Dirk Smilde Scholarship 2016: Call for applications

The Qumran Institute of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies is delighted to present the Dirk Smilde Scholarship for excellent PhD students and postdocs in the fields of Hebrew Bible, early Judaism and Dead Sea Scrolls.

The scholarship

The scholarship amounts to € 1,000 a month. Regarding the duration of the scholarship, we offer a range between a minimum of three and a maximum of six months. This should start January 2016 at the earliest and end July 2016 at the latest. Awards are made on academic merit, evaluated by an academic committee.

Dirk Smilde Fellow: Prof. Dr. Benjamin G. Wright

Simultaneously, the 2016 Dirk Smilde Fellow Prof. Dr. Benjamin G. Wright will also reside at the Qumran Institute of the Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies from February to May 2016. Wright is Professor of the History of Christianity in the Religion Studies Department at Lehigh University.

At Lehigh he teaches courses in Bible, ancient Jewish and Christian literature, and the history of Judaism and Early Christianity. His research focuses mostly on Judaism in the Second Temple period (from about 300 BCE to the end of the first century CE), which includes the beginnings of Christianity.

Experiences of former Dirk Smilde Scholar Bernie Hodkin

For the first recipients of the Dirk Smilde Scholarship, the period in Groningen was largely an experience of great personal significance.The American PhD-student Bernie Hodkin (22) applied as soon as the Dirk Smilde Scholarship was announced.

Hodkin was in Groningen from February until May, and reformulating her research question was the high point of her stay. Not that she was struggling; The scholarship gave her a chance to see the value of her research from a different perspective.

Application and more information

The Qumran Institute welcomes applications for the Dirk Smilde Scholarship . Visit the Qumran Institute website for more information and application. The deadline for submission is 1 May 2015.