Ph.D. Candidates

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Saul Kagan Fellowship In Advanced Shoah Studies, a candidate must be in the dissertation phase of a Ph.D. program that supports their research of the Holocaust. Eligible disciplines are those in which serious research will make the greatest contribution to future knowledge and understanding of the Holocaust, including but not limited to work in the fields of Anthropology, Cultural Studies, Jewish Studies, History, Political Science, Philosophy, Religion, Sociology, and Women’s Studies.

Applicants must be able to focus on their research without having external commitments, such as full-time employment. Those teaching a course as part of their university requirements may apply.

The applicant’s university must have the necessary faculty, courses and research materials to produce first-class doctorates and enable the candidate to focus on Holocaust studies. In selecting fellows, the Fellowship Admissions Committee will evaluate both the candidate and the ability of the candidate’s chosen institution to train Holocaust scholars.

The Kagan Fellowship award amount is a maximum of $30,000 per year. Once accepted into the program, candidates have the option of renewing for a second consecutive year, subject to the Admissions Committee’s approval.

Only candidates whose tuition costs are already covered are eligible to apply. A candidate who has applied or is applying for other funding should feel free to apply to the Kagan Fellowship. However, a candidate who is already confirmed to receive over $25,000 in other award funding (this excludes tuition grants) for the Kagan Fellowship funding year for which he/she is applying, would not be eligible to apply. (See below for more information.) A candidate who is already confirmed to receive less than $25,000 in other funding for the funding year for which he/she is applying is eligible to apply. Candidates who are receiving scholarships/awards for tuition or travel are eligible to apply.

Any funding you are receiving while applying for the Kagan Fellowship does not reflect on your eligibility, so feel free to apply, regardless of your current funding amount.

Please contact Dr. Joanna Sliwa at Joanna.Sliwa@claimscon.org with any questions.

Program Requirements

Requirements of Accepted Fellows:

1. To be enrolled and in good standing in a Ph.D. program that supports the study of the Holocaust.
2. To study (or have already studied) a language of Eastern Europe or the former Soviet Union necessary for the research of Holocaust-related documents, or if the field of study will be focused on a particular country or region, to study (or have already studied) the relevant languages of that region.
3. To attend and present their research at an annual Kagan Fellowship summer week-long conference.  There is no residency requirement other than the summer conference.
4. To commit to full-time employment primarily in Holocaust Studies on an academic level for a minimum of five years after receiving a Ph.D.
5. Kagan Fellowship awards cannot be used toward tuition costs.
6. A Kagan Fellow may receive up to $6,500 in outside funding during the Kagan Fellowship funding year without any decrease in his/her award. If a candidate receives more than $6,500 in outside funding, this may result in a decrease in his/her award. Other awards/scholarships that go towards tuition costs are NOT counted as ‘outside/other funding’ and would not result in any Kagan award decrease. Salary of part-time employment must be pre-approved and may be counted as ‘outside funding.’
7. The Claims Conference reserves the right to rescind the Kagan award, should a Kagan Fellow accept outside funding (excludes tuition scholarships) in excess of $25,000.

Instructions

The application process is through the Fluxx portal system (see previous page for link to application process) and all the instructions as to how to complete and upload documents are there.  You will need to upload into Fluxx:

– General information

– An academic resume/CV (no more than two pages)

– A two-paragraph abstract, followed by a clear, concise summary (no more than ten pages double-spaced) of your dissertation topic, including the dissertation’s title and a list of works cited within the summary. Include an explanation as to the significance of your research and how it will contribute to the overall field of Holocaust Studies.

– The Fluxx portal will provide a way for you to request two letters of recommendation and recommendation questionnaires from two references, respectively. One reference must be from an academic advisor in Holocaust studies (or related field) who has worked closely with the applicant, and one reference should be from an academic source who is familiar with the applicant’s work.

Optional: a web link or electronic, downloaded video file, not more than 6 MB exhibiting the candidate delivering a concise description of his/her research topic. Only the first 90 seconds of the video will be viewed. Large, time-sensitive files are not accepted.

If you have questions or concerns while submitting your application, please contact Dr. Joanna Sliwa at Joanna.Sliwa@claimscon.org.

Awards are usually announced in early April.