Golda Meir Fellowship

The Golda Meir Fellowship Application through the Australian Friends of the Hebrew University is available for Australian Citizens only.

Introduction: The Golda Meir Fellowship Fund of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Established in 1984, the Golda Meir Fellowship Fund is designed to attract scholars of outstanding academic achievement from all parts of the world, including Israel, and enable them to pursue post-doctoral studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This will assure a continuous infusion of new young academic talent into Israel and the University – an infusion that is essential in order to maintain the high levels of teaching, scholarship and research so vital to the University and the country.

The standards of tomorrow repose in the prudent cultivation of the human potential of today. If the brightest, most promising young scientists and scholars are today given the opportunity to develop, their successful advancement becomes the guarantee of our future: they are the cadre that will lead the University in scholarship, research and teaching in the years to come. It is our duty to find the very best candidates, give them the very best conditions of research and study, and to do so year after year, unceasingly. They are the resource often referred to as our “human capital.” And they are the highest priority on our agenda. It is clear that in the economic situation of Israel and the University today, it would be impossible for us to carry out this vital trust were it not for the projects of foresight such as the Golda Meir Fellowship Fund.

On the international level, the Golda Meir program is meant to create living, positive links between Israel and the rest of the world in the persons of the Golda Meir Scholars. The presence of top level postgraduate and postdoctoral Fellows from abroad will be a source of stimulation and cross-fertilisation among colleagues. The foundation will have been laid for continuing academic interaction in future years between Israeli scholars and those who have spent a productive period of time in Jerusalem and return to universities abroad, ever to maintain a special contact with Israel and the Hebrew University. Not bricks and mortar, but this program to ensure the future quality of the Hebrew University is our monument to honour the name and illustrious career of Golda Meir.

Golda Meir

Golda Meir was a towering figure in modern Jewish history, a personality who bridged three worlds of Eastern Europe, America and Israel, and sparked pride and identification in Jews everywhere. She symbolised, in her strength and simplicity, the essence of Israel reborn: it’s fighting spirit and down-to-earth human values, its seamless continuation of the nation’s glorious past and its thrust into a shining future. Golda Meir’s faith in the future of Israel was best expressed in her deep concern for the younger generation of Jews, both at home and in the Diaspora, and in her conviction that Israel must shape the Jewish future, worldwide. It is in this spirit that the Hebrew University decided to create a living monument to an unforgettable leader of Israel in the form of the Golda Meir Fellowship Fund.

Eligibility for Fellowships

Golda Meir Fellows will be selected on the basis of demonstrated excellence in their studies, promise of distinction in their chosen fields of specialisation, as well as on qualities of mind, intellect and character which would enable the recipients to benefit from the opportunity for study in Israel that is afforded by these grants.

Postdoctoral scholars must supply additional evidence of high professional qualification.

Golda Meir Fellowships are open to candidates irrespective of race, creed, sex or nationality from any part of the world.

The Fellowships are for study, research and teaching at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem – study at the Graduate level and research at the Postdoctoral level. All Fellows are subject to acceptance and approval by the Hebrew University.

Stipend and Tenability

Golda Meir Fellowships are tenable for a period of one or two years. Extension of the Fellowship for a second year requires approval of the Academic Committee.

The grant for Fellows defrays the cost of travel (for postdoctoral fellows only), tuition fees (where applicable) and reasonable living expenses in Israel. Adjustments of the stipend may be made in accordance with general economic changes and the cost of living.

Application

Candidates for Golda Meir Graduate Fellowships may apply as early as the beginning of their senior undergraduate year, and after having applied for graduate studies at the Hebrew University.

Postdoctoral Fellows must have completed their doctoral thesis before arrival in Israel.

Completed applications and any required supplementary material must be submitted to the Golda Meir Fellowship Fund not later than November 5 of each year for the ensuing academic year.

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem: Faculties and Schools

The Hebrew University of Jerusalem has developed a vigorous modern tradition of learning in humanities, social sciences, law, the natural, experimental and health sciences and agriculture. In so doing, it has constituted itself as a centre within which Jewry’s centuries-old heritage of teaching and study has been given new life and meaning. It has trained tens of thousands of graduates to assume their places as qualified professionals within Israel’s developing society, has directed much of the country’s research in key areas, and has made a considerable contribution to expanding the frontiers of science and scholarship throughout the world. At the same time it has played a central role in the renaissance of Jewish culture and civilization.

Opened as a research institution in 1925, the University introduced a teaching program three years later. Its academic progress has been guided throughout its history by a dual determination to serve Israeli society by developing new and needed areas of study, while at the same time guarding the highest standards of academic excellence. The Hebrew University’s faculty and students have maintained the closest relations with leading universities throughout the world.

Please click below for detailed information on each of the faculties / schools to which the fellowship applies:

• Faculty of Humanities
• Faculty of Social Sciences
• Faculty of Law
• Faculty of Science
• Faculty of Agriculture
• Faculty of Medicine
• Faculty of Dental Medicine

Among other schools and centres at the Hebrew University are the:

• Paul Baerwald School of Social Work
• Martin Buber Center for Continuing Education
• School of Library, Archive and Information Studies
• Institute for Advanced Studies
• Rothberg School for Overseas Students
• Joseph Saltiel Center for Pre-Academic Studies
• Harry S Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace
• Joint teaching program in biotechnology in the Faculties of Science, Medicine and Agriculture.

Application Instructions and Forms

It is essential to contact a senior Faculty member who would be willing to become your supervisor during your stay. Candidates may not apply later than 4 years after completion of their doctoral dissertation. The post-doctoral fellowship defrays reasonable expenses and includes travel and accommodation allowances. Where necessary, the Hebrew University authorities will assist the fellows in finding accommodation in Jerusalem. Fellows are expected to remain in residence for a period of 9-12 months. The deadline for the receipt of completed application forms and supporting material is by November 15 anually. Applications received after this date cannot be considered for the following academic year.

IMPORTANT: Please note your PhD must have been completed, submitted and recognized to be considered.‬

When submitting the application, please ensure you designate your area of research and who you wish to be your Supervisor at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem. ‬

The authorities of the Fund will communicate their decision directly to the applicants in March annually.

If you would like more information please fill in your details online by clicking here and a Student Liaison Officer will contact you soon!