BGU | Fundraising Handbook

ties to the institution of higher education that they are a part of, often choosing to pursue additional degrees there. Working closely with their advisors and mentors, they become, in some respects, junior faculty members. In addition to developing their research skills and acquiring the knowledge needed to become leaders in their fields, they serve as role models to younger students and teaching assistants, enhancing research and teaching at their institutions. To become a talent magnet requires promoting research excellence at every opportunity. Recruiting research fellows cultivates this excellence, planting promising scholars in departments, centers, and institutes across the University, and providing mentorship, specialized resources, and a setting where they can flourish and fulfill their potential. Each research fellow recruited needs to be confident that their professional growth will be enhanced by their work at BGU and that the University believes in them and will invest in them. Becoming a magnet for talent thus requires significant investment in fellowships. Investment in Individual Researchers, BGU, and Israel At BGU, fellowships for research students and postdocs are merit-based, awarded to the top candidates, poised to make an impact. Graduate students currently comprise over one-third of the student population; BGU is determined to increase its graduate student enrollment, increasing its research capacity and ensuring its place as an international research institution of high repute. Research students and postdocs form the backbone of all major research universities. BGU’s diverse research activities are fueled by an excellent cadre of master’s and doctoral graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. They participate in all stages of research, and they can be found in every University department, center, institute, laboratory, and classroom. Their dedication and energy are evident in the new ideas and skills they bring to their work, and their drive to learn and to teach. These junior faculty members are indispensable members of BGU’s academic community. The pool of scholars is limited, and BGU faces intense competition from other academic institutions (in Israel and abroad) for the best and the brightest. Like other Israeli universities, BGU faces the “brain drain,” a phenomenon in which Israel’s best and brightest postgraduates are recruited to institutions abroad where they develop strong ties and often choose to build their

careers, siphoning precious Israeli brain power away from the country in the process. Merit-based fellowships are a crucial tool in attracting top candidates to BGU, and the University strives to provide fellowships to as many promising young researchers as possible. Enlisting Support for Fellowships The University distributes an average of $25,600,000 annually in need-based undergraduate scholarships and merit-based graduate and postdoctoral fellowships. Nearly half of this funding (both current and endowed) comes from the generous support of donors committed to furthering the academic aspirations of our students and promoting higher education in Israel. The remainder of the funds allocated to scholarships and fellowships comes from BGU’s limited operating budget. Given the many demands on the operating budget and the importance of research to the University’s growth, stature, and impact, donor support of fellowships is always needed. Donors can choose to provide fellowship support for an academic year, several years (master’s degree programs are generally two-years long, doctoral degree programs are generally four-years long, and postdoctoral positions are one-year long or more), or they may establish an endowed fellowship fund, the interest of which will be designated for fellowships in perpetuity, impacting the present and the future. While all donations in support of fellowships for any promising research student or postdoctoral researcher are greatly appreciated, donors can also designate their support to provide fellowships for researchers in STEM fields or designated academic programs, researchers from the South, first-generation researchers, researchers from the Bedouin or Ethiopian community, researchers performing research on a specific topic, etc. Fellowship support is critical to BGU’s ability to become a talent magnet and achieve its ambitious goals. With each promising researcher recruited, the University’s impact grows, fueling the professional development of individual scholars and Israel’s advancement at the same time. Reporting Donors supporting postgraduate fellowships will receive an annual report highlighting the research and activities performed by the fellowship recipient.

STUDENT ACCESS AND SUPPORT

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POSTGRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS