The Award

On the occasion of the 125th anniversary of Salo W. Baron’s birthday, the University of Vienna together with the Salo W. and Jeannette M. Baron Foundation, New York has established the Salo W. and Jeannette M. Baron Young Scholar Awards.

Salo W. Baron described the Jewish experience as follows: “Suffering is part of the destiny [of the Jewish people] but so is repeated joy and ultimate redemption.”  In this sense, the Salo W. and Jeannette M. Baron Young Scholar Awards reward young academic scholars from all fields of study who have completed an exceptional Master’s thesis and are currently writing a PhD dissertation, or have recently completed a PhD thesis all of which are related to the Jewish experience. Academic work should be focused on the relationship of Jews and non-Jews and perceptions and understandings of Judaism in the wider societies in which they live, including but not limited to the history, culture, religion, and institutions of the Jewish people as well as their persecution.

The awards will be conferred every two years. They consist of two scholarships of up to € 7,500 each offered to two young international scholars for a research stay of three months at the University of Vienna. The committee will consider shorter stays in cases were financial considerations related to the applicant’s situation make it necessary. The scholarships cover the travel, accommodation and living costs directly related to the research stay in Vienna. Scholars are also granted access to the library of the University of Vienna. The research stay may be used, for example, for preparing a scientific publication, conducting preliminary research for a PhD or a postdoctoral project, or similar activities. Research must be related to the overall theme of the Jewish experience (see below). Candidates who have graduated from the University of Vienna have the possibility to apply for a research stay at any other university. This has to be specified and tangibly justified in the application.

Successful candidates are requested to participate in the official award ceremony on May 31, 2023 which will be organized as a Zoom webinar. Furthermore, they shall co-organize a Young Scholars Workshop in connection with the event aiming at bringing the junior laureates together with internationally distinguished scholars studying the Jewish experience. The workshop will facilitate a conversation about important topics within Jewish studies and will allow junior scholars to benefit from the experience of distinguished scholars in the field. The junior laureates are expected to contribute a 20-minute presentation on the workshop topic as related to their own research and the research of the senior laureate.

Eligibility

The Salo W. and Jeannette M. Baron Young Scholar Awards invite applications from scholars who have completed their Master’s or PhD studies no more than three years before the deadline. Typically, the successful candidates should be completing their doctoral thesis or should be finalizing a post-doc research project without having a permanent appointment at a university. The exceptional Master’s holders considered for Young Scholars Awards must be enrolled in a highly respected doctoral program.

Applications are open to all disciplines, however the research topic must be connected to the overall theme of the Jewish experience, as described above. Publication of the submitted thesis is not required but encouraged after receiving a Young Scholars Award.

The Young Scholar Awards are for scholarly or scientific excellence and thus open to qualifying candidates without regard to national origin, ethnicity, confession, gender, orientation or other personal circumstances.

Application

Interested candidates are invited to submit their application before the deadline to judaistik@univie.ac.at. Applications have to be in English. Complete applications must include

• A letter of application that includes a project description, an outline of the planned stay and research at the University of Vienna, as well as an estimated cost breakdown (max. 2,000 words)
• An academic CV including publications (if applicable) (max. 3 pages),
• an electronic copy of the candidates’ Doctoral thesis or Master’s thesis. Theses can be written in any language, however in case a thesis is not written in English, a detailed summary of approximately 2000 words is required.
• Applicants who have not yet completed a PhD thesis should submit two sample chapters and a letter from their advisor about the progress and quality of their thesis
• a 500-words summary of the Master’s/PhD thesis in English, and
• a copy of the Master’s and/or PhD diploma (or a letter of other documentation by the applicant’s institution if the thesis is completed but the diploma is not yet awarded).

Deadline for application: January 23, 2023

Selection Procedure

After an initial formal check, applications are reviewed by an international board of experts. The selection is based on previous academic work and planned research activities. Successful applicants are invited to an award ceremony in Vienna. Applicants will be informed about their successful application by February 20, 2023.

Costs coverered by the award

Two scholarships of up to € 7,500 each will be awarded to cover costs directly arising in the context of the research stay. Costs can be claimed upon original invoices only, after the research stay. Eligible costs are:

• Travel costs (e.g. flight costs, railway fares, long distance bus tickets, kilometre allowance)
• Accommodation
• Daily Allowance (in line with the Austrian Travelling Expenses Regulation RGV)
• Admission fees for libraries or archives, conference or workshop fees.

Claimed costs must not exceed € 7,500 per scholarship. Any remaining funds cannot be paid to the beneficiary.

Conditions

It is expected that the research period funded will begin within twelve months after the awarding. In exceptional circumstances (such as the COVID-19 pandemic and international travel restrictions) the research period can commence even after the twelve months deadline.

Scholars have to take care of their insurance themselves and shall provide a proof of insurance to the University of Vienna at the beginning of their scholarship.

Scholars who need a visa for entering Austria are responsible for applying for it themselves, after the award has been granted (an invitation letter will be provided by the University of Vienna).

After their research stay, scholars will have to prepare a brief report (between 1,500 and 2,000 words) on their research activities and major findings and outcomes.

The scholars will be solely responsible for any taxes to be paid in connection with the award and publications etc. connected to the award.

The scholars are requested to participate in the official award ceremony on May 31, 2023

The scholars are requested to co-organize a Young Scholars Workshop (see above).