Funding Opportunities in Jewish Studies

Photo of bronze sculpture of a "W" at an entrance to the University of Washington. Leafy trees are visible in the background.

Photo by Katherine Turner.

Learn more about funding opportunities at the Stroum Center, including our Hazel D. Cole Fellowship supporting postdoctoral research in Jewish studies. Click the toggles below for more information.

Thanks to the generosity of community supporters, the Stroum Center for Jewish Studies offers grants of $6,000 to support graduate research related to Jewish studies at the University of Washington.

Every year, a cohort of graduate fellows participate in a series of workshops offering professional development, research advice, and mentorship from faculty and staff. Fellows present their research publicly, through a research presentation and an online article. Learn more about the program and the current cohort of graduate fellows, and apply, on the graduate fellows portal.

Applications for 2027-2028 fellowships will be open between April 1 – May 1, 2027.

Please contact jewishst@uw.edu with any questions related to the application process, eligibility, or requirements.

Stroum Center opportunity grants of up to $2,500 are offered to support current UW undergraduate and graduate student experiences with language study, research, and conference travel related to Jewish studies.

Grants are offered in two cycles: grants for experiences in winter/spring, and grants for experiences in summer/autumn.

Application for winter/spring experiences will be open: October 1- November 15, 2026
Application for summer/autumn experiences will open: April 1 – May 1, 2027

For UW undergraduate students, the primary goal of the Stroum Center opportunity grants is to support undergraduate experiences in Jewish studies through UW-approved study abroad experiences. Priority is given to candidates studying a language of historical or contemporary importance to Jewish Studies. Accredited academic domestic opportunities will also be considered (e.g., Middlebury Language Schools). Students can also apply funding towards MODHEB 105: Intensive Elementary Modern Hebrew, taught at the UW during the summer full-term.

For UW graduate students, Stroum Center opportunity grants are intended to help support research, conference attendance, and further study in topics related to Jewish Studies. This research and study can be done domestically or abroad.

Students may apply for opportunity grant funding multiple times.

Read about past recipients’ experiences.

Apply for an opportunity grant >

The Stroum Center for Jewish Studies Paper Prize for Excellence in Holocaust Scholarship is given annually for an outstanding UW undergraduate student paper related to Holocaust studies. The paper must be a work that critically engages with the central themes, lessons and ideas of the Holocaust in the time period leading up to, during, or in the aftermath of the Second World War.

We welcome papers that examine other cases of genocide, but the Holocaust and/or scholarship on the Holocaust must figure centrally in the argument. The paper may have been written for a UW class, for a UW-approved study abroad class, or for a UW independent study. Papers must have been written during the current or immediately past academic year.

Read about past paper prize winners.

Hayim Katsman received his Ph.D. in international studies from the University of Washington’s Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies in 2021. Hayim was devoted to humanity, dedicating his dissertation to “all life forms that exist between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.” He was a brilliant academic, a talented gardener, a car mechanic, a peace activist, a citizen of the globe, and a natural teacher – who welcomed and encouraged others to learn about his complicated birthplace, Israel. Hayim was killed by Hamas on October 7, 2023, in his home in Kibbutz Holit.

This grant named in Hayim’s honor is intended to support study by students on any topic in Israel studies that is in keeping with Hayim’s ideals of supporting deeper understanding and mutual respect across political, cultural, and religious differences in the Middle East. The ideal candidate will demonstrate Hayim’s capacity for critical reflection, compassion, and public engagement.

Grants are awarded through our twice-yearly opportunity grant process. Apply here.

The Hazel D. Cole Fellowship provides financial assistance to a deserving postdoctoral fellow in Jewish studies. This is a one-year, in-residence postdoctoral position with the option to renew for a second year. It provides a an annual salary plus benefits.

Keep posted for more information about when applications will reopen for an upcoming fellowship. Learn more on the Hazel D. Cole Fellowship page.

As funding allows, the Stroum Center provides financial assistance to a deserving doctoral students whose research and dissertation subjects are in Jewish studies. These are one-year, in-residence fellowship positions. Applications are announced in spring. To inquire further, please contact jewishst@uw.edu.

Looking for additional funding sources? Check out the Jackson School’s list of available scholarships and fellowships.

Boren Awards are also available for individuals who wish to study Hebrew. Undergraduate, graduate, and summer fellowship options are available.