IAJGS
IAJGS

Stern/Stedman Award Criteria

Background

IAJGS currently offers up to two grants each year to encourage not-for-profit institutions or organizations, Jewish or not, to pursue projects, activities, and acquisitions that provide new or enhanced resources to benefit Jewish genealogists. The amounts of the grants are set by the IAJGS Board each year but are expected to be:

  • Rabbi Malcolm Stern Grant: US $3,000
  • John Stedman Memorial Grant: US $3,000

Further details about these grants, and the past recipients and projects, can be found here.

Selection Criteria for Stern & Stedman Grants

The Stern & Stedman Grants selection criteria are below. Please note that Criteria 1 and 7 are mandatory. The other criteria, where applicable to a project, will be used to determine whether a project is suitable for a grant and to decide between nominations when there are more suitable projects than grants available.

  1. The grant may only be awarded to a not-for-profit institution or organization. Grants may not be awarded to an individual.
  2. The grant will tangibly increase the likelihood that the project will be accomplished.
  3. The project results will be made available to the overall community of Jewish genealogists and will be offered without charge or with only a nominal charge.
  4. The estimated timeframe for the project is reasonable.
  5. The project results will be delivered remotely and globally so it can benefit large numbers of researchers.
  6. Where technology is to be used for development and/or delivery, it should be well proven and easily available/accessible.
  7. Agreement that should a grant be awarded, then on the request of the Secretary of IAJGS, the grant recipient will send a report to the IAJGS detailing how the grant monies have been spent, current progress on the project, and the benefits that the project has generated. The first report will be requested approximately nine months after a grant is issued. Further reports may be requested at approximately annual intervals, at the discretion of IAJGS, until the project has been completed.

How to Apply and Timetable

Nominations may be made by an individual or group, IAJGS member society or non-member. Self-nominations, by any not-for-profit organization, are also acceptable.

Endorsements or testimonies from other independent persons or organizations, about the nominated organization and/or the project, are encouraged. If the nominator is not an official of the organization being nominated then include a signed statement from the organization being nominated that:

    • they agree to being nominated; and
    • if they are awarded a grant, then they agree that they will send one or more reports to IAJGS detailing how the grant monies were spent, current progress on the project, and the benefits that the project has generated (as detailed in Selection Criterion 7, listed above)

The above items can be uploaded, along with other supporting documents, by using the section at the bottom of the Nomination Form.

Nominations must be made using the Stern/Stedman Grant Nomination Form.

Nominations must be submitted by 1 June 2024 at 7:00 pm EDT (USA).

The grants are planned to be announced during the 2024 IAJGS Conference, which will take place 18-22 August 2024.

Questions

Any questions relating to the nomination process for the Stern/Stedman Grants should be sent via email to Barbara Hershey (chair, 2024 Stern/Stedman Grant Committee) at grants-chair@iajgs.org.

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