Postdoctoral Research Fellowships at Yad Vashem's International Institute for Holocaust Research

The International Institute for Holocaust Research offers two to four fellowships to support research about the Holocaust, its precedents and aftermath.  Our program is open to those who have received a PhD., J.D. or M.D.  We welcome proposals from different academic disciplines such as: history, sociology, anthropology, art and music history, medicine, law, film studies, theology, geography, archeology.  The Research Institute has since its inception sought to encourage and support worldwide scholarly research on the Holocaust.  A principle interest of the fellowship program is to develop and foster a new generation of scholars.

Research fellowships provides the fellows with time to research and utilize the Yad Vashem's Archives and Libraries, to write and consult with staff about their projects.  The Yad Vashem Archives and Libraries, the largest central repository of Holocaust documentation in the world, houses 210 million pages of documentation, 500,000 photographs, 4.8 million names, and over 102,000 survivor testimonies include, documents from Jewish and non-Jewish institutions, Nazi documentation, copies of records from Eastern European archives, maps, films, diaries, letters, in addition to the Library’s 169,000 titles and over 4,000 journals on the Holocaust. 

The Institute provides each fellow with a work space, basic secretarial help (not research assistants), and computer access to the archives, and advice in locating archival and other materials.  Fellows are encouraged to take advantage of relevant source material housed in other institutions throughout the country such as:  the Israel State Archives, the National Library, the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, the Central Zionist Archives, and the Ghetto Fighters’ Museum.

The research fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis.  Applicates are to specify if they wish to receive a 2,3,or 4-month fellowship and their academic semester preference.  The length of the fellowship award and the semester are at the final discretion of the Research Institute.

Stipends for researchers from abroad are 15,000 NIS per month. The monthly stipendium offsets the cost of travel to/from Israel, housing, and other expenses during one’s fellowship.  Fellows are responsible for securing their own housing accommodations and health insurance.  The Research Institute does not provide financial support for accompanying family members.

Eligibility

• All applicants must have either a Ph.D. or J.D. or M.D. degree prior to submitting one’s application.
• Project proposals must be related to the Holocaust (including its antecedents and aftermath). Recipients are not allowed to work or receive other research scholarships during their tenure at Yad Vashem. They are to spend the entire period engaged in research and writing as research fellows of the International Institute for Holocaust Research.   Any planned absences such as conferences, symposia, and extended holiday travel must be conveyed to myself two months prior to the commencement of the research period.  The researcher must perform the research at least three days a week on a full-time basis at Yad Vashem.  Fellows must attend all organized by the Research Institute.
• Each fellow is asked to submit to the Institute a scientific treatise based on the research conducted at Yad Vashem six months after the tenure of his/her fellowship has been completed.

Application Instructions and Deadline

To receive an application form please write to: research.applications@yadvashem.org.il.

All application materials may be submitted after September 1, 2023.  Application materials must be submitted either in Hebrew or English to the International Institute for Holocaust Research, Yad Vashem.  All materials must be received by the Institute no later than 31 December 2023.  Incomplete applications will not be considered after this date.  Late applications will not be accepted.   

An application packet consists of: 

• A completed application form.
• A curriculum vitae (maximum 2 pages).
• A four to five page (1,250-1,500 words) detailed research project proposal that the applicant plans to undertake during the term of the fellowship (See below for more details).
• Two letters of recommendation from reputable academics who are familiar with the applicant’s work.  Recommendation letters should include evaluation of the applicant’s proposed research as well as the overall quality of the applicant’s work.  These letters should be sent directly to my email (eliot.nidam@yadvashem.org.il).  The letters must be received before the application deadline.
• A scanned copy of one’s Ph.D. or J.D. or M.D. diploma.
• A scanned photo of the applicant (Do not send a scanned photo of one's passport information page).

Please submit the application materials by regular email attachment to: research.applications@yadvashem.org.il. Do not send materials via a file sharing or a file hosting service. Please be attentive to the Institute’s confirmation of received materials.  

The Research Proposal

The four to five page (1,250-1,500 words) detailed research project proposal must be included in the application packet.  The proposal should contain the following:

• An analysis of the problem to be addressed, its background, and the reason of its importance.
• The basic ideas and hypotheses that are to be explored.
• Reference to the proposed study’s originality in light of the current research on the topic.
• The methodology and/or approach that will be used.
• The body of resource material that will be utilized while at the Institute and in Israel.
• Estimated time to complete the entire research project.

** Fellowship award results will be announced by April 2024 **