Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowship: two-year postdoc at Israeli universities, ILS 168,000 a year, apply by 11 November

The Azrieli Foundation has announced the call for applications for the 2027-28 cohort of the Azrieli International Postdoctoral Fellowship. This programme supports early-career researchers from any academic discipline to conduct postdoctoral research at designated academic institutions in Israel. Selection is based on academic excellence, and up to 24 fellowships are awarded annually.

Fellows receive a monthly stipend of ILS 14,000, amounting to ILS 168,000 per academic year, along with an annual budget of up to ILS 20,000 for research and travel expenses. The fellowship covers a two-year tenure, with an option for a third year. The application cycle opens on August 9, 2026, and closes on November 11, 2026.

What is funded

The fellowship provides comprehensive financial support consisting of a monthly stipend of ILS 14,000, which equals ILS 168,000 per academic year. Fellows also receive an additional allocation of up to ILS 20,000 annually to cover research expenses and research-related travel. Funding is granted for two academic years, with a potential extension for a third year.

The foundation funds up to 24 positions each year across various academic fields, including up to 18 fellowships in STEM, up to three in the humanities, and up to three in the social sciences. In addition to funding, participants gain access to professional development activities, leadership training, networking events, and interdisciplinary collaboration opportunities.

Who can apply

The call is open to researchers worldwide with no citizenship restrictions, provided they earned their PhD outside of Israel. Applicants must have had their doctoral degrees officially awarded no earlier than November 1, 2023, though exceptions are granted for parental leave, medical leave, or documented career interruptions. Current PhD candidates may also apply if their dissertation defence is successfully scheduled and completed no later than June 1, 2027.

Candidates must not hold any prior degree, whether undergraduate or graduate, from an Israeli higher education institution. However, researchers who previously participated in visiting or exchange programmes in Israel remain eligible. Furthermore, candidates must not have begun a postdoctoral appointment in Israel before September 1, 2026.

Conditions and host institutions

Applicants are required to secure an academic sponsor before submitting an application. Postdoctoral research must be carried out at one of eight approved Israeli institutions: Bar-Ilan University, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Reichman University, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, Tel Aviv University, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, University of Haifa, or the Weizmann Institute of Science.

Practical tip. Identify and establish contact with potential faculty supervisors at eligible Israeli institutions well before the application portal opens in August 2026. Securing an academic sponsor requires mutual research alignment, so sharing draft research proposals and obtaining formal institutional documentation early will prevent last-minute delays.

How to apply

Applications must be prepared in accordance with the foundation’s official program guidelines and submitted online. The submission period begins on August 9, 2026, and all application materials must be received by November 11, 2026. Doctoral candidates awaiting graduation must include official university documentation confirming their dissertation defence date.

Evaluation follows a competitive three-stage review process that includes an initial preselection screening, an academic review by multidisciplinary committees, and an interview panel assessing merit and leadership potential. The multidisciplinary review panels cover life sciences, exact sciences, humanities, and social sciences. Award notifications are issued to successful applicants by March 31, 2027.

Applications are submitted on the donor’s page: azrielifoundation.org.