Undergraduate Funding

Description

Funded by the Pearl and Otto Delikat Holocaust Memorial Fund, these grants support Cornell undergraduate students seeking to conduct archival or field research, or to take advantage of learning opportunities not otherwise available on the Cornell campus. Funds may be used to cover expenses related to domestic or international travel, tuition for non-Cornell summer programs, and research expenses.

About Jewish Studies

The Cornell Jewish Studies Program was founded on the conviction that the record contained in the languages, literature, and history of the Jewish people, as developed across the globe and over thousands of years, are an integral part of the human heritage. Jewish Studies invites critical engagement with a range of cross-disciplinary issues that have long engaged scholars in the humanities and social sciences, including: diaspora; inter-group relations; and migration.

Funding

The Jewish Studies Program offers grants of up to $1500 to cover expenses related to undergraduate research and study for summer, including: travel, tuition, program fees, lodging, food, etc.

Eligibility

• All enrolled Cornell undergraduates in good academic standing are eligible to apply.
• Preference is given to Jewish Studies majors/minors, but anyone with a proven interest in Jewish Studies (typically demonstrated through coursework) will also be considered.
• Students may only submit one application per year.
• Jewish Studies majors/minors are eligible to apply for and receive grants in multiple funding cycles.
  Non-majors/minors may only receive one grant during their matriculation at Cornell.
• Funding may not be used after graduation.

Selection Criteria

The Jewish Studies Awards Committee prioritizes applications that strongly demonstrate how the proposed experience will contribute to the applicant's development in the field of Jewish Studies. Applicants should clearly explain how the project fits in with their educational trajectory and how this experience will benefit their future goals.

How to Apply

All materials must be submitted by February 15. 

1. Complete an online Application form.
2. After we receive your online application form, our office will create a secure folder in Cornell Box and share access with you.  Add all required documents to your secure folder: 
   • Project description (Maximum: 700 words): Please describe the planned research or study, location and dates, supervisors' names if relevant, and number of course credits you will receive, if any. How will participating in this project contribute to your development in the field of Jewish Studies? What skills will you acquire, and how will these aid your educational goals? Why is this the best program for your academic development?
   • Budget (Maximum: 1 page): Please provide a breakdown of funds requested, and a justification for expenses. Budgets should be broken down into the following categories, as needed: Transportation, Lodging, Meals, Class/Project Expenses, and Research Expenses. If you are requesting tuition, be sure to indicate which institution, if any, will be awarding course credit. Please list any additional sources and amounts of funding (other than from Jewish Studies) that you have received or to which you have applied or intend to apply. Be clear about the amount you are requesting from Jewish Studies.
   • Cornell transcript including most recent Fall semester grades (unofficial transcript is acceptable).
3. A letter of support (300-word maximum) from your academic advisor or another faculty member should be emailed directly to Program Director Jason Mokhtarian.

Please direct all questions to Jason Sion Mokhtarian, director of the Jewish Studies Program.

Information for Recipients

Final Report

Upon completion of the funded research, recipients must provide a written report, and 1-2 images of themselves in the field or involved in research activities. Reports (250-500 words) must be submitted no later than October 1 to Jewish Studies.

Promotion of the Grant Program

By accepting the grant, recipients give permission to the Jewish Studies program to share news about the award. Jewish Studies may include recipient photograph(s) and/or text from the final report on the Jewish Studies website, across its social media platforms, and in its promotion of the grant program.

Reporting Expenses

Funds received through the Jewish Studies Program may be received as an advance through the student’s Bursar Account (with receipts submitted after research is complete), as reimbursement for submitted receipts, through direct purchase of equipment and supplies, or as a combination of these methods. Successful applicants should meet with Tracy Gavich to make the necessary arrangements.

The Cornell University Accounting Office Requires Documentation for All Awards. Documentation accounting for all expenditures related to the award MUST be filed with Jewish Studies upon completion of fieldwork and return to Cornell University. For Summer 2023 projects, a full account of the funds spent must be submitted no later than October 1 to Jewish Studies. Any awardee who fails to provide adequate documentation, will be financially responsible for repaying all award amounts to the university.

Jewish Studies requires that awardees provide proof that Jewish Studies funds were used for approved academic purposes. For equipment, services, big-ticket transportation items, and lodging, individual receipts are necessary. For per diem meal and incidental expenses, Jewish Studies will need a statement about which days were spent on location; for personal vehicle use, we will need a list of days driven and daily mileage amounts. Awardees should not submit individual meal receipts, or receipts for gasoline purchases.

For expenses incurred outside the United States, should such travel be approved, awardees will need to provide a document with conversions to U.S. dollars for each individual receipt (using daily exchange rates). It may be easiest to provide Jewish Studies with a spreadsheet indicating dates, individual expenses, and U.S. dollar equivalents. An English translation must be provided for each receipt in a foreign language.

Please note that research and travel funds students receive as advances or reimbursement may be reported as taxable income.

Harry Caplan Travel Fellowships

The College of Arts & Sciences announces two Harry Caplan Travel Fellowships of $5,000 for summer travel to Europe or the Near East. These awards, in honor of one of the College’s most beloved teachers and scholars of classics, are for juniors who have serious and developed interest in some aspect of the subjects Harry Caplan loved: ancient Greek and Roman cultures; medieval Latin literature, especially drama; ancient Jewish culture; and rhetoric. The fellowships are meant to afford students the opportunity to enrich their understanding of classical traditions and their afterlives. Some students propose research projects or participation in a summer program; others propose intense and focused tourism.

Kroll Travel Awards

This award, in honor of Professor Ross Brann, is potentially offered to students traveling to the Israel or the Palestinian Territories to participate in academically recognized archaeological digs and/or other academic programs during the summer. 

Awards will range from $250-$1000.  Graduate & undergraduate students are eligible to apply.

More about Kroll Travel Awards on the Department of Near Eastern Studies website.