Postdoctoral fellowships for young scholars of exceptional academic merit and potential
The Rothschild Fellowship programme was established in 1979 to help young scholars of outstanding academic merit and potential to advance in their respective fields. The first Selection Committee was chaired by Sir Isaiah Berlin. More than 800 Fellowships have been awarded to date. The majority of Fellows have pursued academic careers in Israel, with many becoming leading figures in their fields. Numerous Fellows can be found in positions of academic leadership in Israel.
Fellowships are awarded in the Natural, Exact and Life Sciences and Engineering (up to 14 per year), in the Humanities and Social Sciences (up to 6 per year), Brain, Mind and Language (up to 5 per year) and a Fellowship for Physician-Researchers (up to 7 per year), to support research for holders of MD degrees with outstanding research potential and to enable them to advance in their respective fields and establish themselves as leading Physician-Researchers upon their return to Israel.
A triennial Rothschild Fellows Colloquium brings together the most recent cohorts of Rothschild Fellows, who meet to network and present their work to colleagues, committee members and senior academics in Israel.
Candidates must be permanent residents of Israel who received a PhD at an accredited institution of higher learning in Israel no more than three years prior to submission of the application. Tenured faculty at Israeli universities are not eligible to apply.
Computational Ecology, University of Haifa
Title of PhD: The Effects of Environmental Conditions on Bird Migration Studied by Radar
University Abroad: The Centre for Advanced Studies, Blanes, Spain
Title of PhD: The Effects of Environmental Conditions on Bird Migration Studied by Radar
University Abroad: The Centre for Advanced Studies, Blanes, Spain
Cognitive Linguistics and Cultural Studies, Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: Effect of Modality & Register on the Directionality of Metaphors in Arabic
University abroad: TBD
Title of PhD: Effect of Modality & Register on the Directionality of Metaphors in Arabic
University abroad: TBD
Information Systems Management | Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: Turning Off Your Better Judgment – Conformity to AI Advice
University abroad: TBD
Title of PhD: Turning Off Your Better Judgment – Conformity to AI Advice
University abroad: TBD
Physician-Researcher: Ophthalmology, Rabin Medical Centre
Research Field: Gene Therapy in Retinal Degenerative Diseases
Research Centre Abroad: Department of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
Research Field: Gene Therapy in Retinal Degenerative Diseases
Research Centre Abroad: Department of Genetics and Ophthalmology, Harvard Medical School
Marine Ecology, Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: Spatial Patterns of Fishes Across Marine Protected Areas Borders
University abroad: University of Victoria
Title of PhD: Spatial Patterns of Fishes Across Marine Protected Areas Borders
University abroad: University of Victoria
Archaeology | University of Haifa
Title of PhD: Human Prey Choice in the Levantine Middle Paleolithic: Insights from Human, Carnivore, and Natural Trap Bone Accumulations
University abroad: TBD
Title of PhD: Human Prey Choice in the Levantine Middle Paleolithic: Insights from Human, Carnivore, and Natural Trap Bone Accumulations
University abroad: TBD
Physician-Researcher: Rheumatology, Soroka Medical Centre
Research Field: Gout Proteomics
Research Centre Abroad: Massachusetts General Hospital
Research Field: Gout Proteomics
Research Centre Abroad: Massachusetts General Hospital
Molecular Cell Biology, Weizmann Institute of Science
Title of PhD: Natural Variation in Human Circulating Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells and their Perturbation with Aging and Disease
University Abroad: Harvard University
Title of PhD: Natural Variation in Human Circulating Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells and their Perturbation with Aging and Disease
University Abroad: Harvard University
Microbiology, Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: The Interplay Between Microbial Defense Systems, Anti-Defense Systems, and Horizontal Gene Transfer
University abroad: TBD
Title of PhD: The Interplay Between Microbial Defense Systems, Anti-Defense Systems, and Horizontal Gene Transfer
University abroad: TBD
Cognitive Psychology, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Title of PhD: What Triggers Stimulus-Driven Behaviours? A Neurocognitive Examination of the Conditions in which Stimulus-Driven Behaviours Vary and Emerge
University Abroad: Washington University in St. Louis
Title of PhD: What Triggers Stimulus-Driven Behaviours? A Neurocognitive Examination of the Conditions in which Stimulus-Driven Behaviours Vary and Emerge
University Abroad: Washington University in St. Louis
Physician-Researcher: Internal Medicine, Hadassah Medical Centre
Research Field: Autoimmunity
Research Centre Abroad: Institut Pasteur
Research Field: Autoimmunity
Research Centre Abroad: Institut Pasteur
Organic Chemistry, Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: Design, Synthesis, and Applications of Chemiluminescent Probes for the Detection and Identification of Pathogenic Bacteria and Cancer Cells
University abroad: Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Title of PhD: Design, Synthesis, and Applications of Chemiluminescent Probes for the Detection and Identification of Pathogenic Bacteria and Cancer Cells
University abroad: Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Physician-Researcher: Medical Genetics, Sheba Medical Centre
Research Field: Medical Genetics
Research Centre Abroad: Baylor College of Medicine
Research Field: Medical Genetics
Research Centre Abroad: Baylor College of Medicine
Soft Matter Physics, Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: Memory and Glassy Dynamics in Driven Complex Mechanical Systems
University abroad: AMOLF and University of Amsterdam
Title of PhD: Memory and Glassy Dynamics in Driven Complex Mechanical Systems
University abroad: AMOLF and University of Amsterdam
Homogeneous Dynamics, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Title of PhD: Quantitative and Qualitative Properties of Homogeneous Dynamics
University Abroad: Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study
Title of PhD: Quantitative and Qualitative Properties of Homogeneous Dynamics
University Abroad: Princeton University and the Institute for Advanced Study
Light Matter Interaction, Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: Superluminal Lasers for Sensing and Precision Metrology
University abroad: TBD
Title of PhD: Superluminal Lasers for Sensing and Precision Metrology
University abroad: TBD
Physics, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Title of PhD: Quantum Optical Aspects of High Harmonic Generation and Strong Field Ionization
University abroad: Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter
Title of PhD: Quantum Optical Aspects of High Harmonic Generation and Strong Field Ionization
University abroad: Max Planck Institute for the Structure and Dynamics of Matter
Cognition and Mental Health, University of Haifa
Title of PhD: Looking in for Answers: Examining the Role of Internal Attention in Internally-Directed Cognition and Mental Health
University Abroad: Washington University in St. Louis
Title of PhD: Looking in for Answers: Examining the Role of Internal Attention in Internally-Directed Cognition and Mental Health
University Abroad: Washington University in St. Louis
Linguistics, Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: Quantifiers, Discourse Profiles and Mental Representations
University abroad: Radboud University
Title of PhD: Quantifiers, Discourse Profiles and Mental Representations
University abroad: Radboud University
Physician-Researcher: Medical Oncology | Sheba Medical Centre
Research Field: Cancer Cell Plasticity
Research Centre Abroad: Max Delbrück Center (MDC)
Research Field: Cancer Cell Plasticity
Research Centre Abroad: Max Delbrück Center (MDC)
Architecture | Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Title of PhD: Neoliberal Architectural Change in Tel Aviv-Yafo, 1977-1995: A Spatial Humanities Approach to Architectural Historiography
University abroad: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Title of PhD: Neoliberal Architectural Change in Tel Aviv-Yafo, 1977-1995: A Spatial Humanities Approach to Architectural Historiography
University abroad: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Social Psychology | Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: Learning from Own Experience and from Others: Integrating Knowledge from Different Sources
University abroad: Harvard University
Title of PhD: Learning from Own Experience and from Others: Integrating Knowledge from Different Sources
University abroad: Harvard University
Cognitive Psychology | Tel Aviv University
Title of PhD: Statistical Learning: A Third Source of Attentional Guidance?
University abroad: University of British Columbia
Title of PhD: Statistical Learning: A Third Source of Attentional Guidance?
University abroad: University of British Columbia
Physics | Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Title of PhD: Stellar Interactions: Accretion, Migration and Explosions
University Abroad: California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Title of PhD: Stellar Interactions: Accretion, Migration and Explosions
University Abroad: California Institute of Technology (Caltech)
Political Psychology, University of Haifa
Title of PhD: Preference for Greater Distance in Social Anxiety: Preference or Estimation Bias? An Integrative Examination
University abroad: University of Cambridge
Title of PhD: Preference for Greater Distance in Social Anxiety: Preference or Estimation Bias? An Integrative Examination
University abroad: University of Cambridge
Atmospheric Dynamics, Weizmann Institute of Science
Title of PhD: The Dynamics of Jupiter’s Polar Cyclones
University abroad: UC Berkeley
Title of PhD: The Dynamics of Jupiter’s Polar Cyclones
University abroad: UC Berkeley
Applied Mathematics / Electrical Engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
Title of PhD: Generalizations and New Applications of Covering Codes
University abroad: University of Maryland
Title of PhD: Generalizations and New Applications of Covering Codes
University abroad: University of Maryland
Bioengineering, Synthetic Biology, Nanotechnology, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Title of PhD: Engineering Living-Like Therapeutics to Support Tissue Regeneration and Healing
University abroad: TBD
Title of PhD: Engineering Living-Like Therapeutics to Support Tissue Regeneration and Healing
University abroad: TBD
Physician-Researcher: Orthopedic Surgery, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Centre (Ichilov)
Research Field: Surgical Innovation and 3D Printing
Research Centre Abroad: University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Research Field: Surgical Innovation and 3D Printing
Research Centre Abroad: University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Microbiology | Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Title of PhD: Functional Plasticity Within Bacterial Strains
University Abroad: MIT
Title of PhD: Functional Plasticity Within Bacterial Strains
University Abroad: MIT
Riemannian Geometry and Optimal Transport, Weizmann Institute of Science
Title of PhD: Curvature-Dimension for Autonomous Lagrangians
University Abroad: Institut de mathématiques de Jussieu–Paris Rive Gauche
Title of PhD: Curvature-Dimension for Autonomous Lagrangians
University Abroad: Institut de mathématiques de Jussieu–Paris Rive Gauche
Physician-Researcher: Fetal Medicine, Rambam Health Care Campus
Research Field: Neuro-Developmental Genetics
Research Centre Abroad: Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Research Field: Neuro-Developmental Genetics
Research Centre Abroad: Division of Genetics and Genomics, Boston Children’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Pedestrian Behaviour and Walkability, Technion – Israel Institute of Technology
Title of PhD: Pedestrian Behaviour and Walkability
University abroad: TBD
Title of PhD: Pedestrian Behaviour and Walkability
University abroad: TBD
*Replaced in 2026- 2026 cycle by Prof. Leora Bilsky, (Law, Tel Aviv University)
*Joining for 2026-2027 cycle
