Please read carefully. Significant changes have been made recently to program payments, application requirements, and deadlines.
The Visiting Faculty Program provides grant awards of $16,000 to $20,000 per semester-long course (or $13,000 to $16,000 per 10-week quarter) to support Israeli professors in teaching full-term, in-person, undergraduate courses about Israel in the United States. The award amount depends on the type of school.
Faculty may apply to teach up to four courses a year (a maximum of two per term) about Israel. This program is designed for full-time faculty of Israeli universities who are planning to spend their sabbatical at a university in the United States.
Please click on all five tabs below for full information about this program.
- Eligibility
- Requirements
- Grant Amounts
- Invitations
- Application
Applicants must have a fully completed doctoral degree and a full-time, long-term position (or be emeritus) at an Israeli college or university.
All applicants must possess a strong command of English and be able to teach undergraduate courses about modern Israel to students in the United States.
This is a selective program; the Israel Institute does not guarantee placement to those who apply.
Israeli scholars who do not have a full-time position at an Israeli college or university should consider applying to our Postdoctoral Teaching Fellow program or our Israel Studies Teaching Supplement.
To receive a grant, faculty much teach at least one Israel-focused course in the United States.
Courses may be in any discipline, but to be considered Israel-focused at least sixty percent of the topics and readings must be about modern Israel. Courses must be listed at the undergraduate level, taught in person, be worth at least three credits, and last an entire semester (15 weeks) or quarter (10 weeks). Visiting Faculty grants do not support graduate, online, summer, or intensive courses.
The Visiting Faculty member must also arrange to speak about Israel at two or more public or academic events (outside the classroom) in each term for which they receive a grant.
Grant recipients are not employees of the Israel Institute and must coordinate hiring with a university. Faculty should plan to cover their own expenses including, but not limited to, living expenses, taxes, health insurance, travel expenses, bench fees, etc.
Israel Institute grants do not pay for college/university administrative costs, fees, overhead, or indirect costs.
Grant amounts are based on the number of classes taught and the school at which they are taught.
We prioritize applicants who obtain invitations from public schools listed in the top 100 of U.S. News and World Report’s Top Public Schools. Faculty members who teach at these schools are eligible for grants of $20,000 per class at universities on the semester system and $16,000 per class at universities on the quarter system.
Faculty members who teach at private universities ranked in the top 100 of U.S. News and World Report’s Best National University list are eligible for grants of $16,000 per class at universities on the semester system and $13,000 per class at universities on the quarter system.
Grant amounts for schools not listed in the top 100 of the above lists are paid at the same private and public rates listed above. However, grants for classes offered at schools not on these lists will only be considered if there are funds remaining after awards have been made for classes run at priority schools.
Invitations
Before receiving a grant faculty must obtain a formal invitation from a host school. However, faculty do not need a formal invitation before they apply. Here is a sample letter that faculty can use for reaching out to potential host schools.
Invitation Requirements
Invitations should be on university letterhead and include the following:
- The name and term of each Israel-focused course the applicant will teach;
- Certification that each course will be a full-term, minimum three-credit, in-person, undergraduate class;
- A promise to provide the Israel Institute Visiting Faculty member with an on-campus office (shared is acceptable);
- A promise to sponsor a faculty visa if necessary; and
- A promise to make an effort to ensure robust enrollment.
Scholars will need a formal invitation before grants are awarded.
Download a customizable template for a university invitation.
Online Application
To apply, you will need to fill out an online application, which asks questions about you, the host university, and your proposed courses.
The application also requires:
- A high-resolution headshot (300 ppi);
- A short bio;
- An academic curriculum vitae (CV); and
- Course descriptions for each full-term, three-credit, undergraduate-level courses focused on modern Israel that you propose to teach.
