AJS Dissertation Completion Fellowship Competition

The AJS Dissertation Completion Fellowship encourages the timely completion of doctorates by the most promising graduate students in the field of Jewish Studies. Students who are in the final stages of writing their dissertations and who display clear evidence of their ability to defend their dissertations by the end of June of the fellowship year (2026 – 2027) are eligible to apply for this program.

Recipients may receive up to $33,000 as well as complimentary registration fees to the 2026 AJS Annual Conference. The AJS Dissertation Completion Fellowships will be awarded based on merit and need. Fellowship recipients must submit evidence of any additional funding, at which point the AJS fellowship amount may be reduced to account for these extra funds. This fellowship will thus serve as a “top-off” award for recipients with additional funding. Recipients without any other funding will be eligible to receive $33,000, the full amount of the award.

Deadline to Apply: November 21, 2025

Requests for letters of recommendation and the status confirmation form will only be sent once the application is submitted. The AJS encourages applicants to submit the application well in advance of the due date to give recommenders adequate time to submit their letters.

Qualifications

1. •    The applicant must be completing a dissertation in the field of Jewish Studies.
2. •    Applicants must be current members of the AJS at the time of application (the current membership period runs from January to December 2025).
3. •    Applicants must have completed all requirements of the PhD except the dissertation (ABD status) by the application deadline.
4. •    The dissertation must be in English, although citations may be in other languages provided translations are included.
5. •    Recipients of a Dissertation Completion Fellowship may not receive total grant support in excess of $33,000 during their fellowship year.

Application Requirements

1. •    CV
2. •    Dissertation Proposal
3. •    Dissertation Table of Contents
4. •    Two Dissertation Chapters (one of which should not be the introduction, conclusion, or literature review)
5. •    One-page timeline outlining the schedule for completing and successfully defending the dissertation by June 30, 2027
6. •    Bibliography (no more than 2–3 pages)
7. •    Two Confidential Letters of Recommendation
8. •    Status Confirmation Form to be completed by department chair or director of graduate studies

Questions? Contact Amy Weiss at aweiss@associationforjewishstudies.org

2016–2025 AJS Dissertation Completion Fellowship Recipientss