The Hebrew University’s cutting-edge research environment, extensive network of libraries and online databases, and accomplished faculty from around the world make it an ideal place to conduct research in a range of scholarly disciplines. The Visiting Research Fellow (VRF) program is designed to provide a framework for advanced graduate and doctoral students to collaborate on research with Hebrew University faculty members. Visiting Research Fellows are entitled to a student status at the Hebrew University and a host of student discounts and privileges throughout Israel. These include the use of Hebrew University libraries, archives, and online databases; participation in research projects at HebrewU labs; on-campus housing and health insurance coverage; visa assistance; student rates on public transportation; and the opportunity to build an international network of peers and mentors. Visiting Research Fellows may not enroll in courses at the Hebrew University with the exception of Modern Hebrew or Literary Arabic courses, which require an additional fee.
Students are invited by faculty members from a wide range of academic fields, including the humanities, social sciences, business, law, medicine, agriculture, mathematics, engineering, and natural sciences. All Visiting Research Fellows must be supervised by a Hebrew University faculty member.
The Office of Student Life is available to help students adjust to Hebrew University and Jerusalem, provide practical support, and offer social and cultural activities.
Contact Person: Ms. Gal Lombrozo.
Program length: Between one month and one academic year (within the Israeli academic year which runs from October to September). Students who wish to extend their stay beyond an academic year must reapply to the program.
Apply by:
At least three months before students’ intended date of arrival. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Students who submit their application forms and all of the supplementary application documents (see Eligibility, below) can expect to receive an admission decision within about two weeks.
Students who plan to stay in Israel for three months or longer need to obtain student visas prior to their arrival in Israel. Students who have been accepted to the Visiting Research Fellow program should contact their local Israeli embassy or consulate to begin the process of applying for a student visa. This process can take up to one month.
Arrive by:
Accepted students will receive information about pre-arrival procedures and arrival dates via email. Students should arrive to the Hebrew University several days before they plan to begin their research.
Upon arrival, students should first go to the RIS Finance Office to check into the program and receive their student cards. Students who reserved university housing will receive their dormitory referrals at this time. Students should then proceed to the RIS Graduate Office to finalize their enrollment in the program.
Students may not begin their research at the Hebrew University until they are covered by accident insurance. The insurance coverage begins 2-3 days after students have completed the check-in procedures at both the Finance and Graduate offices.
Visiting Research Fellows are exempt from tuition fees. They are not allowed to take courses with the exception of Modern Hebrew and Literary Arabic. Students who wish to take course for a grade or to audit a course must register as a Visiting Research Student.
Courses in Modern Hebrew and Literary Arabic are not included in the Visiting Research Fellow tuition fees and require payment of an extra fee by the student. Housing and health insurance also require additional payment. For more financial information, please see Tuition & Fees.
Housing:
You will be able to request on-campus housing when filling out your application to the program. The Rothberg International School can reserve housing at the Scopus Student Village only. Students conducting research at the Edmond A. Safra (Givat Ram) campus or at the Ein Karem campus will need to commute (information about public transportation in Jerusalem).
Placement in on-campus housing is subject to availability. Note that the dorms might be full at certain times of the year and therefore housing may not be available.
For more information, please see University Housing.
For information about renting an apartment off campus, please see Off-Campus Housing
To be eligible for the Visiting Research Fellow program, you must meet both of the following criteria:
- Be enrolled in a university degree program
- Be invited by a Hebrew University faculty
Applicants to the Visiting Research Fellow Program must submit the following documents:
- Application form (click on Apply Now, below, to access the form)
- Invitation letter from the host faculty at the Hebrew University
- Curriculum vitae (CV)
- Transcript and diploma from most recently completed academic degree
- Photocopy of passport ID page
- Medical form (may be downloaded from the application webpage)
- Disclaimer form for US citizens (may be downloaded from the application webpage)
