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Faculty Support

Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies Scholars Activity Grant for Faculty 

University of Texas at Austin Faculty presenting on or doing research on a Jewish Studies topic are invited to apply for Scholarly Activity Grant (SAG) support in the amount of $1,000 per academic year.

Applications from Faculty who did not receive a SAG in the previous academic year will be prioritized. Categories of scholarly activity funded by a SAG include but are not limited to:

  • Expenses for research performed by faculty member.
  • Expenses to read an original paper at a professional meeting.
  • Expenses to serve as chair, discussant, or commentator at a professional meeting, or to attend the annual meeting of an editorial board.
  • Expenses for publication (excluding expenses of the sort covered by a Co-op subvention grant).
  • Other research-related expenses
  • Expenses for participation in a workshop

Expenses may include:

  • Travel expenses pursuant to College of Liberal Arts and University policy.
  • Conference registration fees (not to include membership fees in scholarly societies).
  • Purchase of images (not intended for publishing), microfilm, and digital copy expenses.
  • Permission/copy rights for publication (must be billed through the center).
  • Professional Services: indexing, editing, copying and collecting/compiling research materials (must be performed by non-UT personnel and billed through the department).

IMPORTANT NOTES:

  • Faculty with recurring personal research funds may only apply for a SAG to cover the balance (if any) between their annual research allowance and $1000.
  • Applications must include relevant documentation (proof of a paper’s acceptance for a conference, or a copy of the relevant part of the program, a one-page proposal for research requests, confirmation of editorial board memberships, etc.).
  • Receipts must be submitted for reimbursement within 30 days of purchase or return from travel.
  • SAG funds cannot be used to purchase office supplies, computers, or professional memberships.
  • Any funds not spent (i.e., grants not used) in the current fiscal/academic year (9/1–08/31) cannot be carried over into the next academic year. 
  • Once awarded, SAG funds cannot be used for purposes other than those listed in the original application.

Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies Course Development Grants 

The Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies is pleased to offer grants to develop or redevelop courses in any of these three categories:

  • New upper-division courses cross-listed in Jewish Studies
  • Courses in Holocaust and Genocide Studies
  • Graduate Courses with 30% Jewish Studies content

Grants will be awarded in the amount of $3000 to revise an existing course and $5000 to develop a new course.

Faculty must commit to teaching the proposed course at least twice within four years.

To apply, please submit (1) a 1–2-page course proposal; and (2) a letter or email from the applicant’s department chair indicating the department’s commitment to offering the proposed course twice within a four-year period. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with preference given to courses that meet essential needs of the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies. Applicants should be sent to the center’s director, Jonathan Kaplan (jonathan.kaplan@austin.utexas.edu), who is happy to discuss ideas for potential new courses and course revisions in advance of submitting a proposal.

Grants may in most cases be taken either in research funds or summer salary. Grants will be released at the beginning of the semester in which the course is first offered.

Rapoport Faculty Summer Fellowship for Research in Jewish Studies 

Faculty at UT Austin may apply for the Rapoport Faculty Summer Fellowship for Research in Jewish Studies (RFSFRJS) to support original research in any discipline of Jewish Studies with a goal to publication. Faculty are only eligible to receive this stipend once. The stipend amount usually ranges from $2000 - $8000.

Deadline: February 28, 2025

Eligibility: Applicants must be full-time UT faculty (tenured and tenure-track faculty or
professional-track faculty who conduct research), who are affiliates of the Schusterman Center
for Jewish Studies. We particularly encourage applications from tenure-track faculty at the
assistant professor rank and professional-track faculty

Application Materials (using Times New Roman font size 12 with no less than one-inch
borders):

  • 4-page CV highlighting research/publications
  • Brief (1-page) budget for the proposed research expenditures
  • Project proposal that is no longer than three single-spaced pages
  • The proposal should include a title and outline the project rationale and significance, research
    questions, and a research plan specifying the methods and methodology. The proposal should
    also note the short-term (peer-reviewed articles, chapters) and long-term goals of the proposed
    project. Please note: If the project includes human subjects, IRB approval must be received
    before funds are released.

Successful applicants will be required to submit a 1-page brief report detailing research activities to the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies within one month of completing the RFSFRJS.

Successful applicants should also acknowledge the Schusterman Center for Jewish Studies at UT and the Audre and Bernard Rapoport Regents Chair of Jewish Studies in any publication resulting from the RFSFRJS support.