Innovations in Jewish Life Collections Undergraduate Scholarship

Undergraduate and Graduate students touring the Post-Holocaust American Judaism Collections with Professor Nan Goodman

Open to CU Boulder Undergraduate Students

The Program in Jewish Studies and the University Libraries Rare and Distinctive Collections and Archives annually hold a competition for an Innovations in Jewish Life Undergraduate Research opportunity, which provides a $2000 research scholarship to a CU Boulder undergraduate student over the course of a semester. The scholarship requires 120 hours of research over the spring semester (or approximately 8 hours per week) in the CU Innovations in Jewish Life Collections (IJL), housed in the University Libraries’ Rare and Distinctive Collections. All undergraduate students from the University of Colorado Boulder, from all backgrounds and majors, are eligible to receive this scholarship. Research will be conducted in the Rare and Distinctive Collections Reading Room in Norlin Library during the room’s open hours, Monday - Thursday, 10:00am - 4:00pm.

The student who is selected to receive this scholarship for the 2025-2026 academic year will be named the David Shneer Undergraduate Archival Research Fellow, and will be expected to:

  • Undertake an original research project, with the support and mentorship of a faculty member, using archival materials in one or more of the IJL collections
  • Consult with an archivist in Rare and Distinctive Collections to determine which IJL collections best fit their research topic
  • Independently conduct research in these collections in the Rare and Distinctive Collections Reading Room in Norlin Library, within their public hours and following their policies
  • Present their project at a research showcase in April.

The Scholar can choose to explore one (or more) of the following research topics, all of which can be found in the collections:

  • Political activism
  • Feminism
  • Links between Judaism and other religious traditions
  • Poetry and creative expression (dance, art, music, poetry, etc.)
  • Jewish ritual innovation
  • Jewish music
  • The Renewal movement
  • The Holocaust
  • A topic of their own choosing: if there is an alternative topic you would prefer to explore, please let us know.
 

Submission Guidelines:

CU Boulder undergraduate students from all disciplines and backgrounds are welcome to apply. Applications should be submitted to CUJewishStudies@colorado.edu by the April 15 deadline and include the following information:

  • Current CV or resume.
  • A brief letter of application (no more than a single page) that describes your interests in conducting research in the Innovations in Jewish Life Collections. Please choose one of the topics above and describe why you are interested in researching this particular topic.  Please indicate which of the IJL collections you intend to use in your research.
  • A letter of support from a faculty member willing to advise and mentor you during your research project.

Submission Deadline EXTENDED:

April 15, 2025 

Visit the Innovations in Jewish Life Collections Website 

Questions about Jewish Studies scholarships and fellowships?

 

Undergraduate Students: Please email Professor Samuel Boyd, Director of Undergraduate Studies, at Samuel.Boyd@colorado.edu

Graduate Students: Please email Professor Hilary Falb Kalisman, Director of Graduate Studies, at Hilary.Kalisman@colorado.edu