are allowed to apply for the Finish Line Fellowship, but may not receive both funding sources during the same academic year.

Application process

Applicants will submit via a secure Google Form, using their UW NetID-based Google account:

  • A CV
  • A current unofficial transcript
  • A 150-word abstract for the dissertation
  • Two short essays:
    • One essay (no more than 1,250 words) describing the dissertation and explaining how it advances the field of Jewish studies
    • A second personal narrative essay (no more than 750 words) explaining how the applicant came to research the topic, and any hardships they may have overcome, especially in graduate school

Two letters of recommendation should also be submitted to jewishst@uw.edu:

  • A letter of recommendation from the applicant’s dissertation committee chair, addressing the student’s doctoral work and confirming the timeline for completion of the dissertation
  • A letter of recommendation from an additional UW faculty member

Note that the applicant should plan to defend their dissertation within one academic year of receiving the Finish Line Fellowship (e.g., if receiving the fellowship for the ’23-’24 academic year, the dissertation defense should take place no later than spring of 2025).

Apply for the fellowship via the secure Google form. Note that applicants must log in using their UW NetID, and may need to log out of their other Google accounts prior to accessing the form.

Application materials for the ’23-’24 fellowship are due by Friday, March 31, 2023, at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Candidates will be notified in May 2023. Funds will be disbursed during academic year 2023-2024.

Please direct any questions to Brendan Goldman, Stroum Center Interim Associate Director and Program Manager, at bgg213@uw.edu.