The Joint Initiative in German and European Studies

The JIGES fellowships and grants are awarded on a competitive basis to full-time University of Toronto graduate students whose research has either substantial German content or is comparative, drawing its subject matter from two or more European countries, one of which must be Germany. Priority is given to students who need to conduct research in Germany.

Eligibility

• Academic: Full-time University of Toronto graduate students in good standing from any department, centre, or institute, whose dissertation topic or primary area of interest (if pre-dissertation) deals with a German or comparative German topic. For dissertation topics on a single country, the country must be Germany; for dissertations on more than one country, at least one of those countries must be Germany. Please note that in this case, JIGES funding can only be used to cover Germany-related research.
• Financial: Priority is given to qualified applicants demonstrating financial need. Applicants must submit a completed Financial Needs Assessment Form. Applicants must indicate whether they have applied for other funding. Funds will be released upon completion of the trip. Successful applicants must take up fellowship funds and provide all of the receipts by April 30, 2026.
• Applicants must determine whether their projects require an Ethics Review.
• Note: Applications and supporting documentation must be submitted by e-mail in PDF format by March 14, 2025. Letters of reference must be supplied by e-mail from the referring professor’s official university account to Professor Alexander Reisenbichler (a.reisenbichler@utoronto.ca), JIGES Research Coordinator, and copy Katia Malyuzhinets (katia.malyuzhinets@utoronto.ca).  Applicants applying for more than one type of fellowship must make separate applications for each fellowship. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Successful applicants are not permitted to hold at the same time both the JIGES award and a DAAD Research Grant provided by the German Academic Exchange Service.

There are two different types of awards:

Graduate research fellowships: The JIGES graduate research fellowship supports graduate students who are in the research and writing phase of their dissertations and for whom a period of residence in Germany is necessary. The award is intended to allow students to carry out research in Germany; recipients therefore may not take up work as teaching assistants or research assistants during their period of funding. With a value of up to $10,000, this award is open to PhD students only.

Deadline: March 14, 2025. 

Application: Download and complete this cover sheet. When applying, please submit via email and in PDF format:

1. A two-page description of your dissertation project and work plan, and on a separate page an itemized list of anticipated expenses connected with the dissertation research project and the SUM TOTAL of the expenses
2. A brief CV
3. Two letters of recommendation: one from your principal supervisor and one from another University of Toronto professor familiar with your work
4. An unofficial transcript from the University of Toronto
5. A completed  Financial Needs Assessment Form
6. A written statement regarding the status of the research with respect to Ethics Review requirements (see above)

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Special Supplemental Awards:

These awards are intended to help graduate students carry out research in Germany and defray costs of research essential to their program of study (e.g., microfilm, photocopying, travel to visit archives or libraries, survey research, etc.). Awards cannot be made for the purchase or leasing of equipment. MA students who will be registered and in good standing when the award is tenable are eligible to apply. The value of the award is up to $5,000. 

Deadline: March 14, 2025. When applying, please submit via email and in PDF format:

1. a two-page research proposal and on a separate page an itemized list of anticipated expenses connected with the project and the SUM TOTAL of the expenses connected to the proposed research stay in Germany;
2. a brief CV;
3. at least one letter of recommendation from a professor familiar with your work;
4. a completed Financial Needs Assessment form;
5. a written statement regarding the status of the research with respect to Ethics Review requirements (see above).

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications for either award should be sent to: Professor Alexander Reisenbichler (a.reisenbichler@utoronto.ca), JIGES Research Coordinator, and copy Katia Malyuzhinets (katia.malyuzhinets@utoronto.ca).

The JIGES undergraduate awards are intended to support internship or Study Abroad opportunities in Germany. Undergraduate students must be registered as full-time students in good standing at the University of Toronto.

When applying, please submit via email as a single pdf attachment:

1. A one-page statement of purpose that describes your work or study plan in Germany

2. A list of anticipated expenses connected to your activity; please include funding from all other sources at the University of Toronto (for example, CIE funding) and other organizations (such as the German Academic Exchange Service, DAAD)

3. Your official acceptance letter with contact information of the host institution

4. A brief CV (including contact information and student number)

5. An unofficial transcript from the University of Toronto

6. A completed Financial Needs Assessment form (click to download)

Undergraduate students who pursue a self-arranged Study Abroad opportunity (and have not been nominated by the Centre for International Experience) must submit their official letter of acceptance from the host institution and ensure the credits received at the German host institution can be transferred to the University of Toronto. JIGES does not provide funding for completing language courses in Germany.

Safety Abroad: Travel awards are paid at the time of travel after students have completed a Safety Abroad Workshop and registered with the Safety Abroad Office.

The funding is competitive and the amount is decided individually. Applications can be submitted on a rolling basis. We strongly recommend submitting your application as soon as you receive confirmation from the German host institution. 

Students will be expected to provide JIGES with updates about their experience and produce a short report with photos upon completion of their travel.

Applications should be sent to: Alexander Reisenbichler (a.reisenbichler@utoronto.ca), JIGES Research Coordinator, and copy Tanyaa Mehta  (tanyaa.mehta@utoronto.ca).

The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum offers a program of fellowships to support significant research and writing about the Holocaust.  Please visit its website for up to date information about applications and deadlines.

Additional opportunities are available through the Museum’s Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Center for Advanced Holocaust Studies.

The Council for European Studies offers fellowship programs to doctoral candidates to support their first major research project in Europe.

The German Historical Institute seeks to further international dialogue, particularly between European and North American academics, by offering fellowships open to scholars from both sides of the Atlantic.

The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a political foundation affiliated with the German Green Party. It acts as a catalyst for green visions and projects, a think tank for policy reform, and an international network. The scholarship department of the Foundation grants scholarships to undergraduates, graduates, and doctoral students from inside and outside Germany.