Collaborative Fellowships in Jewish Heritage

Deadline: 13-Jan-2027

The Collaborative Fellowships in Jewish Heritage support partnerships between European universities and heritage institutions such as archives, libraries, and museums.The programme funds the joint recruitment of a PhD student or postdoctoral fellow to conduct independent research focused on Jewish heritage collections. Funding can reach £19,000 per year for up to three years for doctoral fellowships or £40,000 per year for up to two years for postdoctoral fellowships, with an additional £6,000 per year available to support the collaborative project. The programme is designed to create new or significantly strengthened relationships between European higher-education institutions and heritage organizations. Its central focus is Jewish heritage research, particularly research that brings greater attention to collections that have not been extensively studied.

Heritage institutions can include:

Archives. Libraries. Museums. Other institutions holding significant Jewish heritage collections. The programme encourages partnerships that combine academic research expertise with the collections, knowledge, and professional expertise held by heritage institutions.

Eligible applicants are:

European universities. European heritage institutions, including archives, libraries, and museums. Applications should demonstrate a partnership that is: New, or Structurally transformative. The proposed collaboration should represent more than a routine relationship between institutions. Applicants should explain how the partnership will create meaningful new opportunities for research and engagement with Jewish heritage collections. Projects should focus on Jewish heritage collections held by the participating heritage institution.

Strong projects should:

Address a clear research question. Demonstrate importance to Jewish heritage studies. Make meaningful use of the heritage institution’s collections. Highlight underexplored or previously understudied collections where appropriate. Give the fellow scope for independent research. Demonstrate the value of collaboration between the university and heritage institution. Show how the partnership can transform understanding or use of the collections. The programme encourages innovative research projects that demonstrate the wider significance of Jewish heritage collections. For a doctoral fellowship, institutions can apply for: Up to £19,000 per year. Funding for up to three years. Up to £6,000 additional funding per year to support the collaborative project. Applicants must provide evidence that the requested fellowship funding is consistent with typical doctoral fellowship amounts at their institutions. For a postdoctoral fellowship, institutions can apply for: Up to £40,000 per year. Funding for up to two years. Up to £6,000 additional funding per year to support the project. As with doctoral applications, institutions must demonstrate that the requested amount reflects typical postdoctoral funding levels at the participating institutions. The programme is built around joint recruitment and supervision.

The basic structure is:

A European university and heritage institution establish a collaborative research project. The partners identify a significant research question relating to Jewish heritage collections. They develop the project before submitting the application. The institutions apply jointly for fellowship funding. Following an award, they recruit a suitable doctoral or postdoctoral fellow, unless a candidate has already been identified. The fellow conducts independent research using the heritage institution’s collections. The fellow receives joint supervision from: An academic at the university. A professional at the heritage institution. The research strengthens knowledge of the collections and the partnership between the institutions. A defining feature of the programme is the fellow’s dual supervision. The academic supervisor contributes university-based research expertise, while the heritage professional contributes specialist knowledge of the relevant collections and institutional context. This structure is intended to create a genuinely collaborative research environment.

The fellow therefore works across both:

Academic research. Heritage collections and professional practice. Jewish heritage collections can contain significant historical, cultural, religious, social, and intellectual material that remains underexplored.

Collaborative research can help:

Bring neglected collections to wider scholarly attention. Generate new research on Jewish heritage. Connect universities with archives, libraries, and museums. Develop new research methodologies. Build institutional partnerships. Give early-career researchers specialist collection-based experience. Increase understanding of the significance of Jewish heritage collections. The programme also recognizes that universities and heritage institutions possess different forms of expertise that can complement one another. Applicants should demonstrate that the proposed relationship is meaningful and capable of producing benefits for both institutions. A strong partnership should clearly explain: Why the university and heritage institution need to work together. What each partner contributes. Why the collections require the proposed research. How the fellow will work across both institutions. How the partnership differs from existing arrangements. What longer-term benefits may result from the collaboration. The programme specifically looks for new or structurally transformative partnerships. Applicants should develop the research project and partnership structure before submitting the application.

A practical process is:

Identify the university and heritage partner. Confirm that both institutions are eligible European organizations. Select the collection. Identify the Jewish heritage collection or collections that will form the basis of the research. Develop the research question. Establish