The Visiting Faculty Program provides grant awards from $46,000 to $80,000 per year for teaching three courses about Israel in the United States.
The grant amounts depend on the type of host school and arrangements with the host university. This program is designed to enable people without funding from the US-based host campus to come to the US.
Please click on all four tabs below for full information about this program.
- Eligibility
- Program Requirements
- How to Apply
- Invitations
Applicants must have a fully completed doctoral degree and a full-time 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.
We give preference to applicants who apply to stay for a full year.
This is a selective program; the Israel Institute does not guarantee placement to those who apply.
Faculty members must teach at least three undergraduate, Israel-focused course each year. In the rare case where a single semester placement is approved, faculty must teach two courses.
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 or quarter (10-week minimum). Visiting Faculty grants do not support graduate, online, summer, or intensive courses.
Each year the Visiting Faculty member must also arrange to speak about Israel at four public or academic events (outside the classroom) and must have an on-campus office.
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.
Finding a School
The first step in seeking a Visiting Faculty Grant is to find a school (or schools) interested in hosting you, sponsoring your visa, providing you with an office, and offering undergraduate courses about modern Israel that you will teach.
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 obtain invitations from schools on this list are eligible for grants between $70,000 and $80,000 per year, depending on if the university provides the faculty access to university health insurance.
Faculty members who obtain invitations from private universities ranked in the top 100 of U.S. News and World Report’s Best National University list are eligible for grants between $46,000 and $53,000 per year, depending on if the university provides the faculty access to university health insurance.
We strongly suggest applicants contact Dr. Erika Falk (efalk@israelinstitute.org) to discuss potential university hosts before contacting any universities.
Here is a sample letter that faculty can use for reaching out to potential host schools.
You do not need to have a formal invitation from the school when you apply, but you should know that the school is interested in hosting you and offering your courses. You will need a formal invitation before the grant is awarded.
Online Application
Once you have a school or schools interested in hosting you and offering your courses, fill out the 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);
- Course descriptions for two full-term, three-credit, undergraduate-level courses focused on modern Israel that you propose to teach; and
- Identification of a host university that has expressed interest in your courses.
Invitation requirements
When requesting an invitation from a school, the university must commit in writing to the Institute’s placement requirements:
- Offer at least three full-term, three-credit, in-person undergraduate course that the Israel Institute Visiting Faculty member will teach about modern Israel;
- Provide the Israel Institute Visiting Faculty member with an on-campus office (shared is acceptable);
- Sponsor the visa for the Israel Institute Visiting Faculty member; and
- Make an effort to ensure robust enrollment, including ensuring that courses are cross-listed and/or meet major/minor/general education requirements.
All scholars need a formal invitation before the grant is awarded.
Download a customizable template for a university invitation.
