Schusterman Center for Israel Studies

Call for Proposals

Apply for the Institute for Advanced Israel Studies Fellowship 2026-2027:
Situating Israel in the Middle East

The Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University is pleased to announce the theme for the 2026-2027 Institute for Advanced Israel Studies: Situating Israel in the Middle East.

Max Nordau described a future Jewish state in Palestine as “a piece of Europe in Asia.” The cultural Eurocentrism of many early Zionist thinkers long influenced Israel’s self-perception as well as the assumptions of and interests of much Israel Studies scholarship. The 2026-27 fellowship seeks to move beyond the paradigm of Israel as a Western exclave, an approach which both isolates Jewish-Israeli history from Middle Eastern history and perpetuates the separation between Israel Studies and Middle East Studies. Instead, it aims to analyze Israel in a Middle Eastern context, whether through the prism of comparison, reciprocity and interdependency, entanglement, or transcultural exchange between Jews and Arabs or Israelis and Palestinians. It analyzes the motif of Jewish-Israeli indigeneity in Zionist thought and practice, explores how Israeli society was shaped by migration from the Middle East, and discusses the social, cultural, and political similarities between Israel and its neighbors.

This hybrid fellowship will feature a virtual workshop series throughout the year, and an in-person conference at Brandeis University. Throughout the program, fellows will present their work-in-progress and engage with theoretical texts that discuss Israel’s complex relationship to the Middle East.

Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

The role of Mizrahi Jews in Israel and the Middle East
Regional realignments including Israel, Iran, and the Gulf, both historical and contemporary
October 7, the war in Gaza, and its aftermath
The effect of the Abraham Accords on local and regional alliances
Palestinian and Arab culture in Israel
The Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Arab-Israeli conflict through the lens of Israel’s Middle Eastern context
Gendered analyses of the Middle East and Israel’s relationship to it
Transnational forces such as migration, the movement of labor forces, climate change, etc that affect Israel and the region
Israel’s relations with parts of the Middle East that are understudied in this context, such as Central Asia and North Africa.
The history of Israel Studies and its relationship with Middle East Studies
Languages and multilingualism
Modes of transmission between cultural networks and migration
Trans-border relationships among minority Israeli communities such as Bedouins, Druze, and Armenians.
Alternate regional models such as Mediterraneanism, Levantinism.
Addressing the value of the “Middle East” as a conceptual category

Applications are welcome from scholars at all career stages and across disciplines and methodologies, including but not limited to history, environmental studies, political science, geography, literature, sociology, international relations, anthropology, religious studies, law, sociolinguistics, musicology, and art.

Deadline to Apply

Applications must be received by May 31, 2026.

Apply now

Details and Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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Eligibility

How to apply

Apply here. A complete application includes the following:

Curriculum Vitae
Research Proposal (Max: 1000 words). Please include what stage your research is at currently, and how it relates to this year’s theme and your overall research interests.
Short Description of Research Proposal (Max 100 words)
Short Bio (Max 100 words)
The name and contact details of one referee
Optional: One relevant previously published work relating to the fellowship theme

Honorarium and Travel

Responsibilities

Participants will be expected to participate in all fellowship meetings, attend the spring conference, and produce a 500-word reflection on their research at the end of the fellowship year.
Fellows may be expected to give up to one public talk or class visit as part of the fellowship. Upon mutual agreement, we may arrange for you to participate in additional Center events.
Any resulting publications are required to thank the Institute for Advanced Israel Studies at the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies at Brandeis University.

Joint Projects

Joint projects are welcome, with the following guidelines:

All members of the project group must attend virtual meetings.
We will cover the costs of one member of the group for the in-person conference. The group is responsible for deciding which member will attend. If others in the group can provide their own funding for lodging and travel, they are welcome to attend the in-person conference.
The honorarium will be split between the members of the group.

Additional opportunities

Become a Visiting Fellow at the Schusterman Center

While the fellowship is hybrid, there is the possibility for fellows may be appointed as visiting scholars at the Schusterman Center for Israel Studies, space permitting. Visiting scholars are given desk space at the Schusterman Center, library access, parking and visa support. Scholars must make their own housing arrangements and are responsible for paying for their own living costs (housing, food, transportation, etc.), as well as medical insurance.

Further Questions?

Any questions not answered in the above FAQs should be addressed to scis@brandeis.edu, with the subject line, "IAIS 2026-27".