Faculty Research Enhancement Initiatives

Grants to Promote Scholarship and Advance Ideas at Hebrew Union College

Amount: Two $10,000 grants for larger initiatives, such as in-person conferences, will be available. In general, other grants will not exceed $1,500.

Faculty may apply for funds to organize initiatives that enhance scholarship at Hebrew Union College and beyond. Preference will be given to proposals involving recurrent convenings and and/or faculty collaborations inside and external to HUC. We also encourage proposals that engage alumni and adult learners through our HUC Connect series. Examples of initiatives include but are not limited to:

1. Multi-session initiatives:
   1. A book club on a particular theme where faculty and students periodically read a book and gather to discuss it;
   2. A lecture series bringing in scholars from outside of Hebrew Union College which might include a meal or other social gathering to foster academic community;
   3. An online lecture series that offers stipends to non- Hebrew Union College scholars for presenting their work to HUC faculty (which might include scholars who do not have permanent academic positions).
2. One-time initiatives:
   1. A small in-person academic colloquium/conference on a topic of current interest bringing together a few scholars within a given field or around a given topic;
   2. A public event (in-person or online) featuring the research of multiple scholars;
   3. A campus visit by a scholar, including a lecture in a class and a lecture to the Hebrew Union College community.

Eligibility: Any active Hebrew Union College faculty member (tenure-track, non-tenure-track, blended-track, School of Education faculty/administrators, part-time faculty) may apply for these grants. Emeritus faculty are not eligible unless they are currently teaching. Two or more people – one faculty member with another faculty member or with a student or staff member – are encouraged to apply for a program in collaboration. In general, each faculty member may only receive one Grant to Promote Scholarship per academic year.

Eligible expenses: Food, space rental, supplies, books, publicity, and honoraria to people who are not on Hebrew Union College payroll are eligible expenses. Payments to people on HUC payroll are not eligible.
Timeline: Applications will be accepted during two periods: July 1- July 15, 2025, and December 15-29, 2025, for initiatives occurring between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Our ability to offer these grants in the future is subject to budgetary constraints.

Timeline: Applications will be accepted during two periods: June 17- July 1, 2024, and August 15-29, 2024, for initiatives occurring between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2025. Our ability to offer these grants in the future is subject to budgetary constraints.

Process: To apply, faculty members should complete this form, which asks for a one-paragraph description of the initiative, a detailed budget, goal(s) of the initiative, and an explanation of how you expect the initiative to enhance the culture surrounding faculty scholarship. Proposals will be reviewed by Provost Judah Cohen. Applicants will generally be notified within 2 weeks of the application deadline. Any questions should be directed to Stephanie Linas at slinas@huc.edu.

Evaluation criteria: Applications will be judged based on their merit in promoting scholarship and advancing ideas at Hebrew Union College. Recurrent and collaborative programs will receive priority.

Guest Lecture Honoraria

Amount: $250 for each guest lecture; up to 3 guest lecturers per year per faculty member.

This fund is for faculty members who want to bring a scholar or practitioner into their class to present a guest lecture – either someone local in person or someone remote via Zoom. While guests may volunteer their time, it is professionally appropriate to offer honoraria.

Eligibility: Any actively teaching Hebrew Union College faculty member (full time or part time) may apply for Guest Lecture grants.

Timeline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis from June 15, 2025, to June 14, 2026, for guest lectures occurring between July 1, 2025, and June 30, 2026. Our ability to offer these grants in the future is subject to budgetary constraints.

Process: To apply, faculty members should complete this form. Proposals will be reviewed by Provost Judah Cohen. Applicants will generally be notified within 2 weeks of applying. Any questions should be directed to Stephanie Linas at slinas@huc.edu.

Evaluation criteria: Applications will be judged based on their merit in enhancing students’ experience of the course. Priority will be given to requests submitted earlier in each semester.

Publication Celebrations

Hebrew Union College wants to celebrate your academic achievements! When a faculty member publishes a book or similar product (e.g., recording), the administration will organize an in-person celebration on any campus.

Amount: Hebrew Union College will contribute up to $500 for each publication celebration.

Eligibility: Any active full-time Hebrew Union College faculty member or administrator is eligible for one celebration marking the publication of each book (or similar product) they have authored or edited each year.

Location: Celebrations may be held on any HUC campus.

Roles: The faculty member will work with the preferred campus to organize and publicize the event. That campus will coordinate logistics, such as scheduling, room reservation, catering, equipment, and maintenance. The faculty member must take an active role in publicizing the event.

Timeline: You may apply at any time from June 15, 2025, to June 14, 2026, for celebrations taking place between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026. Our ability to offer these grants in the future is subject to budgetary constraints.

To apply: To initiate a publication celebration, please email Stephanie Linas at slinas@huc.edu with the following information: title and author(s)/editor(s) of book (or other product), publisher, publication date, website with information about the book, the campus on which you’d like to hold the celebration, time of year when you’d like to hold it, and where possible an estimate of staff time needed to plan the event.

FTR Enhancement for Junior Faculty

While Hebrew Union College offers annual allotments for Faculty Travel and Research, we have established a special fund to provide extra support for pre-tenure faculty members whose research expenses exceed their FTR allotment.

Amount: Each pre-tenure faculty member may apply for up to $1,000 during the 2024-25 fiscal year.

Eligibility: Any active tenure-track faculty member who is not yet tenured may apply.

Eligible expenses: This grant is for additional expenses related to conferences, research travel, or publication preparation that are included in the FTR policy (available on our Faculty Resources page). This grant cannot be used for books, equipment, software, or subscriptions.

Timeline: Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 1, 2025 (funds must be used by June 30, 2025). As soon as you realize your travel and research related expenses will likely exceed your FTR allotment, you can apply for this supplemental grant. Our ability to offer these grants in the future is subject to budgetary constraints.

To apply: To apply for an FTR Enhancement grant, you should email Stephanie Linas at slinas@huc.edu with the subject “FTR Enhancement.” The email should include a brief description of the additional expense(s) and a detailed anticipated budget. Following approval, you will need to submit an FTR expense form with an itemized list of expenses, accompanied by receipts for each expense, to Lynn Flanzbaum at lflanzbaum@huc.edu.