Eligibility Criteria
To be nominated for the Ilia Salita ERA, a research project must be:
- Related to concrete issues affecting contemporary Jewish communities in the Diaspora and Israel – (and especially applicable to the work of Jewish organizations and/or funders).
- Accessible to lay leaders, professionals, and clergy who are not researchers.
- Creative in its subject and/or approach while adhering to the highest scientific and professional standards.
- Published in English, with a publication date no earlier than January 1, 2023.
- Not be an internal evaluation of one organization.
- Not be a project that has been previously submitted for the award.
Preference will be given to research projects that deal with understudied or underserviced populations or issues in the Jewish world, and/or with issues related to Jewish peoplehood, Israel-Diaspora dialogue, or strengthening Israeli society.
In light of increasing boycotts of Israeli researchers and institutions, we especially encourage applications from Israeli scholars.
Nomination Process
- 2025 nominations open on Monday, July 29, 2024, and close on Monday, September 9, 2024, at 5 p.m. ET.
- Nominations can be made by the institutions or researchers themselves or by a third party. Self-nominations are allowed. (Those who nominate themselves must fill out both the nomination form and an application form.)
- To nominate the research project, please fill out the Ilia Salita ERA Nomination Form (scroll down for link). Please keep the eligibility criteria in mind when making the nomination.
- Upon nomination, the nominated researcher will receive an email containing the links to the Ilia Salita ERA application and letters of recommendation form.
- As part of the application, each nominee will need to provide a minimum of one and a maximum of two letters of recommendation. Letters of recommendation should come from research funders or consumers, fellow researchers, community professionals, research mentors, or other relevant individuals. If the nominator fits these categories, they can provide a letter of recommendation.
- All application forms, including relevant attachments and letters of recommendation, must be submitted by the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
Winner Selection and Announcement
- The independent selection committee, which is appointed for this purpose, will review the eligible applications and select the winner.
- The Ilia Salita ERA winning research project will be announced at the 2025 Jewish Funders Network International Conference on March 23-25, 2025 in Nashville, Tennessee.
- The winning project will receive a $15,000 award. In addition to the monetary prize, the winner will be granted opportunities for research project presentation and dissemination to Jewish funders, media, and organizations around the world.
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