Overview

The Tam Institute for Jewish Studies (TIJS) awards grants to undergraduate and graduate students to support activities that enrich the academic experience, such as study abroad, intensive language training, and travel for research or participation in conferences and workshops. Grants for other purposes related to a student’s course of study will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

How Can I Apply?

TIJS will accept grant applications twice every year: in the fall for academic-year grants for graduate students only, and in the spring for summer grants for both undergraduate and graduate students. In special cases, and if funds are available, requests may be considered outside the normal cycle on a case-by-case basis.

All Emory students are eligible to apply for support and must be enrolled during the period covered by the grant. Post graduation activities are thus excluded.

Students who are affiliated with TIJS, including undergraduate majors and minors, TIJS Fellows, and participants in the graduate certificate program, will receive the highest priority for funding, as well as those whose work in another department or program has a significant Jewish Studies focus.

Application Guidelines

TIJS grants will be awarded to support only academic endeavors related to the field of Jewish Studies
Applications MUST include:
1. a letter stating your academic status (undergraduate or graduate, year in program, major or home department) and fully describing the proposed activity;
2. a budget for the overall project (even if you are applying for funds for only a part of a project), using precise estimates from available travel websites and pricing sources;
3. a letter of support from the student’s advisor that makes clear the connection between the student’s proposal and the field of Jewish Studies and notes the relevance of the grant support to the student’s academic trajectory.
TIJS grants are meant to supplement other sources of support and not meant to cover the entire course of activity. Typically, grants are awarded in the $250 - $2,000 range so that TIJS can support as many eligible projects as possible. Therefore, all applications must contain as part of the budget a list of all other funding sources to which the applicant is applying or from which they have already received support. Graduate students, for example, should detail funds they expect to receive or have applied for from their home department and/or from the Laney Graduate School.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered as part of the current funding cycle.
Grant recipients are expected to submit a one-page report on their project within six weeks of its completion.

Fall 2025 Student Application Deadline:

TBA (early fall)

Applications received after the deadline will be considered on a rolling basis until a date that will be announced soon

SPECIAL NOTE FOR FALL 2025 APPLICATIONS

Latest Emory Guidance for Travel to Middle East (effective June 27, 2025)

Emory’s international evacuation and service provider, International SOS (ISOS), has placed Israel and Iran in an evacuation status due to their current tensions. This status means that coverage for new travelers could face exclusions, and the ability of ISOS and Emory to provide support in these locales will be severely limited while that status remains in effect.

As a result, the following measures and guidance are in place until further notice:

High-risk destinations for all Emory students (graduate and undergraduate): Israel and Iran
Emory-sponsored travel to these locations will require review from the Executive Travel Safety Committee (hyperlink to: https://global.emory.edu/services/travel/health-safety.html) followed by the review and approval of the traveler’s dean or unit head. This does not apply to personal travel.
High-risk destinations for Emory undergraduate students: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, United Arab Emirates, the West Bank and Gaza, and Yemen
Emory-sponsored travel by undergraduate students to these locations will require review from the Executive Travel Safety Committee followed by the review and approval of the traveler’s dean or unit head. This does not apply to personal travel.

Please note that in addition to travel safety considerations, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, and Yemen are subject to Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctions, and travel to these destinations requires additional clearance.

Study Abroad

Year-long, semester-long, or summer study abroad programs, primarily for undergraduates.

Language Study

Off-campus language study for training beyond what is offered at Emory, in Jewish languages such as Hebrew, Yiddish or another language essential for a student’s academic program in a Jewish Studies-related field.

Research & Travel

Research trips for theses and dissertation purposes, or travel to attend or present papers at scholarly conferences or other academic gatherings. Grants may also support the cost of supplies and services (such as copying and scanning) related to student research.

Final Report

Successful applicants will be asked to submit a brief report on how they used the funds and how the funds helped advance their research or training, as well as any photos they wish to share from their experience.