David Herzog Fund of the Styrian Universities - The David Herzog Fund

What the David Herzog Fund gives you

You get a scholarship to study abroad or to run an academic or artistic project linked to Jewish culture and history. How much you get depends on what you do. A study exchange between Austria and Israel pays up to 4,200 EUR per semester. A project, a specialised training stay, a summer school or a language course pays up to 800 EUR per month, plus up to 850 EUR towards travel. The fund is run jointly by the five Styrian universities in Austria (in Graz and Leoben). It is named after David Herzog, the last provincial rabbi and university lecturer in Graz, and supports exchange between Austria and Israel.

Who can apply

• Who you are: You are a student, graduate, researcher or artist. You are either Israeli or Jewish and live outside Israel, or you are involved in matters relating to Jewish culture and history.
• Field of study: Any topic is suitable, provided your proposal relates to Jewish culture and history or to intercultural understanding.
• Where you go: Your study exchange, work placement, summer school or project links Austria and Israel, for example through a stay at a Styrian or Israeli university.
• Nationality: Applicants of any nationality are welcome to apply, provided that their project relates to Jewish culture as described above.
• Proof for exchanges: For a study exchange, specialised training or summer school you need an invitation or acceptance letter from the host institution and proof of your academic results.

How to apply

You should send a PDF document to the Fund’s secretariat at the University of Graz. This should contain the signed application form, a brief summary, a letter of motivation, a financial plan, your CV, two letters of recommendation and a project description. There are two submission deadlines per year: 15 May and 15 November. The committee meets twice a year, in June and December, to decide on the applications from each round.

How realistic are your chances?

This funding scheme is very narrowly defined. Your project must relate to Jewish culture and history, as well as to Austrian-Israeli exchange, meaning that only a few people meet the eligibility criteria. If you can clearly demonstrate that your project fits this focus and submit an invitation from the host institution along with a well-founded project description, your chances are good. A well-prepared application, including the two letters of recommendation and a clear financial plan, carries more weight than a comprehensive academic CV.