The Hebrew University of Jerusalem invites outstanding scholars from Israel and abroad to apply for its postdoctoral fellowships for the coming academic year. The fellowship pays NIS 7,128 a month for 12 months, plus a housing allowance, and starts in October; applications close 31 January.
This is a research fellowship, not a job: you join a host faculty member and work on your own research project for a year. Read the restrictions below first, because they decide whether you can apply at all.
Who Can Apply — and Who Cannot
You must hold a doctoral degree, or be about to finish one: candidates who expect to receive their PhD by 1 October of the fellowship year may apply. But the degree must not have been awarded more than four years before the fellowship begins, and there is an age limit of 35 at the time the application is submitted. If you already hold a postdoctoral fellowship at the Hebrew University, or a tenured academic position, you cannot apply.
Applications must be for a full-time postdoctoral fellowship under a host faculty member at the Hebrew University. You may hold only one postdoctoral fellowship from the Hebrew University, and you cannot receive any other scholarship or award at the same time. If you think you can work on this fellowship part-time while keeping another job, read the rules first: a fellow may not be employed in another position or undertake other work without written permission from the Vice Rector for Research.
The fellowship is not available for a sabbatical year. If you are currently in a tenured position or already employed full-time, you cannot apply for this funding to cover your sabbatical.
You can apply if you completed your PhD at the Hebrew University, but the selection committee gives preference to candidates who earned their doctorate elsewhere. Apply anyway if you are otherwise eligible.
What the Fellowship Pays
| Detail | What is offered |
|---|---|
| Monthly stipend | NIS 7,128 per month for 12 months (subject to annual updates) |
| Housing allowance | NIS 600 per month for single fellows; NIS 1,000 per month for fellows with families |
| Airfare (non-Israeli citizens) | Round-trip economy airfare from your country of origin |
| Health insurance (non-Israeli citizens) | 50% of basic health insurance cost from an Israeli provider |
| Location | Jerusalem; Rehovot for Agriculture fellows |
| Start date | October |
| Application deadline | 31 January |
The housing allowance needs a rental agreement in your own name for accommodation in Jerusalem and its vicinity, or in Rehovot for Faculty of Agriculture fellows. The airfare and health insurance support applies only to fellows who are not Israeli citizens. The official page does not state whether the stipend is taxed, so do not assume anything beyond what is listed here.
The Supervisor Funding Rule You Must Know
Your host supervisor must contribute 25% of the fellowship funding, confirmed by an online commitment form. For Science, Medicine, Dental Medicine, Agriculture, Brain Sciences, and the School of Engineering and Computer Science, the supervisor contributes from the first year. For Social Sciences, Humanities, and Law, it starts in the second year only. Discuss this cost openly with your potential host before you apply: a supervisor who cannot fund the 25% share may not be able to take you on.
What to Prepare Before You Apply
Applications go through the University Scholarship Portal. Start early, because recommendation letters and a strong research proposal take time. You will need the online application form, a cover letter, your CV, a list of publications, and a research proposal of no more than two pages, not counting the bibliography. You will also need a letter of support from your host faculty member, a letter from a secondary mentor if applicable, two or three recommendation letters from researchers other than your host (one preferably from your doctoral advisor), and the commitment form for the supervisor’s 25% contribution. Also do check the Postdoctoral Regulations, linked from the call page, before applying.
How to Apply
First, find a host faculty member and agree on your research plan. Then prepare your documents, keeping the proposal within two pages. Next, ask your referees for recommendation letters before the deadline. Then complete the online form on the University Scholarship Portal and upload every document. Finally, check that your host supervisor has submitted the commitment form, and submit before 31 January. Questions go to Maite Dominguez at post_vp@savion.huji.ac.il.
How to Make Your Application Strong
The strongest applications show a clear match between your research and your host’s work. Read your host’s recent publications and explain, in your cover letter and proposal, exactly how your project builds on that work. Name the methods, questions and expected results; a vague proposal is weak. Choose referees who know your research closely and can give specific examples, not just general praise. Ask them early, share your proposal and CV, and remind them of the deadline a week before it closes, because a late letter can sink an otherwise excellent application.
What Happens After You Apply
The Academic Committee selects the recipients, and the fellowship begins in October. If you need to arrive later, you need approval from the Vice Rector for Research, and must still arrive by the end of the first semester of the award year. Do not book travel before you know the result. Renewal is not automatic: for a second year of funding, you must submit a new application through the University Scholarship Portal by the end of January the following year, and only fellows currently funded under this program can apply.
If this fellowship is not the right match, try the EMBO Postdoctoral Fellowships for life science researchers, the Novo Nordisk Postdoctoral Fellowships at Uppsala University, or the Materialize Postdoctoral Fellowship in Poland.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who is eligible for the Hebrew University postdoctoral fellowships?
A: You must hold a doctorate awarded within four years of the fellowship’s start, or be about to finish your PhD by 1 October of the fellowship year. You must be no older than 35 when you apply, and you cannot already hold a postdoctoral fellowship at the University, a tenured academic position, or any other scholarship at the same time.
Q: How much is the monthly stipend?
A: The monthly stipend is NIS 7,128 for 12 months, plus a housing allowance of NIS 600 per month for single fellows, or NIS 1,000 per month for fellows with families. Non-Israeli citizens also receive round-trip economy airfare and 50% of basic health insurance costs.
Q: Does my host supervisor have to pay part of the fellowship?
A: Yes, the host supervisor must contribute 25% of the funding: from the first year for science, medicine, dental medicine, agriculture, brain sciences, and engineering and computer science, and from the second year only for social sciences, humanities and law.
Who is eligible for the Hebrew University postdoctoral fellowships?
You must hold a doctorate awarded within four years of the fellowship’s start, or be about to finish your PhD by 1 October of the fellowship year. You must be no older than 35 when you apply, and you cannot already hold a postdoctoral fellowship at the University, a tenured academic position, or any other scholarship at the same time.
How much is the monthly stipend?
The monthly stipend is NIS 7,128 for 12 months, plus a housing allowance of NIS 600 per month for single fellows, or NIS 1,000 per month for fellows with families. Non-Israeli citizens also receive round-trip economy airfare and 50% of basic health insurance costs.
Does my host supervisor have to pay part of the fellowship?
Yes, the host supervisor must contribute 25% of the funding: from the first year for science, medicine, dental medicine, agriculture, brain sciences, and engineering and computer science, and from the second year only for social sciences, humanities and law.
