Sustainability and Enhancement Grants

We want to help ensure there is a robust core of European Jewish Studies departments which will continue to represent essential topics in Jewish Studies at European universities, even as funding for the humanities may continue to decline.

In this context:

• Applicants should propose a project that builds on the existing strength of their department/centre and reflects the needs of the department and the context of Jewish studies in their region (see examples below).
• Proposals must include funding for at least one post-doctoral position (see Post-Doctoral Fellowship Employment below).
• Successful applicants will be matched with an Academic Liaison—a senior academic from another institution who will serve as an advisor for the project. They will be available for on-going consultation and will, if possible, visit the department/centre during the grant period.

For example:

• A department with strengths in teaching and research on Sephardic history should:

a) demonstrate that they are best placed to be the preeminent location in Europe for the study of that subject and

b) propose a project that will enhance their teaching, research and/or public engagement related to that subject.

• A department that wants to develop a project focused on enhancing their Jewish Studies MA programme should:

a) demonstrate that their MA programme is one of the best Europe and

b) propose a project that focuses on how to make the programme even stronger.

Applicants may apply for up to £150,000 per annum for up to 4 years.

As a minimum, project budgets must include 20% of in-kind matching funding from the university, and the applicant must demonstrate that the university is committed to the long-term sustainability of their Jewish Studies department or centre.

We welcome applications from universities based in Europe, EU and non-EU states alike, except for Ukraine, Russia and Belarus. 

Departments/centres with current AJS grants from the Foundation are eligible to apply for this new grant. However, if your current grant is not scheduled to end by September 2022, please include in your application a proposal for how your current grant will be incorporated into your new project (including any remaining funds).

Please contact Dr Gabor Kadar (G.Kadar@rothschildfoundation.eu) if you have specific questions about this.

Applicants may propose how they would like to use the funding, but applications must budget for at least one post-doctoral position (see details below). Other potential costs could include:

• Teaching posts
• Research projects
• Studentships at both BA and MA level
• Visiting lectureships
• Funding publications and other dissemination activities
• Public Engagement
• Fieldtrips
• Local and International Conferences
• Curriculum Development
• Resources (books/IT, etc.)
• Networking with other departments/centres across Europe
• Other costs to be discussed with RFHE

Grantees will be required to employ a post-doctoral fellow as part of their project. Grantees can choose to employ this fellow along whichever timeline works best for their institution and project.

Grantees will know if their application has been successful in May 2022, and the earliest possible start date for the grant will be September 2022.

They could propose, for example, that the post-doctoral fellowship start in January 2023, so they have time to conduct a search in autumn 2022.

The salary of the post-doctoral fellow should be in-line with the university’s standard pay scale. The fellowship should last a minimum of 24 months, but can last longer, and the department/centre can propose hiring more than one fellow as well, should the budget allow. There are two criteria for post-doctoral fellows:

• The fellow must not be someone who completed their PhD at the institution
• The fellow must already be based in Europe when they apply, i.e., have European citizenship or be the holder of a valid European residency permit

All topics within the broad field of Jewish Studies are considered eligible for the Foundation’s Jewish Studies grants. However, in this grant category, the Foundation particularly welcomes applications from departments/centres with strengths in the following areas:

• Digital Humanities
• European Jewish History (all periods)
• Material Heritage and Culture
• Jewish Thought and Philosophy
• Social Scientific Study of Contemporary European Jewish Communities

In future rounds the Foundation may prioritise funding departments/centres with other subject area strengths.

A fundamental component of the Rothschild Foundation Hanadiv Europe’s mission is to increase access to European Jewish heritage and culture. To that end, the Foundation encourages 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.

Grantees may apply to the Foundation for additional funding to cover costs associated with open access publication, such as article processing charges.

For the first stage please make sure you submit the Budget table and budget explanation for the proposed project: Please use the proforma budget form provided with the application. An example of a completed budget can also be downloaded via the application form.

If you are invited to stage two you will need to provide the following:

Please make sure you have submitted the following with your application. If it is not included, your application cannot be considered.

If your application is approved, you will need to submit further supporting documentation once you receive your Grant Letter and Agreement.

• Proof of Charitable Status(Required:) This will vary from country to country and according to the type of organisation making the application. In all cases, the activities of the organisation must qualify as charitable within the United Kingdom. If your organisation is a publicly funded body, such as a university, research centre or museum, then we will accept a copy of your organisation’s statutes as proof of its charitable status.
• Certification from the tax authorities: If you require a certificate from the tax authorities in order to demonstrate charitable status in your country, please forward a copy of this certificate.
• Budget table and budget explanation for the proposed project – provide an update since stage one submission (Required): Please use the proforma budget form provided with the application. An example of a completed budget can also be downloaded via the application form.
• CVs of key staff people working on the project (maximum 5 pages for each staff member): Only the first 5 pages of any CVs totalling more than the 5-page limit will be forwarded to the Academic Advisory Committee for assessment. Please combine all the CVs into one document before uploading it.
• Strategic Plan: If you are applying for a multi-year grant, please submit the latest organisational strategic plan.
• The most recently available audited accounts or financial statement stamped by the financial authority in your country (Required): This is a formal record of your organisation’s financial activities for either a one- or three-year period. The statement must include a summary of the income and expenditure over a given period. It should have been prepared by a chartered accountant and, if your country requires it, stamped by the relevant government department.
• Income and Expenditure: If the submitted audited accounts or financial statement are not in English, you are required to submit an English summary of the income and expenditure account and balance sheet.
• The operating budget of your organisation for the current fiscal year: Please consult your university or departmental finance department to obtain these.
• Project Update/Final Report: 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.

Translations: For documents not originally written in English please include an English translation. This does not need to be an official 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.

Financial summaries: If financial documents are very long, please provide a translation summarising the main income and expenditure included in your financial statements and organisational budget. This document should be no longer than 10 pages.

Please upload your translated/summarised document against the same upload title you use for the original document. This means you may have two documents saved under each upload title.

This grant application involves a two-stage process.

First Stage Applications:

Applications can only be submitted via our online application process. We do not accept applications by mail or email.

Please use the Apply Now button at the bottom of the grant category page to begin your application.

The first time you login, you will need to create an account with an email and a password. Please keep a note of your login information as you will need it to access your application form on future visits.

Once you have set up your online account you will be taken directly to the application form.

When completing the application form, make sure to switch your web browser language settings to English if necessary.

You can also download a sample of the application form on the relevant category page.

Once you have started your application, please continue editing by logging into your online account below. Do not click on the Apply Now button again as this creates duplicate application forms in your account.

Second Stage Applications:

Should your application be short-listed you will receive an email notification, which will include instructions on how to access the second-stage application form using your online account. You will also need to submit references (see below).

Second-stage applicants will need to arrange for two letters of reference to be submitted to the Foundation by Wednesday, 19 January 2022. Referees must not be affiliated with the university applying for the grant.

Reference forms will be made available to second-stage applicants when they are informed that they have been short-listed. It is the responsibility of the applicant to send their referees the correct reference form and to ensure that references are submitted by the referee deadline.

This category is planned to open for applications in late autumn 2023.

Please add all the following emails to your contacts / safe senders list to ensure you receive our communications regarding your application and grant notification: mailuk@grantapplication.com; mail@grantapplication.com; adobesign@adobesign.com; message@adobe.com.

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 Gabor Kadar (G.Kadar@rothschildfoundation.eu)

For any other information including technical support please contact info@rothschildfoundation.eu